[John_W]

Originally Posted by John41

The Gulf of Mexico is not as desirable as the Atlantic. It’s just a gulf not an ocean.

You have never been to a Gulf beach, if you had you would never made that statement, or was it a joke and you forgot the smiley face. That Atlantic beaches are sand mixed with tiny crushed shells and the water is cold to colder, and water is dark. Gulf Beaches are usually white powdery sand in appearance and the water is aqua blue, and is usually warmer by the Gulf Stream.

The following beaches are in Trip Advisor's top 10 beaches, Siesta Key, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Pensacola and Panama City. That's five in the top 10, the Atlantic side of Florida has only one, Hollywood.

Best Beaches in the United States - Travelers' Choice Awards - Tripadvisor

Clearwater Beach

[Pairadocs]

Originally Posted by j_vermilya

We have family here in the villages, for about 10 years. We've been here about 3 and 1/2. We are all very concerned and unhappy about the huge amount of "development", especially remembering the promise it would never go south of 44. We are in a pandemic and see greater crowds, more traffic, harder to find tee times. Just wait til things return to "normal". Apartments being added both in and out of the villages will add to these numbers as well. No more town squares are being added...yes, they are adding some rec centers and other amenities in the south, but it will be quite some time before there will be a sufficient amount, if ever. (Comments like, then move, or growth is inevitable" don't help by the way). Absolutely, there are many positives about living here. But it will not be the same. Frankly, we are leaning towards moving because of these changes.

Amen, we hear you and agree. And yes, have not been real social media savvy, but even this TOTV's was more a community bulletin board "back then",but now, yes, you'll get many nasty comments like: move, get out, etc. We built from scratch, love it here, but last 3 years have just been so many negative changes, never expected it to have so many high rise multi family complexes, senior complexes, it's beginning to look and be as crowded as what we hoped to leave behind. Had relatives who came to escape the south Florida life style of traffic, crowded restaurants, etc. and now found the villages is becoming the same as what they left. They just sold in
Dec. and love their new place in the Spring Hill area. Others moved to Margaritaville, which may eventually become another Villages, but, for now, they love it, the friendliness of the residents, said just like the "old days" in the villages. So we too are"thinking", looking, may just do it sometime in this new year.

Originally Posted by John_W

You have never been to a Gulf beach, if you had you would never made that statement, or was it a joke and you forgot the smiley face. That Atlantic beaches are sand mixed with tiny crushed shells and the water is cold to colder, and water is dark. Gulf Beaches are usually white powdery sand in appearance and the water is aqua blue, and is usually warmer by the Gulf Stream

I have been to beaches on both coasts of Florida and although the sand is a little nicer in some areas of the gulf, the waves on the Atlantic side are much larger and the onshore breeze more enjoyable in Summer.