[ConeyIsBabe]

Someone mentioned that all Villages are not equal in terms of amenities and friendly residents. Therefore, if it's not too personal........ can you name and describe YOUR Village?

Is it within walking distance to stores & restaurants or a Town Square ?

Are there more fulltime residents or are their more seasonal residents ?

What exactly is a block party ? Does your neighborhood have block parties ?

How many Rec Centers and Pools are in your Village ?

Anything else I can't think of to ask :

THANK YOU for any responses ;D

[Dayton]

Virginia Trace - the friendliest Village...and the street I live on is the best!

Yes, we can walk to Lake Sumter Landing - we're located right behind it!

On our street - all but one couple - are full-timers.

A block party is when all the neighbors on a street get together - usually outside on someone's driveway - and party! Our neighbors have get-togethers all the time. We not only have block parties, but we do a lot things as a group. We've become a very good friends and like to do fun things together.

We have one adult pool and one family pool - both walking distance from our street. Actually, I think each Village has one pool each (not including the country club pools).

Did I answer everything?

[swrinfla]

CIB:

I live in Sunset Pointe. My across-the-street neighbor agitated early on (mid-2005) to establish a "social group." A notice was in the Daily Sun announcing an organizational meeting. Judy expected 75-80 folks. Instead the room was filled to over-flowing.

Since then, the Sunset Pointe Social Club (SPSC) has grown to something like 500 members, and has monthly parties at Lake Miona Rec Center. If the party sounds especially fun, you'd better sign up early or there won't be room for you. Everyone has a super time.

My street gets together every first Friday, rain or shine, heat or cold. We're on Fenimore Lane, so we're called something like "Fenimore Friends For Food, Fun and Frolic on the First Friday at Four (or maybe Five)" - I abbreviate it on my calendar as F3! We have a ball. Our population is 27 total - usually 22-24 show up!

We had an in-the-street New Year's Eve party last winter and invited immediate neighbors to come. It was a tremendous success and I think more than 150 people showed up. Note that virtually all of them were gone by 12:15am! ;D

We have a pool at the postal station, another at our Hibiscus Rec Center, another at the Lake Miona Regional Rec Center and also one at Cane Garden Country Club.

From my house to Lake Sumter Landing Market Square is 2.2 miles. So, is it walkable? Not by me, but I suppose folks do walk it!

I would estimate that more than 80% of us are full-timers, but that is a very hard thing to pin down. Two houses immediately behind me are either essentially empty most of the year or are occupied by renters frequently during the fall/winter months.

We have only one villas community within Sunset Pointe. That's a resonably low ratio.

SWR

[graciegirl]

CIB We bought in April in the new village of Hadley. Now the new houses being sold are Hadley and Hemingway and Amelia still has some that are not sold. Our village is so new that I just met our neighbor to the right when we came down last week. They are snowbirds too,from Chicago. We only have one full time pair on the street and until last week all others were empty, but probably sold.

A block party is when you take turns hosting your neighbors and they usually bring their own special alcoholic beverage and you provide beer, wine, snacks and generally the rest will bring snacks and pick up foods too.

I think there are more snowbirds because people are always talking about how busy the place is in the winter. Hadley has the Odell Recreation Center with a pool for families and also the Hadley pool for adults over 30. BUT very near are the Amelia Recreation Center and pool and the Colony Cottage recreation center and pool and Hemingway too. and also the new Havana Country Club is near and it too has a pool.

Whether or not you are a good walker determines whether things are within walking distance. Most people get around in golf carts and everything is easily accessible. Remember we are an aging population and it is hot and humid in the summer. Golf carts, I beleive can be purchased from around 2000 to as high as 22,000. I would say more and less than that might be found.

Homes are available from as low as 60,000 to a million dollars. All homes are beautiful and there are no bad areas. All areas are equally well maintained. I believe that whether people are friendly or not depends or whether YOU are friendly or not. When a neighborhood has been established for a long time, it might be a little harder to make friends than when everyone is new. I know people who live in the older sections and in the newer ones. All are convinced their village is the best. But really HADLEY is...lol.