[bimmertl]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=darjSgExcm0

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by Rainger99

That is what I thought. Sawgrass is not a square and is not designed for large events like parades or festivals. Unlike the Town Squares, there is very limited parking around Sawgrass.

Closing off Meggison for a parade is a bad choice. On the west side of The Villages, Meggison is the only north south road from 44 to 470. On the east side, the only north south road south of 44 is Morse until it ends at the roundabout with Meggison and then Meggison is the only north south road to 470.

If they want a parade near Sawgrass, they should use St. Catherine Circle to Ezell. People could see the parade and they could leave Meggison open.

You should be talking to Villages entertainment. We cannot fix your concerns.

[Kenswing]

Originally Posted by Rainger99

That is what I thought. Sawgrass is not a square and is not designed for large events like parades or festivals. Unlike the Town Squares, there is very limited parking around Sawgrass.

Closing off Meggison for a parade is a bad choice. On the west side of The Villages, Meggison is the only north south road from 44 to 470. On the east side, the only north south road south of 44 is Morse until it ends at the roundabout with Meggison and then Meggison is the only north south road to 470.

If they want a parade near Sawgrass, they should use St. Catherine Circle to Ezell. People could see the parade and they could leave Meggison open.

It was one day for just a couple of hours. I live in St. Catherine and somehow I survived.

[Dotneko]

Calling the clydesdales pulling a wagon a 'parade' is a bit misleading. To be clear, the horses were on the street about 10 minutes. They were the only ones involved in this parade.
They were at Live Oaks on Sat and Sun, so the Villages were able to piggyback onto that travel. Their presence was more of a draw for McGradys and Sawgrass businesses rather than a 'destination event' imo.

[JerryLBell]

We tried getting to see this but the complete lack of parking (other than parking golf carts along the road) put us off. As so many others have said, Sawgrass Grove parking is totally inadequate on any remotely busy day, much less a large event like this. My wife (who is WAY smarter than me) suggested for events like this that they use the Villages tour trolley busses to bus in folks from regional recreation centers or from "real" town squares.

Of course, you can start with complaints about this event and turn pretty quickly into complaining about the lack of new town squares in the south end of The Villages. They've nearly doubled the number of square miles included in The Villages and added how many tens of thousands of homes but only given hints about some day maybe possibly building a single new town square south of 44? And they've built a single shopping center south of 44 compared to how many are there north of 44? When we decided to leave our first house in The Villages and move to another one, we considered building in the south end but decided that it would be just too inconvenient compared to living in what used to be the south end (between 466A and 44). I mean, folks south of 44 are still waiting for the 7-Eleven to open up to actually have a gas station down there! And as much as I like the Fenney Grill and Cousin Willy's, there are only about 5 restaurants south of 44. It's kind of ridiculous. I don't mind all the new people and new houses, but I wish they still built all the facilities (golf courses, town squares, shopping centers, rec centers, etc.) before they built and sold all the houses and everybody moved in. But I guess that was Gary Morse vs. the next generation.

Good God, I sound like a crabby old timer, don't I? And I've only been here six years!

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by JerryLBell

We tried getting to see this but the complete lack of parking (other than parking golf carts along the road) put us off. As so many others have said, Sawgrass Grove parking is totally inadequate on any remotely busy day, much less a large event like this. My wife (who is WAY smarter than me) suggested for events like this that they use the Villages tour trolley busses to bus in folks from regional recreation centers or from "real" town squares.

Of course, you can start with complaints about this event and turn pretty quickly into complaining about the lack of new town squares in the south end of The Villages. They've nearly doubled the number of square miles included in The Villages and added how many tens of thousands of homes but only given hints about some day maybe possibly building a single new town square south of 44? And they've built a single shopping center south of 44 compared to how many are there north of 44? When we decided to leave our first house in The Villages and move to another one, we considered building in the south end but decided that it would be just too inconvenient compared to living in what used to be the south end (between 466A and 44). I mean, folks south of 44 are still waiting for the 7-Eleven to open up to actually have a gas station down there! And as much as I like the Fenney Grill and Cousin Willy's, there are only about 5 restaurants south of 44. It's kind of ridiculous. I don't mind all the new people and new houses, but I wish they still built all the facilities (golf courses, town squares, shopping centers, rec centers, etc.) before they built and sold all the houses and everybody moved in. But I guess that was Gary Morse vs. the next generation.

Good God, I sound like a crabby old timer, don't I? And I've only been here six years!

To start here is some info on the next town square.
Continuing The Dream: Volume 17

Plus.
Some thoughts on growth, development, and "Too big"

[Rainger99]

[QUOTE=Bogie Shooter;2200049]To start here is some info on the next town square.
Continuing The Dream: Volume 17

This came out in April, 2022. There are still no buildings in Eastport. I think it will be at least 2025 before the Town Square opens.

Do any old timers know how long it took from starting Lake Sumter to the entertainment square opening? And how about the shops? Did most of them open at once or was it a slow opening?

Same questions for Brownwood. When did they first start with the infrastructure and when did the entertainment square open? How about the restaurants and shops?

[John Mayes]

[QUOTE=Rainger99;2200080]

Originally Posted by Bogie Shooter

To start here is some info on the next town square.
Continuing The Dream: Volume 17

This came out in April, 2022. There are still no buildings in Eastport. I think it will be at least 2025 before the Town Square opens.

Do any old timers know how long it took from starting Lake Sumter to the entertainment square opening? And how about the shops? Did most of them open at once or was it a slow opening?

Same questions for Brownwood. When did they first start with the infrastructure and when did the entertainment square open? How about the restaurants and shops?

Goldwingnut just added a post that answers yours and other’s questions about amenity and business build progression as it relates to home sales and occupation.

They used to build the amenities first – fact or fiction – the chicken and the egg?

BTW, don’t know if you’ve traveled down 501 to 470 lately but if you haven’t, you should. Eastport infrastructure and ground is progressing rapidly.

[Bogie Shooter]

[QUOTE=John Mayes;2200119]

Originally Posted by Rainger99

Goldwingnut just added a post that answers yours and other’s questions about amenity and business build progression as it relates to home sales and occupation.

They used to build the amenities first – fact or fiction – the chicken and the egg?

BTW, don’t know if you’ve traveled down 501 to 470 lately but if you haven’t, you should. Eastport infrastructure and ground is progressing rapidly.

Guess one just has to read and open their eyes.🤷🏼