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Buddy Johnson:
The Villages, FL, is a retirement community located in Central-Florida approximately 45 miles Northwest of Orlando and 85 miles Northeast of Tampa. It covers nearly 6 square miles with a population approaching 100,000. The Villages is made up of nearly 100 subdivisions called “villages”. And, The Villages is in parts of 3 counties, Marion to the North end has the smallest component, Lake to the East has approximately a quarter of the community, and Sumter to the South and West contains over half of the geographic area. From tip-to-tip North-South, The Villages measures 10 miles. The western and eastern boundaries are very irregular, with the longest East-West measurement 4.5 miles and the shortest East-West measurement about a mile.
There are numerous activities in The Villages to spend your time. There are over 1200 clubs, based on special interests (i.e. sewing, painting, etc.), sports teams (professional and college teams), geographic areas (we have a Shelby County-Memphis Club of 85-90 members), and professional organizations (i.e., retired Flight Attendants). Fishing anyone? There are many small ponds and lakes within The Villages that are periodically stocked by the Florida Game and Fish Commission.
The major sports available include bowling, tennis, softball, golf, dragon boat racing, and cycling. And at each of the Neighborhood Recreational Centers (approximately 30 and growing) are bocce and shuffleboard courts, horseshoe pits, pickleball courts (pickleball is tennis for old folks), and a swimming pool. Inside the Rec Centers, there are small and large rooms for meetings and dancing along with a large pool room with 7-10 tables.
Within The Villages, there are 3 Town Centers, called squares. Each Square has an entertainment gazebo that has free nightly entertainment from 5 to 9 every night, weather permitting. The Squares are encircled by retail stores, movie theaters, and restaurants. And, most traveling within The Villages is via golf cart. Some homes have one golf cart but most have two. There are 35-40 miles of golf cart paths with The Villages.
A wide variety of housing exists, ranging from manufactured homes in the older sections to villas to ranch homes to designer homes to premier homes. There is something here to suit just about any taste. While most homes are in the $200K-$400K range, there are many upscale homes approaching $750K and upwards.
The Villages is truly a most unique, one-of-a-kind community. One must visit it to really grasp what a wonderful place this is.