[Chueyboy]

We purchased our forever home 3 years ago in Briar Meadow. It was extremely important for us to be less than 5 minutes to a grocery store, dentist, doctor, restaurants, etc. as we are planning to age in place. Here's what gave us the notion,
my out of state, 82 yr old, mother in law won't drive to her Costco because it's waaay across town. It's less than 10 minutes from her home.

[sallyg]

Most of my friends and neighbors like being close to a grocery, pharmacy, bank, and maybe a couple of restaurants. Convenience has become more important than it used to be and it is much faster to go by golf cart than drive. We live in Marsh Bend and love the easy access to these things.

[joelfmi]

Thats why I will not buy there, They have no community travel. which to a senor is very important that cannot drive. Lets be real!

[JSR22]

Originally Posted by joelfmi

Thats why I will not buy there, They have no community travel. which to a senor is very important that cannot drive. Lets be real!

You are a broken record. Great that you are not moving here. How many times do you have to post the same thing?

[Normal]

We have lived south of 44 in Citrus Grove since December. Groceries aren’t that far for us. We drive the cart to Lake Deaton plaza if we feel like using the cart. We do take the car quite a bit when we need to get other things, but how often do you have to go to TJMaxx or the furniture store? Brownwood square is about a 20 minute golf cart ride away, but then we have Sawgrass opening up as we speak. We are very satisfied with how things are evolving and if you are into shopping/retail, the Bexley bridge should be open within the year to the brand new world of Eastport.

[Djean1981]

For me, not so much. I dislike shopping. I do the minimum - groceries every couple weeks. But, for hubby, having a Home Depot closer to Hawkins would save us a lot of miles.

[JayK!]

Groceries 👍🏻. Retail and large box stores 30-35 min. drive to Lady Lake but lots of choices!

[coffeebean]

Originally Posted by vintageogauge

No, it's always been bad and by the time construction is completed so will all those new family homes be completed adding thousands more vehicles to that area. People that liver there are already complaining and they haven't even completed one home yet.
I quit driving up there over a year ago and won't go back, nothing up there that I need that I can't get down here or in southern Leesburg.

I guess it all depends on what we are used to as far as traffic. Living on Long Island a good part of my life then down in South Florida then up to New Jersey gives me a different perspective than someone who hails from much less populated areas. This traffic here in The Villages is nothing compared to the areas where I have lived. There are more farm animals to see in these parts than I have ever seen in my life. This traffic, even at its worst is a pleasure compared to what I have driven in over the years.

[pauld315]

Originally Posted by Rainger99

It is a bit inconvenient now. At the present time, there ain't much south of 44. There is no a gas station, drug store, or Big Box store. All you have is Magnolia Plaza and Sawgrass. I do wish that there were more stores down here (a Walmart or an Aldis - or, dare I say, a Costco or a Trader Joes) but I expect that to change in the next year or so. I am amazed that a store has not opened up down here. There must be at least 25,000 people living south of 44 so they would have a captive market. I was surprised that BJs opened a new store in Spanish Springs area. They have almost every store in the world in a three mile strip - Sams Club, Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes, Walgreens, Best Buy. Not sure if there was a demand for BJs.

We usually go up to Lady Lake area a couple of times a month to do shopping - Walmart, Home Depot, Target, etc. We also shop online. Amazon is great.

It has been 12 years since they started building south of 466A and that road is just now catching up with some shopping needs. It has been 5 years since they started developing Fenney and the area south of 44 and there is still nothing there or on 44. It will be many years before there is commercial development from 44 down if it ever happens at all.

[coffeebean]

Originally Posted by Chueyboy

We purchased our forever home 3 years ago in Briar Meadow. It was extremely important for us to be less than 5 minutes to a grocery store, dentist, doctor, restaurants, etc. as we are planning to age in place. Here's what gave us the notion,
my out of state, 82 yr old, mother in law won't drive to her Costco because it's waaay across town. It's less than 10 minutes from her home.

I don't know where Briar Meadow is located but I just love the name of your village.

[FloridaLady]

I live near Sumter but I like being close to the shopping. My brother lives south of 44 and goes to Leesburg. There is a super Walmart and AMC and Aldi and a gym

[MrFlorida]

I do most of my shopping on line like you, but it's nice to be near a Home Depot or Lowe's when you need something quick.

[Lisanp@aol.com]

I live in the “south” and I don’t hear the turnpike or the prison or the quarry. I don’t see the allure of putting perishables in a golf cart and driving around for 15/20 minutes, so I don’t have any issue with the proximity to the grocery stores by car. I am 4 minutes from Magnolia Plaza (if I get the red light) and 7 minutes from Lake Deaton Plaza by car. Magnolia Plaza will have a CVS and gas station very soon. Lake Deaton already has a gas station (with car wash) and Walgreens. I go to the grocery store nearly every afternoon for dinner items and never see an inconvenience. I am happy to patronize the independently owned ACE hardware on 301 when I need a hardware item over the Lowes, but Lowes is still only 15 minutes away. I have had no trouble finding a doctor (Lake Deaton), dentist (Magnolia), or nail salon. The only provider that I “travel” to is the vet twice a year 15 minutes away but my vet has always been 15 minutes away. The south is closer to the “better” hospital in Leesburg (15 minutes which will go way down when Meggison connects to the turnpike) and there is an emergency room 7 minutes away by Brownwood. The south is much much closer to the airport and Orlando and will be an even shorter distance when the Meggison connection opens which again should be very soon. I have zero desire to wait on the checkout lines at Walmart, but I do wish a Target was closer (and I’m fairly certain one will come with the Middleton construction). We have 1 car and 1 cart. We go to dinner by cart all the time and there are many restaurants within a 20 minute cart ride and more to come soon too. The TOTV posters always south bash because they are worried how great it’s going to be down here very very soon!

[airstreamingypsy]

I live about a mile and a half to Lowes, Publix and Aldis on 466A. I really love being that close......

[rsmurano]

Spanish springs area is a mess. Traffic on Morse going north is very slow, golf carts sharing the streets, no multi-modal paths, and then it gets worse at 441. I get my sams club items delivered to me.
South of 44 is within a golf cart away from lake Sumter and Brownwood, then the new sawgrass grove and soon the new bridge will lead to the new square. We have many executive golf courses all around us within a 30 min golf cart drive. Publix, soon a 7/11 with gas, marathon gas on 44 near the chatty chatty bridge, lowes on 466a, Walmart neighborhood store, and many restaurants. In a few years, south of 44 will be the center of the villages the way it’s growing