[600th Photo Sq]

Originally Posted by Polar Bear

Not so sure those properties are within the boundaries of the CDD's which officially define The Villages.

Park the cart in the Target shopping plaza take a stroll across the street.Shop...lunch at a variety of places, stroll back to your cart and head back.

Next question.

[600th Photo Sq]

Originally Posted by Topspinmo

Sure the can, Leesburg bush stops off 441, you can park in pet smart parking lot out by 441 and walk across street. Village taxi option also. Take a lot to taxi rides to cover cost of insurance and car. Village airport van goes to airport which should open up Orlando buses and trains.

Hitchhike is another option:

[EdFNJ]

Could one live without a car? Yes. I use my GC for probably 85% of our driving here. I could also live without internet & cable tv and Sams and Costco and Trader Joes and Disney and malls but would I want to and would it be CONVENIENT? Not for me. It all depends on your lifestyle and what you like to do "on the spur of the moment." Last week on miserably cold day we decided last minute to leave the bubble. Sure, you can rely on friends, neighbors, car rentals, buses, taxi's & bicycles but it just depends on what you do. Also depends on age. I doubt most folks in the 65-75 - 80 range would want to but if I was 90+ maybe I could.

If you have an older paid off car all you would need to pay is insurance (on an old car you can get cheaper insurance with low coverage) and basic upkeep. Add up taxi, car rental and other transportation costs and you're probably not saving that much. I'd REALLY hate to reply on friends and neighbors because as nice as they are it is still an imposition.

EDit: Just to clarify. If you never plan on leaving "the bubble" you absolutely DO NOT need a car. If you have to get to one of the non GC accessible local strip malls you can walk across a street or for the rare occassion take a taxi.

[bandsdavis]

I haven't read every post, but another thing to consider is how late you think you might be out at night. I personally don't like driving the golf cart at night, although we drive it for almost everything during the day. Visibility at night is difficult, I find, and especially if I am driving on a roadway vs a multi model path, I worry about how well car drivers will see me. So as an example, if you are planning to go to a show at the Savannah Center or The Sharon, you will not get out until 8:30 at the earliest and often after 9:00 PM. Too late for me to be driving in the cart.

[Brawnwy123]

[QUOTE=Vikingjunior;1621732]The Villages advertises as a golf cart community but I'm discovering there are many places, stores, that is not accessible by golf cart which is disappointing.

To give an example the Best Buy and [many other stores] off 441 is not accessible by golf cart because you can't cross Rolling Acres rd.

It's odd because this property is in The Villages and many other stores on the property are just not golf cart accessible.
REPLY ON TRAFFIC
1. We do not use the car much. At 3.5 years old, it has 900 miles on it.
2. We have one car, one cart, two bikes, works fine for us.
3. We have two neighbors nearby, who do not have a car, cart only
4. Our first visit here, 4 years ago, it was a real golf cart community, look now, the new building program requires a car. Good for the agency's and the kickbacks. ???
5. There are places you can park and walk across to other stores, we do that a lot.
6. There are real golf cart communities in Florida, we are planning on that soon.
7. How about the three cars and a pickup in the driveway and a garage full of stuff ????

[NoMoSno]

[QUOTE=Brawnwy123;1621929]

Originally Posted by Vikingjunior

The Villages advertises as a golf cart community but I'm discovering there are many places, stores, that is not accessible by golf cart which is disappointing.

To give an example the Best Buy and [many other stores] off 441 is not accessible by golf cart because you can't cross Rolling Acres rd.

It's odd because this property is in The Villages and many other stores on the property are just not golf cart accessible.
REPLY ON TRAFFIC
1. We do not use the car much. At 3.5 years old, it has 900 miles on it.
2. We have one car, one cart, two bikes, works fine for us.
3. We have two neighbors nearby, who do not have a car, cart only
4. Our first visit here, 4 years ago, it was a real golf cart community, look now, the new building program requires a car. Good for the agency's and the kickbacks. ???
5. There are places you can park and walk across to other stores, we do that a lot.
6. There are real golf cart communities in Florida, we are planning on that soon.
7. How about the three cars and a pickup in the driveway and a garage full of stuff ????

The Best Buy/Five Guys property is not owned by TV.
You can park the golf cart and walk across Rolling Acres, but be careful. They really need a marked/light pedestrian crosswalk at that spot.

[pauld315]

[QUOTE=Brawnwy123;1621929]

Originally Posted by Vikingjunior

The Villages advertises as a golf cart community but I'm discovering there are many places, stores, that is not accessible by golf cart which is disappointing.

To give an example the Best Buy and [many other stores] off 441 is not accessible by golf cart because you can't cross Rolling Acres rd.

It's odd because this property is in The Villages and many other stores on the property are just not golf cart accessible.
REPLY ON TRAFFIC

4. Our first visit here, 4 years ago, it was a real golf cart community, look now, the new building program requires a car. Good for the agency's and the kickbacks. ???

6. There are real golf cart communities in Florida, we are planning on that soon.

Best Buy etc in Rolling Acres Plaza is not in a shopping center owned by The Villages and it never was owned by The Villages. See the link below and the excerpts from the article by the unnamed news source dated 9/17/2016 below

The Villages Commercial Property Management

"Rolling Acres Plaza shopping center has been sold for $37.75 million"

"The seller was New Providence Rolling Acres LP."


Even when they announced the Fenney area, they plainly stated it would be a few years before it was golf cart accessible. I think that is scheduled for next year still.

Which communities in Florida, in your mind, are real golf cart communities if it is not here ?

[Rapscallion St Croix]

I could make it without a car if I were willing to drastically limit my lifestyle but I'm not.

[Bill32]

Using Lyft or Uber is much faster than waiting for and considerably less expensive than a Taxi, no need to make a phone call, everything is done from your smartphone with their free app, try it you will be surprised...

[John_W]

...

[Cedwards38]

Survive? Yes. Fully enjoy? No.

[queasy27]

Originally Posted by dewilson58

I agree with no car and rent as needed. Determine your annual cost a owning a car here and divide that cost by a daily rental rate ~$75.

Has anyone run the numbers for annual cost of cart vs car?

I'm on the other side of the spectrum and don't own a cart. There isn't only one way to "survive" here!

[EdFNJ]

Originally Posted by Bill32

Using Lyft or Uber is much faster than waiting for and considerably less expensive than a Taxi, no need to make a phone call, everything is done from your smartphone with their free app, try it you will be surprised...

Have you looked for a Lyft or Uber here in T.V. ? There is rarely ever one around here unless they arrive here from another location plus they really don't want to take someone 1 mile to the local Publix which is probably why there are rarely any around.

[sterlingcnslts]

I could live here without a car. THe few times I might actually need one could easily be handled by renting a vehicle (or a cab) for a short time. Also, Best Buy, etc. is technically not "in The Villages" .

[Vikingjunior]

Originally Posted by spring_chicken

I'm not sure who "they" is, but if you're referring to the developers, they have no control over who built shopping centers on property surrounding the villages. For the most part, if it is not golf cart accessible, it is not in The Villages and considered "outside the bubble".

If I was opening a business in a golf cart community (or one surrounding a golf cart community) I'd want that business to be golf cart accessible. That's just me.

Target is golf cart accessible yet Best Buy which is literally across the street Rolling Acres Rd is not, so are you telling me Target is in the Bubble and Best Buy and many other stores and restaurants across the street is not? Sorry just seems odd.


I