Take a drive down, there is water everywhere, the championship has a fair amount, but the pitch & putt was probably a wise move. I don’t think they could have put anything else there, with all the water and looks to be couple of almost island greens.

It always is interesting to watch a new course from dirt to green, give you pause to think how long that process takes from paper, to dirt, to first round. Both my boys hit long, one straight one not so much, and plan is to take dozen extra first time they play south of the turnpike, when they saw all the water.

I have several friends who re-located to that area and are very happy with their choice. "Close to things" is not important to everyone. "Out of the way" means less traffic and using your car more than a golf cart. If shopping, dining out, and golf will be a frequent activity for you, then I would consider other areas of TV. However, the areas that you mention have everything else plus some things that other areas do not offer. It's all about individual needs and wants. Best of luck. It's hard to make a bad choice.

I live in Lake Denham. I like the quiet compared to when I lived close to Sawgrass previously. The closest restaurants and shopping is in Lake Harris Square, which is 2 miles from the easternmost Dabney entry at the junction of 27 and 470. There's quite a few restaurants there. There's a Publix and an Aldi. To the north of Publix, there's an Ace hardware . The whole 27 corridor has lots of retail.

The developer should be putting in lots of retail on the other side of 470 in the next few years.

Good point. They are also expanding 470 in that area to 4 lanes. That should be fairly soon. They could theoretically put in a cart tunnel at that point. That would tell us a lot for the future.

There’s a post saying weare a social desert? Really? We have so much to do in Lake Denham but can’t keep up when I’m there (part time for now). The block parties are awesome. The people are awesome and all looking for social interaction. We are at boozy bingo every Monday. We have social clubs with regular events at Franklin. We may be a little out of the way but not very far from tons of restaurants and shopping. I can only guess what hat the folks that think we are isolated grew up right in big cities. It’s a different mindset. Totally an individual preference.

But I will warn you, the turnpike noise is loud at times. I assume I’ll get used to it. I lived next to Logan airport in East Boston for years and never noticed the plane noise.

Eastport Too Far
 

Keep in mind if you are considering Dabney and Lake Denham, it will be quite a haul to get to Eastport and Brownwood by golf cart. A crossing of the turnpike at 470 for golf carts has zero possibility because there has to be an entrance and exit from 470 onto and off of the turnpike. Semi tractor trailers are permitted to use the ramps as well as regular automobiles. Commercial goods use the entrance to supply Leesburg and other areas; it isn’t just a Villages area. But, if golf cart transportation is your thing, Moultrie Creek has a lot to offer, otherwise count on a car to do most things.

Stay tuned, there are some really "creative" interchanges along the Turnpike.

The Engineers have a blank sheet to work with at 470, including the possibility of moving the location of the interchange further south.

If you look at overpasses under construction for the Turnpike Expansion south, several have pedestrian crossings and even a wide trail crossing.

Apparently they changed their mind after not permitting a pedestrian walkway across the Waterlilly Bridge.

Quite the haul? I live in Lake Denham. 15 minutes to east port in golf cart. 6 minutes to sawgrass. At least 5 pools within 6 minutes. 30 minutes to Brownwood. 2 minutes to Turnpike in car. Moultrie creek I’m sure will be nice also but will be slightly more crowded and expensive.

Hopes
 

You can hope, but what possible advantage would there be except for those who want to cross there. The Developer is building a commercial space immediately next to the turnpike and 470 pocket which involves more than just Villagers shopping there. The turnpike is the easy on off for prospects other than Villagers. Tavares will decide most things I’m sure. Right now they are lockstep against traffic circles for some reason? It would be an interesting problem to work out.

How about a friendly wager on no cart crossing near 470?

I'd propose my 1 beer to your 6 by the end of 2027.... I wonder if either of us will live that long?

I'm not "hoping", just identifying possibilities, especially when the state is throwing billions at roads near a developer who is very well connected economically and politically.

Not many imagined tunnels under 470 but the went and relocated the entire road.

There is a traffic circle in Tavares right in front of the Lake County Administration building so I'm not sure where that rumor comes from. They are probably drooling at the future tax review coming their way ;-)

But all that is at least 5-10 years in the future, nothing is for sure until permits are approved.

Do you really want to wait 10 years to see what might happen?
Make a list of what amenities and features are important to you.
Then choose your residential location. If it’s on a map published by the Villages, then it will probably happen.
If it’s not even mapped out don’t count on it.

There are no restaurants, no doctors, no shopping in these areas.

By Car
 

There are by car, you just don’t have the golf cart lifestyle per say.

I absolutely agree. It will come. They built it. Just wait and see and someday soon the writer will be explaining this to Newbies. Yup.

Count me in. I’m only 54. I will live long enough (knock on wood) to collect all beers.