Tempted by The Villages: Here Are Some of the Best Retirement Alternatives – East
Category: Active adult communities
Updated December 20, 2017 — Originally published March 20, 2012 — This is a frequent question we get at Topretirements: “Where in North or South Carolina is there a retirement community that has similar amenities as The Villages in Florida? I am not looking for size, I’m looking for the same quality of life that I have enjoyed for the last 5 years here in the Villages”. Here is our take on that question, concentrating on the Eastern U.S. (for the Western U.S. see “Does The Villages Have Any Alternatives“).
A Refresher, What is The Villages
For those not familiar with it, The Villages, located south of Ocala in Central Florida, is one of the largest active communities in the world with over 110,000 residents. The Villages has 3 town squares (Spanish Springs, Lake Sumter Landing, and Brownwood) that provide shopping, restaurants, and open-air plazas featuring free nightly entertainment. There are 33 golf courses, 8 country clubs where residents automatically become members, along with a large number of separate family and adult recreational areas. The Polo Center and its Pavilion host international polo matches and events like BBQ competitions. There is virtually every kind of activity and athletic resource: archery, one finger painting, pickle ball, quilting, scrap booking, synchronized swimming, taichi, yoga, etc. There are hundreds of clubs for every interest, including one for just about every state in the country. The community is large enough that singles can feel at home here, since there are clubs and activities just for them. Although there are plenty of people who hate the idea of a community this large, there are many more who are attracted to the idea. See our recent article, “Why the Villages is the Best Place for Len and Ann” for more about living there.
Lifestyle As Important As Sheer Size
When looking for really big active communities, the list is pretty small. The Topretirements database only has 17 U.S. communities that claim to have more than 10,000 residents. But there are many smaller communities which can also boast an impressive variety of activities and potential lifestyles. When you drop to the next level, there are many more communities to choose from. There are more than 450 communities in the Topretirements database with more than 1000 homes. Practically all of these communities offer a version of the varied active lifestyle found at The Villages. Maybe they don’t have as many golf courses, swimming pools, or clubs – but they still have a lot to offer! In our experience, few people in the largest communities tend to use or appreciate all of the opportunities in them anyway – instead they tend to socialize with their nearby neighbors and stick to the closest or their favorite recreational facilities. Check out this Villages tee shirt at Amazon.
Comparable Lifestyle
The experience of a very large community like The Villages is unique, and very different from smaller communities with only a few activities and amenities. We define this large active community lifestyle to mean an active community that has most, if not all of these attributes:
– Wide choice of sports suitable for all ages of retirees (golf, tennis, swimming, fitness, pickleball, bocci, etc.)
– Active social program with planned events on regular schedule
– Wide array of clubs to match many different interest levels
– Large number of activities to take part in along with the resources to do them
– Opportunities for lifelong learning
– Clubhouses and/or community centers that bring people together
– A strong sense of community
– Although not essential, a community that has restaurants, stores, and permits golf carts on internal roads.
The Good News – There Are Many Choices for You
If you are not too hung up about size, there are dozens if not hundreds of communities that can offer an alternative active adult experience similar to The Villages. The key to finding them is to have an open mind, and to look for the common experience of a place that offers a stimulating mix of activities combined with a strong sense of community. The best way to find them is to look in our State Directories of Active Adult Communities and click on listings that look like they might be interesting. You can discover and read about ones that interest you with those tools. Then you can visit their websites, call for more information, and visit in person to do get a hands on feel for the possibilities.
A Few of the More Promising Possibilities
We want to stress that this is just a small sampling of some of the more obvious alternatives. There are many more to be found if you keep your mind open and so some basic searching:
Ocala/Orlando area. On Top of the World. Not that far from The Villages, OTOW, has thousands of enthused residents (but less than 10,000 homes), plus some smaller communities that border on it. The list of amenities and clubs is just about endless, including a multi-acre airport for model airplanes. See “What Sandy Learned” for more. We are proud to have it as one of our Showcase communities. Another community in nearby Kissimmee that might appeal to younger retirees is Solivita, which bills itself as “The Younger Next”. Here you can drive your golf cart to one of the championship golf courses, or burn off some of the calories from the community’s 3 restaurants at the 32,000 sq.ft. Riviera spa and fitness center.
Tampa area. Sun City Center, located in Ruskin, is one of the handful of communities that have more than 10,000 homes. The amenities are extensive (8 golf course, over 250 clubs), and it is inexpensive. The rap on this Sun City is that, since it has been around a long time, the average age of its residents and its facilities is getting up there. So it might not appeal to some young retirees. Also in the Tampa area is Valencia Lakes, a newer community from GL Homes with plenty of active amenities, minus golf.
Tellico Village. Near Loudon, Tennessee, this master-planned community on giant Tellico Lake has 6,750 enthusiastic residents, championship golf courses, and a yacht club. It is open to people of all ages.
Century Village (Southern Florida). There are actually 4 Century Villages in Southern Florida; in Palm Beach, Deerfield Beach, Pembroke Pines, and Boca Raton (all east coast). In some ways CV has superior locations to TV, as they are much closer to beaches and bigger towns. They are also really big – over 500 clubs, 100,000 sq.ft. clubhouses, and every form of recreation you can think of. On the other hand we have heard complaints that the residents have a higher average age than most of the newer communities.
Peachtree City. This master-planned community is 25 miles south of Atlanta, Georgia and is open to people of all ages (average age is 37.5, population over 35,000). It has achieved some level of fame for its extremely high golf cart population – like The Villages, customized golf carts seem to be the preferred method of transportation. There are swimming pools, athletic fields, 2,000 seat amphitheater, etc.
Chapel Hill/Durham area. Depending on what you are looking for, you might enjoy either Fearrington Village or the Governor’s Club, among others. The former does not offer golf or quite as extensive recreational amenities some other large active communities do, but it does have a village center with a book store and 5 star restaurant, huge gym and pool, and extensive social schedule. Governor’s Club does have a great golf course, 10 neighborhoods. Like Fearrington, it attracts an upscale community of residents.
Del Webb Carolina Preserve. Located in Cary, Carolina Preserve is typical of this national brand of active adult communities (also under Pulte and Sun City). These communities typically have full-time social directors and extensive amenities and clubs. They range in size from hundreds of units to thousands of units.
St. James Plantation (Southport, NC). Here is another upscale community with very high end amenities and 4 country clubs to serve its 6,000 residents. The coastal experience here will be different from The Villages, but the feeling of living in a large community will be the same. There is a beach club, amphitheater, and marketplace.
South Carolina. In the Hilton Head, Beaufort, Charleston, and Bluffton areas there is a wide selection of large, amenity-rich active adult communities. There is at least one Sun City, plus an amazing array of established communities, many of them located along the IntraCoastal, that offer tons of amenities including access to the water. Use this link to get to their listings.
Williamsburg, Virginia. In several places in Virginia, but particularly near Williamsburg and Charlottesville, you will find many large communities with extensive amenities and strong community structure. Kingsmill on the James is one, Colonial Heritage is another.
Strong Caveat!
The communities listed above are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to finding places that can offer a Villages type experience – albeit on a smaller scale. Our apologies to the many fine communities we don’t have room to mention. Don’t be a lemming: we urge you to use the resources on this site to find communities more that might match your needs – then go out and explore them online and in person.
Resources:
We reported on communities in the Western U.S. that are comparable to The Villages last year, see “Does The Villages Have Any Alternatives-Part I (West)”).
Comments. We and the rest of your fellow members look forward to your comments and suggestions. What are some of the best active adult communities you have come across in your travels? What makes for an exciting, interesting community in your mind and experience? Please let us know in the Comments section below.
Comments on "Tempted by The Villages: Here Are Some of the Best Retirement Alternatives – East"
Elizabeth says:
Almost perfect.. Wish you had included lifelong learning opportunities instead of just clubs.
Thanks.
JCF says:
I like the idea of all of the activities but we don't care for the humidity....Any recommendations for retirement communities in 'low-humidity' areas in the west / southwest?
Thank you!
Denny says:
Caution: Living in an active adult community can become dicey and pricey, especially if the HOA board becomes unwieldy and conforming to the will of the insider's club or clique.
Ray says:
I have a visited a many of the locations mentioned in this article. One of the attractions for me at the Villages was the ability to do about everything in a golf cart. In my last visit to Myrtle Beach I noted more golf carts being used. Can someone give me the names of active, adult communities where residents can move freely 'off-campus' in their golf carts for restaurants,etc?
Joan says:
My husband and I moved this past June to Century Village Boca Raton. You are correct. The age is higher than average. We have had 6 deaths in our building since we moved here. However, the benefits outweigh the age differences since we love the amenities available that include buses to anywhere that we need to go for shopping or leisure within Palm Beach county included in a low maintenance and the only community in the area that has heated indoor (12 months) and outdoor pools (winter month). This is especially wonderful for my arthritis and exercise program. Everyone is very friendly and I have no problem with making friends with individuals who are older than myself. Additionally, the local university has adult enrichment which is certainly a possibility as well as community offerings in Boca Raton. You don't need to stay inside a place and become insular.
belleboy says:
Would really like to find a community that includes fishing, boating, and possibly even hunting.
Dustin says:
As Ray stated earlier about the Villages the ability to travel in a golf cart. This can eliminate the need for a second car and most of the time are a fraction of the cost of a car. Not to mention that if you go with an electict cart you will eliminate the need to pay the prices at the gas pump.
Dustin -
Mad Monk says:
Dustin - ah, sounds ideal, doesn't it. That's when I start to ask questions. Is there an ENFORCED speed limit for these things? I see pics of modified carts; do the drivers handle them just like the 57 Chevies and Mustangs they make them look like. I could envision scores of aged men (and women) "racing" around the trails. Also, I've heard that visitors/prospective buyers are allowed to use carts, but their speed is governed. Residents' carts are not, and they get "upset" by these "slow" carts. Are they also upset by people walking and biking on those trails ... is it even allowed? I rememebr something on this site about another large retirement community south of Atlanta. They also have extensive trails for carts. Their site did show walkers on that trail. However, some online stated that they were annoyed that youngsters used the carts to race to school (think it was a mixed age community). If one is considering The Villages (or any such location), they should do an extended visit, and check out these trails (traffic - in variious seasons, ability to do other than use carts on them, width for passing on-ciming and same-direction traffic, etc.). As a lover of biking, I also worry about the growing market for eletcric bicycles ... I was nearly run off a trail (into a canal) by teens riding in a large group on a trail while ignoring oncoming traffic ... I can envision some teens having electrics that could go 20 - 40 mph on these trails ... such fun! Finally, I am an advocate of electric vehicles; however, I do recognize that there is a lively debate re: the cost-benefit to the environment. A good site to see is green.autoblog.com .
Kate says:
Are there any adult communities that you can drive a golf cart to at least a grocery store (not a 7-11 type) and some dining and shopping. Prefer warmer states.
Thanks
Kate says:
Above remarks, of course means, besides the Villages.
Thanks
Jan Cullinane says:
Kate,
One example would be Solivita: http://www.vitaliahomes.com/communities/solivita
Jan Cullinane, The Single Woman's Guide to Retirement
Admin says:
This question came in from Jan, and we thought it would be good to post it here so others could be reminded of this article:
Are there any other large communities , as Top of the World or The Villages in NC or SC?
Editor says:
There are several quite large communities in the Carolinas, although maybe not as large as the 2 you mention. Look in the NC and SC Directories - e.g; http://www.topretirements.com/active_adult_communities/North%20Carolina.html to find them. In NC Look for the Del Webb's, Fearrington Village is another that is quite different. In SC look for The Ponds, among others.
You can use Advanced Search to look for communities by state - such as more than 1,000 homes, 10,000+
Sara says:
Try looking out west if you want drier, warm, storm free options.
We looked at villages and ended up at Saddlebrooke Arizona
Large community 5000 with everything for amenties right in an adult golf cart community.
Multiple golf courses, restaurants, fitness centers, performing arts theater, hundreds of clubs and great great views. Not flat desert like so much of Arizona. Sits in foothills of Catalina Mountains just north of Tucson and Oro Valley
Ginger says:
Thanks for showing this again. We made a big mistake moving to an expensive gated community in Tampa not over 55. We wanted to look in the Carolinas however I think the tax incentives will keep us somewhere in Florida, not the Villages. Perhaps the over 55 community mentioned in Boca.
Mary Brady says:
Great but are there any active adult communities with amenities for renters? It won't be an enjoyable retirement if I have to continue to care for a house.
David Lane says:
Why limit yourself to a massive compound complete with golf courses and million dollar cub houses/recreation facilities. Most of this stuff after the first six months you won't even think of using. Oh, I suppose its good to impress your friends back home that you're living in a real dreamland with 24/7 stuff going on. Remember, you're getting older, what are you going to be like in 5 years/10 years? Why not look at getting a place to live within a small city that has a senior center and a good sized parks and recreation department, a community theatre and several golf courses? Guarantee you'll save big money and probably have a fresher and more active life. Join a service club or church to expand your friendship. In retirement areas many churches are like clubs and social organizations as well. Take a look at cities under 50,000. Explore their websites and look at their parks and recreation departments. Look at the public libraries in these cities most of them offer a ton of nonreading activities as well. Look at what the transportation options are. Does the airport nearby offer lots of flights to places you may want to go? Is there AMTRAK service to the community? How close are the cruise ports and beaches? We looked at The Villages and decided it wasn't something for us. We found Winter Haven, Florida which has all the plusses we needed including a ton of places to eat. Its a city with 50 lakes within the city limits. Two and three bedroom condos with lake views for under $85,000.00 There is a vibrant downtown. Do look at the options available other than mega size compounds. You will be happier especially as you age. Just my thought.
Laney Humphrey says:
Mary, I rented a house in Sun City Lincoln in CA. The owner paid for upkeep, including yard care. I was able to use all the facilities. There were a few minor downsides but overall, I was very happy. Laney
Ginger says:
David Lane your thoughts are great. I have very rich friends and middle class friends and not even middle class friends. Our best friends got sick and last year moved to another state to live with their son. Another couple decided to go to Pa. where they are in an assisted living community except have a new 4,000 sq.ft. house where when the time comes will be completely taken care they are very wealthy, then I have friends that will never leave their NJ house because they have the money for help, it is all relative to your health and wealth. Downsizing for me is coming.
DJ says:
Comparable properties were provided for the east coast but how about locations west of the Mississippi River - are there any that you can list?
Carol says:
Ginger,
If you don't mind sharing, why do you feel it was a mistake to move to a gated not over 55 community in Tampa. I think the concept of over 55 is great but I wonder who is going to buy all these 55+ places as the boomers let us say diminish in numbers. My thoughts are that when the time comes for you to sell, it will be easier.
Mary Brady says:
I meant does anyone know of entire active adult RENTAL communities?
John says:
Overture has begun building apt communities for 55+, some of the communities are 62+. They are being built all across the US.
Carole says:
RENTALS- I have the same question as Mary Brady, where can we find gated community rentals?
Home Away, VRBO, Flip Key etc are not catered to 55+ communities....this is an opportunity to create a web site, as not everyone wishes to own a second property.
Let’s see who can pick up the ball and throw it in the right direction ?.
The New Year brings new creative ideas?.
Admin says:
Mary, If you go to our Advanced Search https://www.topretirements.com/Browse.html and go to the bottom portion searching Communities you can select "Rentals" and find hundreds of rental communities. You can also select States or amenities, size, expense to narrow that down. Unfortunately if you select more than one attribute within a group (e.g.; Gated and Rental), it currently returns either/or, not both attributes. So stick to one attribute within type.
Mary Brady says:
Hi Admin, I sent you an PM email that I had tried selecting only "Rentals" as suggested, but when I did it brought up single family homes and mobile home communities, but only the rare rental. Out of dozens of results there was maybe one rental, the rest were single family homes to buy or mobile home communities. I did this search on Arizona.
jean says:
Carole, My husband and I are renting in a gated 55+ community. I found it by just searching rentals on trulia.om, homes.com and other real estate websites. from those, I found the realtors who listed places and looked t their web sites. this was the only 55+ place listed but local realtors my know of others. most require a full year lease since they do not want transients.
Nina says:
I have lived in south florida since 1974 and I know all about the Kingspoint and Century Villages and over 55 communities. Most of them are very old and run down. Nothing attractive about the places with high maintenances. Yes you can getg a condo for 85,000 but you will be paying $400 a month maintenance because the places are so old. It has gotten to the point where no one speaks English anymore in South Florida. If you don't know Spanish you can't find a job, and if you are over 55 they put you out to pasture in the job market. I have been to the villages 4 times. People are incredibly friendly there is a ton of things to do. I am sure that after awhile the novelty wears off and then you are living in Central Florida but in all the times I have been there and I have asked a ton of people not one said they didn't love it there. It truly is Florida's friendliest hometown. I think if you can't be happy there then there is no place you will be happy. I will say they have a monopoly on everything the sales office the lenders etc are all part of the villages.
deborah says:
Nina;
When you are talking about the Villages is a good place to be in Southern Florida. Can you tell me what city or cities the Villages are?
Maimie says:
Nina, the condo fees in the Northeast are much higher than 400 per month and when you add income and real estate taxes, Florida still sounds like a bargain! The same situation exists in New England, and almost everywhere, about needing to speak Spanish to get a job! That even goes for professional jobs now. The age discrimination exists everywhere also. So, Florida is still a real bargain for most retirees. After this horrible winter in New England, a lot of us are considering Florida now!
Amber Haris says:
Nice post for those looking for the retirement plan & well explained.
Jemmie says:
On our way to Sarasota for Christmas we stopped at Lakewood Ranch as recommended by a friend. I wasn't sure if it was a town or a master-planned community. Turns out it is both and nicely done. Lakewood Ranch has a town center but is made up of about 14 separate communities spread out over 48 square miles. It also has farmland, golf courses and medical facilities. We didn't have time to look at all of the communities although the visitor center was a great help in describing what the separate communities offer. Does anyone have any recommendations on a community here ? We saw there was a Del Webb for 55+, but we want an all ages community and there are many of them.
Ed says:
Jemmie, check out the new Waterside community within Lakewood Ranch (LWR) .at http://lwrwaterside.com/. Also check out buysarasota.com to see the resales available within LWR..My wife and I plan to visit this summer and LWR and the villages will be first and second on our visit.
jemmie says:
Ed, thank you so much for the link to Waterside. We did visit and although I am sure it will be a vibrant and beautiful asset to Lakewood Ranch, I am not patient enough to wait. Right now it is an area with lots of homesites for sale and a lot of building going on. Your other suggestion of buysarasota.com was great and provided us with many homes to look at -we went to open houses of established communities and pre-owned homes on Sunday-Lakewood Ranch Visitor Center gave us passes to visit since most of the communities are gated and we couldn't get in by ourselves with no realtor. Good luck on your own search this summer. We found comparing The Villages and Lakewood Ranch were apples to oranges-will be interested to hear your thoughts.
Carol says:
Jemmie can you talk about your comparison between the Villages and Lakewood Ranch? Interested in your apples to oranges comment. What were your pros and cons on each? I am visiting both this December
Admin says:
Yes, this would be a fascinating topic to hear about. Jemmie and others with experience with both (or other large FL communities, let's hear your thoughts!
jemmie says:
Carol, as I just starting to think about heading back to our winter retirement spot, I’m glad you asked about comparing The Villages and Lakewood Ranch. And I agree with Admin, I think this topic is open for a good discussion, as both have a lot to offer, and you can check off a lot of boxes for what you may want in an active retirement life. I hope that after your visit, you weigh in on your thoughts and what you found.
We visited the Villages three times over the course of about 5 years, always stopping back to see what it was we missed because it did not appeal to us at all, and we have friends who live there, rave about it, and are very happy. To be fair, it has been a few years since we have been back, but while we visited, there was no hospital or medical care to speak of, and that has all changed, as I’m sure have many things. The Villages has so much going on but it also has a lot of golf carts going about, and that was a drawback for me. But the biggest downsides for us was not much diversity, the average age was about 70 years, and there was no city with a vibrant cultural center nearby.
Lakewood Ranch for us was a totally different experience and an unexpected surprise. We stopped there at the suggestion of an acquaintance, and like you will do, we visited in December. Of course everything looks beautiful in Christmas lights, and the Town Center was having an event with many retirees, families with children, and millenniums attending. Lakewood Ranch is spread out over 48 square miles with about 16 separate, and mainly gated communities. The Visitor Center was a big help in explaining each community-which ones are more family orientated, which are 55+, and which are for golfers, etc. and we were given a gate pass to visit each community, which we did over the course of 3 days. The layout of Lakewood Ranch makes it easy to get around, and within the development are pastures with cattle, a polo field, a farmers market, a hospital, a Y, and miles of bike trails. The biggest draw for us was the proximity to Sarasota, where we visit several times a week for lunch, cultural events and a weekly lecture series. I will admit we did buy a home (totally unexpected) during the first and only trip to Lakewood Ranch. We found a house in a small and established community that has resales only, but it also has tree lined streets, a community pool and two golf courses (one private and one with no membership required). The downside of Lakewood Ranch for me is there is no library, (although that is in the works), and although we can bike to the Town Center, the post office is not there, but rather far away and not walkable or bikeable from where we live. But we feel we did find the perfect spot and soon after we moved in last winter, we were invited to many new friends homes for dinner parties (something very popular in our community), and I can honestly say politics were never discussed, and so I have no idea if our neighbors lean right or left, but I do know I owe many of them a dinner invitation.
My take on the comparisons of The Villages and Lakewood Ranch is one-sided, so I do hope there are others who have visited both communities and will give their opinions on what they have found, and I will be interested to hear back from Carol after her December visit.
Admin says:
Thanks Jemmie, this is so helpful! Can anyone else add a comparison to other large communities, such as On Top of the World, Sun City, etc.?
George says:
I'm getting a little frustrated with the 55/Best places to retire selections. I'm from Texas, and I want to move somewhere COOLER - like no more than 78 degrees in the summer. I have hobbies, and I want to live in a place bigger than a 2 bedroom (and it'd be nice if a community had an arts/crafts place or at least group). I DON'T want to live in a golf course. So... after leaving out 2 bedroom houses in a Florida golfcourse community, there don't seem to be any published places to look at.
Don says:
I live in Lakewood Ranch and have lived here for 11 years now. It is a beautiful part of Southern Florida. Close to the beaches, yet far enough where you don't have to contend with daily beach traffic. Plenty of cultural and sporting venues close by. Restaurants and shopping are five star! The drawback... traffic in season is horrific. And it is only getting worse as more and more homes are being built. I am not anti-growth at all - the problem is that the Lakewood Ranch road infrastructure has not been keeping up with all the growth. I-75 is practically a parking lot during the morning and afternoon commute times. Most other main roadways are also heavily congested during the winter season. Seems like the local government is reactive instead of proactive with regard to road construction and population growth. Unfortunately, I will probably look to get out within the next 24 months as the growth continues unchecked.
Laurie says:
George, I believe there are a couple communities in WI. For sure Green Bay and Appleton. My daughter moved to Appleton last year after spending her entire life in southern CA. She enjoys Appleton very much. Also, I think there is a community in either Madison or Middleton WI and both are very nice cities.
Moderator Flo says:
Hi George
If you go to the topretirements.com website you'll see the Retirement Ranger in the Menu. You can check off all the areas and priorities you're looking for in a retirement home and the Ranger will come up with a list of possible choices.
Hope this search helps!!
Moderator Flo
Rin says:
Who on earth wants to be crammed into a vast array of substandard housing like the villages?? Not my cup of tea thank you
Sharon Alexander says:
George, look at the Pacific Northwest. Both Oregon and Washington would have the climate you desire. East of the mountains is drier, warmer climate than West of the mountains. If you want to be in a senior community there is one in Florence, Oregon that is suppose to be nice. I live near Seattle but it is pricey here. Fortunately, I bought my house during the last market downturn.
Mary11 says:
One community in Florence OR is Greentrees. Its a very nice manufactured home resort where you own the land. The HOA is $228 with cable included. Prices range from $120,000 - ? They offer daily activities and a wonderful old town area nearby with shops and restaurants by the water....
Rhonda says:
This is a lot of great information. We have our first lifestyle preview visit at the Villages scheduled this spring and my biggest concern is the high density living, which is not we are used to at all here in Small Town, Tennessee with 4 seasons and fabulous mountain vistas. But, the lure of golf, lots of activities and social time is appealing for the winter months. Is it possible to just be a snowbird there? Or, is Southwest FL more reliable for that? Thanks so much for mentioning Lakewood Ranch, I just added that to my list. And, yes, I hope people are still reading this thread.
Golden Oldie says:
High density living is a good way to describe The Villages in my opinion. I have visited there and have several friends who live there now and love it. But just driving up to the villages it looked like a sea of roof tops almost touching each other. But I would think there are other neighborhoods with more space between the homes. I will say the people I know who moved there are very happy and keep very busy. Not sure about being a snowbird there or if rentals are offered.
I haven't been to Sun City but maybe you should look there also, it's not on my list but it has been recommended to me by friends.
BillyBogey says:
Would definitely look at The Villages as a Snowbird spot. Certainly would assist in having some Fun &
a few Laffs!!
Also think my Kid's would be pleased...... just sayin'.....
Cheers.
b
Tess says:
I have friends that rented as snowbirds in The Villages for one or two months, and longer rentals are available. One got a 2 BR villa and the other couple got a nice 3BR house. There are lots of rentals to choose from.