Don't forget that left turn from El Camino Royal onto Bonus Aires...

Agree. LSL is beautiful in the early evening. If you have the time, take in the lakewalk also.

Be aware though that the bands start playing at 5:00 PM so I'd advise getting there at least a half-hour before that. Parking becomes kinda chancy if you get there any later. Good place to park (assuming a car?) is the lot adjacent to Barnes & Noble. It is close to the restaurants and the square.

Our neighbors have a large dog but use invisible fencing on their designer. Seems to work great.

Many good recommendations here.

If not already mentioned, Country Clubs are open to the public and are essentially restaurants with a pro shop adjacent to a golf course. Good option for lunch.

If new is an option, suggest spending half the day South of 44.

Options:
Everglades Rec Center,
Edna's (for a beer or glass of wine),
Fenny Grill (lunch, nice short nature trail there),
Lake Okahumpka Rec Center, Sawgrass,

Drive down Warm Springs to 470 to see what's in progress. If coming from the east, you can see this on your way in or out.

"I don't think we'll have time to go through any houses. We aren't going there intending to buy now, this is more to get a feel for where we'll be looking."
That's what many of us said....and then the hook was set!

Visit
 

One day sounds like stress and migraine. You need a few days with one day booked with a sales agent to point the way to the top features. Eisenhower and Everglades are a must.

1 Day Visit to TV
 

I recommend taking the trolleys all over the Villages as you will be able to see the whole area. You really need more than 1 day to check it out so you could participate in some of the amenities & see the Rec Centers & facilities. Give me a call @ 513-222-2981 & I will be happy to help you in several ways.

Been interested in exploring The Villages for quite some time...
 

Are there any options for a 1 week rental in The Villages? I would like to spend a week there to explore the area for potential purchase.

Absolutely START your day with a Trolley Tour. They have 4 tours a day leaving from Brownwood Sales & Information Center. It is NOT a sales pitch; it is a one hour overview that will give you the information you need to plan the rest of your day. Then you can decide what you want to explore. The tour is free but reservations are needed this time of year. Call 352-408-7721.

The Villages is not your typical Over-55 community!

Much better food at BlueFin, Harvest or Prima.

Try Airbnb. I just did a query for March 5 - 12 and found 363 homes available.

I’d be happy to show you around. I’ve lived here for 10 years and love it! I usually only show our families around when they come to visit but I’d be happy to help out.

Must see Rec ctrs
 

I feel like I always have to show my guests the Eisenhower and Sea Breeze Rec Ctrs. They are amazing!!

Where ever you end up try renting for as long as you can before buying.

Eisenhower is a beautiful regional rec center to visit. It honors the military and especially the WWII soldiers. Most of the regional rec centers have a theme and it is artfully carried out. Lake Miona has a boating theme and you will be close to it when you visit Lake Sumter Landing. Enjoy your visit.

imo only, Sumter Landing is the place to be & see. it;s the most-inclusive square, with many food choices, the boardwalk & boat rides begin around 4pm. every square has music begin @ 5 to 9pm, so no matter where you go there will be a band playing. arrive early to get decent parking, especially on market night or the car shows.

not so much anymore. the newer homes going up nearby us have an iron fenced in yard. be sure to NEVER leave your dogs unattended-too many predators of all sizes

The Eisenhower sounds like it would be right up my husband's alley, in particular. He's a military brat and a history buff. Lake Sumter Landing sounds really pretty.

This should be a fun visit!

Thank you all for all of the ideas. I'm writing them all down and busy doing some research on them.

Do any of the rec centers have a solid free weight area in addition to the machines?

I am interested to see the iron fence on the new homes. That might open up some possibilities in terms of house styles for us.

Rec Center Activities
 

I suggest when you get in any Rec Center to pick up the The Villages Recreation and Parks magazine that contains Clubs, Lifestyle Events, and Recreation Activity Schedule.
It will give you an overview of what is available for THAT week!
Take it home with you to peruse at your leisure.

Not sure if its been suggested yet, but there are, or was several apps for the villages you can download for GPS. I use the version you pay for ($7) which lists all the places you'd need to navigate the villages entities. VillagesGPS

Trust, me... You won't find those people among those out and about, having fun...

They'll be home, complaining on ToTV...

The Regional (larger) rec centers have an attached gym. Every one I've been to has free weights... Not "Golds Gym" quality/quantity, but they have them...

There is an additional fee to use them (daily/weekly/monthly/yearly...)

Great tip. But i'd get the free one ("The Villages", a green tile with a big "V"), for now... It has enough info for a short visit. I used the free one at first, but now prefer the $7 one...

Here’s a map of the rec centers
https://www.districtgov.org/departme...pdf?v=20220624

A few have weights, i think 3 or 4.
There is a decent private gym in Brownwood and Spanish Springs (I think).

There may be trolleys leaving from the Squares of Brownwood, Lake Sumter, and Spanish Springs. They can give you a little history and a view of each area. Go to a couple of open houses in different price ranges. What are your interests? Do you golf, play cards, bike, dance, tinker, or do you like driving a golf cart around? We contacted a realtor with The Villages and Peggy showed us some new homes in our price range. She should have asked us what our sq ft range was. No basements here and closets are tiny. She suggested a lifestyle visit and we came back for a week and did more “homework”.

It is easy to get lost in The Villages. I think they design it that way. Get or take a tour so you can ask questions and don’t get lost.

If you are just bumming around, go to one of the Squares in the evening or for happy hour. Sawgrass Grove near Ezzell Rec Center is a neat experience and eatery in the new development area in the south. Hospitals are primarily in Spanish Springs(N) and Leesburg(S).

Choose wisely with limited time!
 

My plan for you.
Have breakfast at Flying Biscuit in Lake Sumter Landing. Eat outside and PEOPLE WATCH. Walk around and enjoy the shops and scenery. Then drive around LSL and view the water.
Grab a table at Lighthouse for a drink and light lunch. Head south to Brownwood Paddock Square. Enjoy the sights . Music starts at 5. Grab a drink special and people watch. Get up and dance!!! Plan on dinner at Prima. Sit outside. Enjoy all the music. This is a full day.
You should check out Eisenhower Rec center. Very interesting. Just tell them you are looking to buy in the future.
Peak in at some of the classes.
Good luck. You will not be bored here . Only you can make it boring! There are 3000 special clubs and classes…
Good luck😊

The trolley only travels south of 44 now. I wouldn’t waste time with it on a one day trip.

The trolley only travels to south of 44 now to see the new areas. No other trolleys run.

The trolley only runs out of Brownwood now to tour south of 44. No other trolleys came back after Covid.

Go to the nearest swimming pool and check out all the beautiful people there. Then walk around one or two squares at supper time and later........because with ONLY ONE day there is no point watching a softball game ( unless you are INSANELY devoted to softball). Same with tennis or pickleball or ANYTHING that you also have at home. Not much point in going to a restaurant or a bar, which you also have at home. You could get a map at a recreational center and a schedule of sports, activities, and clubs just to read at home. You could drive around a little bit also.

I would stay clear of all salespeople. Just a waste of precious time. Contact them by mail or phone IF.....IF you like the place when you look around. And read this Forum for at least 6 months.

Update: We did our day visit and we have decided that we need to do a lifestyle visit in the future. We were able to drive through Spanish Springs and Sumter Landing - we liked what we saw! We visited Eisenhower Rec Center - beautiful and well done. We popped into another rec center (can't think of the name) but it was a regional and had a nice gym area. We parked in Brownwood Square, explored a bit and had the chance to grab a cup of coffee at Scooples before we took a Trolley tour out to the newest section. We saw the Sawgrass area. Afterwards, we dropped by another rec center, saw some of the model homes and walked around a bit. Then it was time to get on the road. TV is beautiful, clean, well maintained, lots to do and the people all seemed relaxed and very nice. It was a great first impression. We saw a fair amount but there is a lot more to see so we will need to plan that lifestyle visit. Thank you all again for the tips and the advice. Can't wait to come back!

The hook has been set... Time to reel them in! :p:p:p

Take a trolley tour.

"We parked in Brownwood Square, explored a bit and had the chance to grab a cup of coffee at Scooples before we took a Trolley tour out to the newest section..."

how exciting! am so glad you were pleased & hope to see you soon!:thumbup:

Great news your visit went well!

Starting in a year or two, the new areas around Eastport will be a very desirable location.

Best wishes for the future and thanks for letting us know!

Continuing The Dream: Volume 3