I think its a simple as, "Is it worth the drive?". Spanish Springs is the closest square to me, but can't say we spend much time there as there is nothing regarding shopping that is of interest. Visit Amerikanos a couple of times a year, Ruby Tuesday for salad now and again, once in great while Kilwins for a too expensive ice cream. Panera's & Dunkin are everywhere and are nothing special.

Now, if the squares had actual shops and restaurants that were outstanding in their offerings, we'd gladly frequent them even if it was a drive to get to. Unfortunately, we haven't found any truly unique shopping and far and away the restaurants are lucky to achieve mediocre. We do have a handful of restaurants that we will drive to (some as far a 40-50 minutes away), but it has to be "worth the drive".

Agree on this point, the shopping at all the squares is okay, not great.

These kinds of things makes me skeptical that Eastport will deliver on expectations as far as unique shops and restaurants. Brownwood opened around 15 years ago and even now it really doesn't have a lot of useful retail other than a handful of specialty stores.

A full service bakery, a butcher and a small scale non-chain grocery store is the type of thing that would come to mind in things that would likely attract business. Even a small hardware store at Brownwood square would be really nice.

“Small” is the key word. Probably couldn’t pay the rent at the cheap prices so many would demand.

Across the street from Brownwood in Sparr and there is a nice Ace Hardware in Wildwood. We go to both of them a lot.

I'm a regular customer to both, but I would really like to be able to pickup things I need in my golf cart if I'm going to Brownwood anyways. We rarely take our car to Brownwood but we take our golf cart there usually 3 days a week.

I think the original idea was to be that a large part of the value proposition for town squares is convenience.

Agreed. Moved here permanently two years ago and have been surprised (I know should have looked more before leaping!) about the lack of certain types of businesses in this area:

- Haven't found an actual butcher shop anywhere. With all the cattle in the area you'd think a butcher shop would be a no brainer. Plenty of Publix & Winn Dixie's that sell grocery store USDA Choice meats, etc. And I guess there's Fresh Market, but haven't been impressed;

- A actual, real bakery? Haven't found one. Again, Publix & Winn Dixie's are marginal. Panera, just another national franchise. Long drive to Donut King is worth it for a great doughnut thou;

- An actual GOOD family restaurant. Where we relocated from had a multitude of choices for "coney island" restaurants. These were small, family owned (generally by Greek or Lebonese families) that offered a large, varied menu of breakfasts, sandwiches, salads, dinners and the namesake "coneys". Excellent food at reasonable prices (and generally opened 24 hours). Here, marginal food, highly priced and closes at 2 pm. [If anyone knows where you can get a GOOD omelette, please let me know. Too many times here I've tried to get a decent omelette and end up with a small flat scrambled eggs folded over near non-existent filling for $15]. Last time we were "up North we stopped in our favorite "coney island" and I practically begged them to open one up down here!

Wildwood
 

Best Meats in Wildwood has decent to order cuts. They do our T Bones and NYs.

Ah yes, “up north where I came from was so much better”.

Soon be time to relocate?

Understand new mgt have not been there for awhile.

Do you find things are better?