[Chitown]

The Villages is getting to Big. Retirement community or not, in 5 years we will be approaching 200,000 people. Guess what’s going to happen to Florida’ Friendliest Home Town?

[Battlebasset]

Define "too big". If there is available land, and there is, it's technically not too big.

What I think people mean when they say that, is that it is too big for the infrastructure (roadways, shopping, medical services, etc) to support it without a negative impact on the population using it. As someone who lives south of the tollway, I can certainly attest to the first 2. Getting north on 301 at anytime other than Sunday morning has become a nightmare. Other than Publix and a few other things (none of which IMO are critical) a long drive is required to get to 441 for anything. So the first two go hand in hand. I order off of Amazon more than I ever did before I moved here.

I am curious to see how that gets addressed, especially with the under 55 Middleton neighborhood planned. While we retirees have time, busy working parents will not. I think Middleton is going to be a hard sell to families without more grocery stores and stores like Walmart and Target. When little Johnny comes home and lets mommy know that he needs poster board for a project that is due tomorrow, mommy is going to be none too thrilled to make that drive.

[me4vt]

Originally Posted by Craig Vernon

With the introduction of Eastport years in advance, something historically kept secret. The new charter schools and hospitals also on the horizon. It becomes pretty obvious to me that the Villages grows for many more generations. Does it make it to Disney? I bet it gets very close.

Very sad people are cheering on development to take the place of orange groves and pastures for self pleasure and the all mighty dollar🧐 The Villages have already over done it since mid 80’s!!

[ithos]

Originally Posted by Battlebasset

Define "too big". If there is available land, and there is, it's technically not too big.

What I think people mean when they say that, is that it is too big for the infrastructure (roadways, shopping, medical services, etc) to support it without a negative impact on the population using it. As someone who lives south of the tollway, I can certainly attest to the first 2. Getting north on 301 at anytime other than Sunday morning has become a nightmare. Other than Publix and a few other things (none of which IMO are critical) a long drive is required to get to 441 for anything. So the first two go hand in hand. I order off of Amazon more than I ever did before I moved here.

I am curious to see how that gets addressed, especially with the under 55 Middleton neighborhood planned. While we retirees have time, busy working parents will not. I think Middleton is going to be a hard sell to families without more grocery stores and stores like Walmart and Target. When little Johnny comes home and lets mommy know that he needs poster board for a project that is due tomorrow, mommy is going to be none too thrilled to make that drive.

At least they made a high priority building gas stations south of the turnpike.

[photo1902]

Originally Posted by me4vt

Very sad people are cheering on development to take the place of orange groves and pastures for self pleasure and the all mighty dollar🧐 The Villages have already over done it since mid 80’s!!

I guess land didn’t have to be cleared for your home here?

[Topgun 1776]

Originally Posted by Craig Vernon

With the introduction of Eastport years in advance, something historically kept secret. The new charter schools and hospitals also on the horizon. It becomes pretty obvious to me that the Villages grows for many more generations. Does it make it to Disney? I bet it gets very close.

Why does this keep coming up in the posts? It's no secret they plan to keep growing. If someone doesn't like that....sell ! They'll undoubtedly make a profit and can move somewhere not growing. Moving on to worthwhile posts would be awesome!

[Worldseries27]

Originally Posted by craig vernon

with the introduction of eastport years in advance, something historically kept secret. The new charter schools and hospitals also on the horizon. It becomes pretty obvious to me that the villages grows for many more generations. Does it make it to disney? I bet it gets very close.

just following well established theories of growth

[Battlebasset]

Originally Posted by photo1902

I guess land didn’t have to be cleared for your home here?

Wasn't it Yogi Berra that said "No one goes there nowadays, it’s too crowded."

[Altavia]

Originally Posted by Battlebasset

Define "too big". If there is available land, and there is, it's technically not too big.

What I think people mean when they say that, is that it is too big for the infrastructure (roadways, shopping, medical services, etc) to support it without a negative impact on the population using it. As someone who lives south of the tollway, I can certainly attest to the first 2. Getting north on 301 at anytime other than Sunday morning has become a nightmare.

Other than Publix and a few other things (none of which IMO are critical) a long drive is required to get to 441 for anything.

So the first two go hand in hand. I order off of Amazon more than I ever did before I moved here.

I am curious to see how that gets addressed, especially with the under 55 Middleton neighborhood planned. While we retirees have time, busy working parents will not. I think Middleton is going to be a hard sell to families without more grocery stores and stores like Walmart and Target. When little Johnny comes home and lets mommy know that he needs poster board for a project that is due tomorrow, mommy is going to be none too thrilled to make that drive.

From southern area, Leesburg and Claremont are within 15-30 min drive have more diverse restaurants and shopping.

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

The Villages, formerly known as Florida.

[MidWestIA]

I thought TV WAS Disney - You hear Disneyworld for adults seems like it with all the activities

[Tyson]

I use to think anything south of Brownwood is NOT TV. Now its anything south of the turnpike. Do not believe for 1 minute if your south of the pike that your in TV. Your in Wildwood and good luck with that.

[Fastskiguy]

Originally Posted by Tyson

I use to think anything south of Brownwood is NOT TV. Now its anything south of the turnpike. Do not believe for 1 minute if your south of the pike that your in TV. Your in Wildwood and good luck with that.

Gosh, I think I'm in TV and the turnpike is north of me. Not sure though...

Joe

[dewilson58]

Originally Posted by Tyson

I use to think anything south of Brownwood is NOT TV. Now its anything south of the turnpike. Do not believe for 1 minute if your south of the pike that your in TV. Your in Wildwood and good luck with that.

[ThirdOfFive]

An all-too-familiar refrain. "I have my little piece of heaven, but now it's time to slam the door."

The Villages is what it is. Homogeneous houses arranged in "villages" that often bear only a superficial resemblance to one another. But those VILLAGES aren't growing. New Villages are added from time to time but The Villages grows OUT, not up. The Village where I live will undoubtedly look and feel the same in 2033 as it does in 2023.

There are valid concerns however. One, as mentioned by another poster, is infrastructure. That can be developed, and I don't think we have any reason to doubt that it will be. The other concern though is labor. The jobs in The Villages are service jobs. Housing is being developed to address this at least in part, but, as stated on the Indeed website, "Average The Villages hourly pay ranges from approximately $10.00 per hour for Host/Hostess to $27.39 per hour for Videographer. The average The Villages salary ranges from approximately $23,701 per year for Truck Driver to $356,000 per year for Endocrinologist." Unless your job is in the Videographer - Endocrinologist range you're going to have a hard time housing and feeding a family on what you can earn here in TV. Comparing like jobs in surrounding areas populations similar in size to that of TV--well, TV very definitely comes off second best, often by very sizeable margins.

How to address that, other than by businesses substantially increasing what they're paying? Unfortunately, I don't think there is any other way. It seems to be a choice between higher prices, or poor (or no) service.