Quality of life has become the most important aspect of residential development in the 21st century. Home buyers are increasingly looking for neighborhoods that can nurture their lifestyles with regard to safety, amenities, sustainability, diversity, and a true sense of community. In Manatee County, one master-planned residential community has emerged as a blueprint for American developers to follow as they build the neighborhoods of the future.
When the first Lakewood Ranch neighborhood was completed in the mid-1990s, home builders across the United States paid close attention. Nearly 20 years later, Lakewood Ranch is considered by many to be one Florida’s most desirable places to move to. Everything about this community is based on sustainability; from its ecologically conscious home building to its tasteful residential architecture and from the numerous amenities to its careful suburban arrangement, Lakewood Ranch is an example of how modern American neighborhoods should be planned.
Lakewood Ranch is located on the southeastern quadrant of Manatee County, and it spans17,500 acres of beautiful Florida land that features several lakes, ponds, creeks, and canals as well as woodlands and grasslands. As part of this community’s commitment to sustainability, nearly half of Lakewood Ranch consists of nature preserves interspersed among the neighborhoods, commercial districts and public spaces.
Home buyers from all walks of life can certainly find a Lakewood Ranch village to suit their lifestyle. Families tend to prefer the Central Park, Edgewater and Greenbrook neighborhoods due to their extensive amenities such as swimming pools, dog parks, nature trails, playgrounds, lakes, etc. Lovers of the outdoors will feel right at home in villages such as Riverwalk and Summerfield. Single professionals and seasonal residents may enjoy the convenience of life at Lake Vista and Watercrest, which are modern condominium residences located just a walk away from the shopping and entertainment district.
Aside from being one of the most aesthetically pleasing communities in Southwest Florida, Lakewood Ranch has the advantage of being located strategically close to an international airport as well as to the cities of Bradenton and Sarasota. The famous white-sandy beaches in the Gulf of Mexico are about 30 minutes away.
Country club estates and luxury residential enclaves are also part of the Lakewood Ranch experience. This is a community that is growing organically, which means that residents are seeing greater convenience and improved quality of life as time passes. In 2014, Lakewood Ranch saw major growth in terms of shops, restaurants, pubs, medical centers, professional services, schools, private academies, and more. Sports and cultural events are now taking place every week, and residents are bonding through neighborhood clubs.
