[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by skippy05

There is almost nothing in the southern area. You must have a car to get to the northern area where everything is. Also consider heavily buying resale in Northern area for the same reason and to be located no where near the turnpike noise.

That's good advice!

[kendi]

I suggest checking the weather unless you don’t mind driving golf cart in the storms.

[DAVES]

Originally Posted by Pamela1130

Thanks in advance for bearing with me asking another question. Do we really need a car for the LS visit? We are on no time schedule and would just love to explore with the golf cart. I know we will be in the southern area. (Anyone know exactly where). My rep just said Sawgrass area. I know the Villages is really big but is it doable by golf cart if you have no particular place to go? How far is the Brownwood area for the Sawgrass area by golf cart? We are renting in Brownwood for January and February. We will have a car then though. Thank you again.

Any reply, including mine is OPINION. Assuming you have a valid drivers license from a state other than Florida, you can drive in Florida.

Check with your auto insurance company it should does cover a rental car but not loss of use due to an accident. You can decide to pay for that or self insure. You pay in the event of an accident. A car rental is shockingly inexpensive.

Far as getting around by golfcart it is like learning to drive all over again. A wrong turn etc and you are on a road where you do not belong.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by Pamela1130

Thanks in advance for bearing with me asking another question. Do we really need a car for the LS visit? We are on no time schedule and would just love to explore with the golf cart. I know we will be in the southern area. (Anyone know exactly where). My rep just said Sawgrass area. I know the Villages is really big but is it doable by golf cart if you have no particular place to go? How far is the Brownwood area for the Sawgrass area by golf cart? We are renting in Brownwood for January and February. We will have a car then though. Thank you again.

I think that if you are going to be here in Jan and Feb that you need a car to see a wider area than in a golf cart only. Also, I don't think that is really very important. What is important is to decide if you want to live here year-round or only in the winter and have 2 homes - one north and one south.....here. Then decide if you want a new home or a resale. Next.......unless both people are deaf, you want to avoid the Turnpike area. You don't want to be far south near the Prison.
........Next, since The Villages is all about activities.......you want to be sure that you are close to the activities that you like. for example, if you wanted to play the over age 50 soccer, I believe that the soccer club only plays in the northern part of TV Land. Same with volleyball. So, if you lived way south, it would get to be a hassle to drive. Also, I believe that archery only exists in the northern part of TV. This may have changed because TV Land changes rapidly. But, the point is to locate where the activities that you are interested in are physically. Check where bowling alleys are if that is your interest.
.........If boating is your interest, some lakes are bigger than others and allow bigger boats. You can get a magazine about activities sent to you. You can learn a lot from this forum, just be aware that there is some negativity among retirees. And some positivity.
........I feel a need to warn you that the summers here are too hot and are predicted scientifically to keep getting hotter. if you intend to be a snowbird, then no problem. if you plan to live here full-time, I would consider South Carolina or Georgia to avoid Florida summer heat. If more detail as to WHY it is too hot, refer to my many other posts on this subject.......take care.

[baramu]

What is LS? No abbreviations please.

[mtdjed]

Originally Posted by Pamela1130

We are on no time schedule and would just love to explore with the golf cart. I know we will be in the southern area. I know the Villages is really big but is it doable by golf cart if you have no particular place to go? How far is the Brownwood area for the Sawgrass area by golf cart? We are renting in Brownwood for January and February. We will have a car then though. Thank you again.

Your parameters are First week in November Lifestyle visit, southern portion of The Villages. Your question is the Villages doable by golf cart?

Certainly, you have seen responses yes and no. No response given is wrong. It just a question of what you want and consider as doable.

If you just want to escape the daily routine and relax, swim, golf and see a bit of The Villages, yes it doable by golf cart or even by bike. If you need transport, you can even arrange for our version of paid transportation.

But some of the advice given should be heeded.

1/ Daylight Savings time ends Nov 5, 2023 Sunset will be around 5:40
2/ Temps ave high 73, ave low 56
3/ Golf carts provided may not have enclosures, some speed restrictions, likely gas
4/ Weather likely dryer than summer, less chance of pop up storms but???
5/ Make sure you have seat belts on Golf Cart
6/ Easy to get lost on travel. Example path going into lake Sumter Landing diverts thru Winn Dixie parking lot and several streets. It is marked but easy to miss.
7/ Golf carts are not toys and driving on streets with cars, curbs etc presents significant exposure if not familiar.


If you are on a housing search, you are limiting your time and options.

In any event, we moved here from Marblehead, Ma in 2007, and we do not for a moment regret the weather, lower taxes, friends and lifestyle. If we need a taste of the north, we drive or fly and are happy to get back.

Best wishes

[JMintzer]

Originally Posted by baramu

What is LS? No abbreviations please.

Life Style, as in Life Style Visit...

Also, it is used to abbreviate Lake Sumter...

[Ktots]

Originally Posted by Pamela1130

Thanks in advance for bearing with me asking another question. Do we really need a car for the LS visit? We are on no time schedule and would just love to explore with the golf cart. I know we will be in the southern area. (Anyone know exactly where). My rep just said Sawgrass area. I know the Villages is really big but is it doable by golf cart if you have no particular place to go? How far is the Brownwood area for the Sawgrass area by golf cart? We are renting in Brownwood for January and February. We will have a car then though. Thank you again.

If your rep said Sawgrass area, I’m more inclined to think you will be in Newell. DeLuna isn’t really in the Sawgrass area.
Please don’t be discouraged by people telling you there is nothing in the southern area, etc. My mother has been here for 20 years and lives in the northern area near Lopez. It’s a lovely area and has a lot to offer. My sister has been here for 19 years and lives in the Sumter Landing area near Palmer. It’s a lovely area and has much to offer. We lived briefly in the Sumter Landing area, then south of 466a and enjoyed both thoroughly. Now, we live south of 44 and north of the turnpike, in the Sawgrass area, and absolutely love it. We have dogs, so we walk a lot and love the miles of recreational paths and green space in the southern areas. Every area in TV has plenty to offer, and where you might like it best depends strictly on you.

Brownwood is about a 25-30 minute golf cart ride for us… it’s a fun, lovely ride. Sumter Landing is a little farther… maybe 30-35 minutes. It’ll be a wee bit longer from Newell… maybe 5 more minutes. Spanish Springs will obviously take longer. We usually take our car to SS. If I want to golf cart to my mom’s up in the northern area, it’ll take about an hour. The Lake Deaton Plaza will be about 15 minutes. You can certainly explore all of TV by cart, (except Middleton)especially if you want to take your time and be leisurely about it… but it depends on you. We prefer to have our car after dark if we’re traveling home from one of the squares. Also, as another poster mentioned, it depends on whether or not your cart has curtains and how comfortable you are. Sometimes those carts have a slower top speed, too, which is probably a good thing when you aren’t used to driving the cart paths.

However you choose to explore, I hope you have a wonderful time. I suspect you will! BTW, we lived in northern RI, a hop and a skip from Milford

[Rwirish]

Yes you will need a car unless you want to spend hours in a golf cart.