My only negative of living in the southern area is the noise, the Florida turnpike is very noisy, and if the wind is blowing just right, it's extremely noisy.

It's not noisy on the west side of the southern villages. I've lived here for 4 years and have yet to hear the turnpike. They are in the process of building more homes even further west in the village of Fenney Hammock along the Red and Gray Fox golf courses. .

We often go to the Southern Area to ride our bikes, go for walks, play golf at Marshview, or just hang out at Edna's.

You're right, some areas can be very noisy, especially when the breeze is coming off the turnpike, but other areas are pretty quiet. It is something for buyers to check out before making a purchase.

This will echo much of what has been posted: We thought we wanted to be very near one of the squares and did not want to be South of 44. We rented for 6 weeks in Desoto (we did not want to be in Desoto but it was the only rental we could find). That turned out to be a blessing. We discovered that everything we wanted to do was nearby. We ended up in Marsh Bend (and love it). Brownwood is a 12-15 min golf cart ride. But after only a few months, we rarely go.

Rent before you buy if possible

100% agree which is one of the reasons we recently purchased a home in Bradford, great location and as of yet I haven't heard the turnpike noise at all. It's pretty simple to use The Villages app/website to view a particular lot's proximity to the turnpike, distance and obstructions between you and the 18 wheelers matters.