Brownwood
 

Heading north on the Turnpike a couple of miles before the Villages exit there is a billboard advertising Brownwood. It mentions entertainment nightly and what turns to make to get there. To me it kind of lessens the feeling of a town center for Villagers and makes it more of a tourist destination.

I know the town squares are for everybody, but the billboard still bothers me.

Things are changing now that H. Gary M. Is gone and the way I see it, it is not for the better.

That sign has been there. It has nothing to do with Gary Morse being gone.

Businesses advertise to attract more customers....it's the American way. I have no problem with it!!

If we want to keep our businesses running and attract new favorite stores then we have to be happy with non Villagers coming to these restaurants and stores. That also means getting them to the squares. I'm happy to share.

The Turnpike, the billboard and Brownwood are out of my traffic pattern. I just passed by the soon to be renovated (I think that is the word) Katie Belle’s. I am sure GM had nothing to do with that ether seeing he is gone.

Do you really think the day after Gary passes the kids say okay let's make changes ?? :ohdear:
The planning for Katie Belles' renovation has been going on for quite some time getting architectural design, drawings, permits, approvals etc. That process takes a very long time !

I noticed that none of the signs for Brownwood say The Villages on them. I believe that the only place The Villages shows up is on the signs on each side of the intersection Buena Vista and 44.

Some people say that Brownwood wasn't built for The Villages, it was built more for the people of Wildwood.

If it doesn't say anywhere on the sign The Villages, it could be a marketing thing to bring people in.

Most of the time these unknown "some people" have no idea what they are talking about!

The curse of the third generation.

Sumter County promotes all things Villages - and rightly so!
 

Well, not sure about the origin or intent of the billboards on the Turnpike or Rt. 75, but it sure seems that Sumter County is getting all the mileage they can from the activities, retail venues and other attractions offered by The Villages via their County Tourism web pages. And not only Brownwood Paddock is featured, btw.

Sumter Tourism

That's awesome because that way everyone can make money running busy successful businesses. :coolsmiley:

Totally agree, and if they are advertising along the turnpike, they are sure to attract a more diverse crowd which is good for businesses.