THE VILLAGES FLORIDA: FLORIDA'S FRIENDLIEST HOME TOWN?

The Villages Florida is a master planned retirement community that sprawls over Sumter, Lake and Marion counties along US-441/US-27 between Ocala and Leesburg.

It is about 68 miles northwest of Orlando International Airport and about 90 miles northeast of Tampa International Airport.

The Villages is bounded approximately on the east by US 27/US 441, on the west by US-301, on the north by County Road 42 and on the south by Sumter County Road 466A.

Sumter County Road 466 serves as the main east-west corridor, with Buena Vista Boulevard and Morse Boulevard serving as major north-south corridors.

Harold Schwartz, a Michigan businessman, began selling land tracts via mail order in the area in the 1960's. Not too long after, the laws were changed to prohibit selling real estate by mail.

It started to develop in earnest in the 1980's when Schwartz brought in H. Gary Morse to run the operation. Morse had a gift for understanding what active retirees were looking for in a lifestyle, and he made sure The Villages had those factors.

He was wildly successful, and The Villages Florida has altered forever the backroads travel pattern in this part of the state.

The Villages Florida now has about 77,681 people according to the 2010 census, and most experts predict the population will continue to increase until there are no more lots to sell or nearby land to develop.

The population in the 2000 census was only 8,333, so it is obvious that people are attracted to the community in overwhelming numbers.

Most of The Villages is an "adults only" community where homes must be occupied by at least one person who is 55 years of age or older. Persons under the age of 19 years are not permitted to reside within The Villages but may visit for a maximum of 30 days per year.

There are three subdivisions in The Villages which are designated as family units and are not subject to this restriction.

I know many people who live in The Villages, and all of them love the place. Most of them are active retirees who came down from up north, and most of them are very conservative both socially and politically.

I personally don't know any native Floridians who live in The Villages, although I am sure there must be some. It's appearance has made it become the quintessential "Anywhere, USA". If you were to be brought their blindfolded and then allowed to see it, you'd think you were in any number of southern states. The only thing "Florida" about The Villages is the climate.

The Villages comprises several communities, each clustered around one of 37 separate golf courses. 28 of these courses are 9 hole executive layouts, and 9 of them are country club 18 hole championship courses.

One of the benefits of living there is that you can play golf "free" for the rest of your life on the 9 hole courses. Your golf membership is included in the general fees that a homeowner pays in local taxes to a Community Development District. Greens fees are charged on the 18 hole courses.

Community Development Districts are not uncommon in Florida; there are more than 200 of them. They are quasi-governmental units that give the developer the right to finance his development with bonds and pass on the cost of infrastructure to the eventual residents of the district.

Many - if not most - people who live in The Villages have a golf cart. CBS's "Sunday Morning" television show in May 2011 said there are 50,000 carts.

Grocery stores, restaurants, health spas, and most other businesses can be reached by using a golf cart.

There are two town squares in The Villages with a band shells and free concerts that has become the hub of community evening activity. Thousands of golf carts line up while their occupants enjoy the music and fellowship and head home when it's done.

The Villages has hundreds of miles of golf cart paths; golf carts are the preferred means of transportation for many residents, even those who don't play golf.

The Villages residents enjoy more than 1300 clubs that cover just about any hobby or interest a person could have. They also have sports teams and leagues and all kinds of other activities that are free to the residents.

Florida backroads travel is fun if you start your trip from The Villages Florida. If you start elsewhere, you won't find many backroads in this booming community.

I try to avoid The Villages when doing my Florida backroads travel in Central Florida. Too much traffic if you are just passing through. On the other hand, it's a great destination for fun even if you don't live there.

Speaking of fun, there have been rumors that The Villages Florida has the highest rate of STD (sexually transmitted diseases)in the United States of America.

My friends who live in the community tell me this rumor is nothing more than an urban myth. I have not researched this either in person or on line except to notice that there seem to be an unusually large number of STD testing labs in the vicinity of The Villages.

Some of the local Floridians who lived in Sumter, Lake and Marion counties before The Villages was developed have a real love-hate relationship with the community. They love the jobs and money that it brings into their lives, but they feel slighted and discriminated against by the residents of The Villages.

There are some Florida crackers who insist that most of the residents of The Villages would like the entire place to be a gated community to keep "outsiders" like them from coming in.

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What Other Visitors Have Said About The Villages Florida

localgal I hate The Villages and I hate what they have done to this beautiful area.

They resent us locals and call us rednecks and ask that their town squares ...

The Villages Florida I like The Villages Florida, but it could be anywhere in the United States, not just Florida. It has the look of and the same kind of architecture as ...

Towns Around Lake Weir Near The Villages Florida Lake Weir is a beautiful body of water not too far from The Villages Florida. It is a popular boating and swimming attraction.

The area attracted national ...

The Villages Florida is an amazing place It's a great community and the video you reference about the 90 miles of cart paths is great! You can move to The Villages and never have to worry about ...