More shopping options are better than fewer options. Bring it on.

You would think!

Several W-D’s?? Where? I only know of two here. Multiple Publix however.

Nice golf courses and beautiful scenery vs shopping malls or sterile apartment buildings? I’ll take the former, thank you. We have plenty of places to shop

There are WD in Spanish Springs, Lake Sumter, and Pinellas.

The only solution is for you to sell your home and buy again in The Villages on the north side. Admit the developer scammed you into buying where he reserved almost zero land for stores and reserves all of it for houses.

Walmart on Rt100
 

This location area is getting build up with new homes developments non TV but there some Villages near location. Be like round 3 for me closer then other Walmarts.
There is land to be developed non TV owned. Some stores will not build on TV land. Rent high and probably some profits from sales.

Oh, really? Specific location? Your source of this information? ... because you are ruffling feathers.

It’s the wrong question. Walmart data analytics says the market will support the store.

When The Villages announced Central Parkway in a video last winter they said it would be the center of the newer areas. It’s not going to be the center of The Villages.

I re-read the OP post and it what was said is it is 10 miles, not 10 minutes. I hate to say it but those who purchased down south must have known there is very little in the way of restaurants, grocery stores, and all sorts of retail down there. People must check out the area before purchasing if you want instant gratification. Who knows if the south will ever have the amount of retail stores and restaurants as the north does. At least those stores are dotting 466A more these days. That is a lot closer than 441.

Are you referring to Costco? I assume by your post that we will not have a Costco close to The Villages any time soon. :(

That is what I keep reading too.......not enough golf courses in the south.

Salt in the wound. OUCH!

You are right about that. But........I don't see any traffic or apartment buildings until I get on 466. That area for sure is busy but driving north on Morse Blvd to get there is nice and quiet and beautiful with rolling golf courses and very little traffic, even in the winter months.

I sure hope we don’t get all the retail congestion down here that is up north -Reason I bought sought of 44, and am very happy - to some of us, shopping is not our primary activity. I do as little shopping as possible, buying most everything online - A weekly Publix trip is usually about it.

Weekly trip to Publix? I wish I could do that. Hubby says they will get a search party for me if miss a couple of days going to that store. LOL.

😂😂- well I bet your produce is always very fresh

I'd rather see a Walmart than another apartment complex.

Amen!

Fresh produce and fresh meat/fish is why we like to visit a grocery three or more times a week. But to each his own.
OP, I believe, was not complaining as much as was “wishing” for more options. Absolutely nothing wrong with wishing and the options will be coming south of 44 in the future.

Residents in the south are younger, savvy to online ordering for multitude of needs. Amazon and Krogers trucks are abundant here, why waste time at grocery when it comes to your door. My bananas just arrived, half ripe, as I specified, and very frozen Tilamook malted milk ice cream (nobody carries it in TV) Arrives at the time I choose, why waste my time and gas.

Plus many travel out of TV to eat dinner at great restaurants that just don’t exist here. Up north we would drive an hour for great restaurants, here 10 miles to great food is a bonus

Just had furniture delivered, unboxed and set up, about half of cost for the same at the furniture stores in TV.

No worries about the south, they would rather be doing fun stuff, gathering with neighbors, golfing groups, card games, happy hour and the pool, and driveway parties, than walking in a brick and mortar shop.

Yes, it is.

Very true about the age demographics in the south vs north. Having said that, my neighborhood in Mallory is turning over to some degree. Some younger folks are moving in so we are not all dinosaurs. LOL.

Lol!!!!

Yes, pretty good assessment of the demographics south of 44 - I just completely furnished my new home, buying all furniture sight unseen online - love it! This is something my parents and their generation would not probably feel comfortable doing (heck, I even bought my house here sight unseen).

I remember my grandparents would go to the mall as an outing, they loved to window shop. My generation and those coming up behind me would rather spend our time with people and doing things rather than shopping. I guess it’s good that those up north have their many shopping options close by, and I’m happy for them. It’s just not something myself and many of my neighbors really miss or need.

That said looking at how large LSL area is it may take 15 to 20 years for turnaround of younger ages. SS maybe about 10 plus years.

Brownwood will age in place for many, many years.

Middleton Will mostly be on the younger side, due to families and younger grandparents who move to help out. So that new retail are could be forever young.

I will say our parents in their 80’s shopped online for years. Both detested people who took up space standing in the middle stuck to the floor. I can’t remember last time I took one of them to a mall, plus they no longer feel safe in those crowds. So those in their eighties are even progressing into the future

The actual quote was "this was kind of centrally located in the whole of the villages, this is kind of the middle point so we renamed 470 Central Parkway."

Nothing about it being the center of the newer areas.

The quote is about at the 55 second mark of the video.

The Villages - Florida's Friendliest Active Adult 55+ Retirement Community

Apparently you don't know how the irrigation systems work in TV, especially South of 466 or at the golf courses.

Neighborhood Walmart as opposed to Walmart superstore
 

. I recently inquired at the neighborhood Walmart opposite colony Plaza why Walmart did not build a superstore there instead of the smaller neighborhood market . I don’t know if it’s true, but the employee at the customer service desk told me that the villages would not allow Walmart to build a superstore there. Very interesting.

Even if the area between the current building and 466A was available there still wouldn't be enough room for a regular size Walmart. Power lines to the East and retention ponds and golf facilities to the West.

And those people that work at Walmart are suppose to live where??

It's a free country, they can live anywhere they want....

The workers need local and affordable housing, which is why apartments are being built.

Totally agree, sometimes I smile at the numbers of discussions about things just like this. I am honestly surprised that quite a few people do not realize what goes into the decisions these huge chains, grocery or other, made concerning where they want to buy or lease land for another location ! Just like for 20 years now, "villagers" have "thought" they know exactly where Trader Joe's should built their next unit, and for 20 years, Trader Joe's has essentially said they do not need our "help" in their research and development department...LOL !

Bravo ! Finally an honest, straight, answer Big chains KNOW what they are doing. Of course a few make mis-calculations and have to close...but few and far between when you think of all the units some of these have: WM, HD, McD's, Publix, etc. they know what they are doing and know WHY they are placing a new unit.

BINGO ! I think many here just don't have any idea how such things a new unit are decided by giant corporations.

It's interesting to observe how individuals view such things when considering their "dream retirement". I have relatives who came down, stayed a full week, thought everything here was really lovely, prices reasonable, property taxes very reasonable, and no state income tax, but why did they decide on a planned community in another state ? It was far less "commercial", had very few "chain" restaurants, but offered some one unit, locally owned, restaurants that specialized in Italian, Mexican, Barbecue, Asian, and others, have a locally owned hardware, and the 3 vets are NOT chain "vet in the box" offices, something important to them as they have two dogs. There is a non chain, non grocery store bakery inside their community and they love the idea that even the four super markets they had to chose from are only regional chains that have a few units in the surrounding area. They found their "retirement heaven", my cousin's hubby said, is "being a 30-40 minute drive to a home depot or Taco Bell, and making a trip to those types of place something we only do a 4-6 times a year".

That's their idea of retirement, escaping what we have here and what they lived in all their working lives, yet have all the personal and medical services they need. The just love the feeling of being in a "slightly" rural. setting, but they also realize it could turn into something like our community here ... it happens ! I asked what they'd do then, lol, and they said, just try to find something else built with amenities for retirees, but not like a bee hive city ! I think they will all become like The Villages bee hive eventually due to the way people are literally pouring into SOUTHERN planned retirement communities !

OP I am guessing you thought your were scammed into buying, I am so sorry you choose poorly. Many of us have been here more than 10-20 plus years, and keep moving south.

Maybe a few residents could have been scammed, basically you putting them in a category of I can’t make a decision on my own, that I have to drive 10 minutes to a store. But I don’t think that happens often.

We moved from LSL, farther away, from those retail stores you covet so much. It’s apparent that there are empty properties to build on south of 44, yet they sit empty.

Many who are moving south to get away from the crazy ugly parking lots, and Hugh backs of buildings are so glad….those lot’s remain empty.

Needing that retail addition, is age based, the younger you are, the more you appreciate green space, are more than happy to drive to someone else’s area to keep it that way. Or we just thank Kroger and Amazon drivers for using their time and fuel.

I appear to have less faith in big corporations than many other posters.

For those of you who think big corporations "KNOW what they are doing" please explain New Coke and Bud Light and Target.

The population south of 44 is probably 30,000 and that is before Eastport and Middleton. There are Walmart stores in much smaller towns. In fact, there is one in Bushnell which has a population of about 3,000.

What is the smallest town in the U.S. with a Wal-Mart? (home, college) - General U.S. - City-Data Forum

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