Palmer Ranch vs. Lakewood Ranch? (Sarasota, Bradenton: 2009, apartments, condominiums)

[buckeyegal78]

We have looked at apartments online both in Lakewood Ranch and Palmer Ranch. Looks like they are on opposite ends of the city. Are they similar or totally different? What do each have to offer in terms of things to do with family, access to shopping and dining, and reasonable housing? Is one "nicer" than the other (ie safe, better maintained neighborhoods, etc)

Thanks!

[SoFLGal]

Here's some info I wrote about LWR and Palmer Ranch:
Lakewood Ranch

The exceptional gated community of Lakewood Ranch is really a city right on the Sarasota County and Manatee County line on the fabulous west coast of Florida. Award winning Lakewood Ranch is graced by numerous natural lakes as large as 160 acres and has its own shopping district and schools. Lakewood Ranch is comprised by five villages – Summerfield, Edgewater, Riverwalk, Greenbrook and the Country Club of Lakewood Ranch. It is home to young families, singles, retirees and winter residents.

Minutes from Sarasota Bradenton International Airport, Lakewood Ranch offers the privacy you want and the convenience and activities that simplify your life. Lakewood Ranch spreads gently across beautifully landscaped property, featuring lakes, nature preserves, and parks. Here you will feel close to nature but you are not far from shopping, schools, medical facilities and engaging entertainment. This gracious, master planned community covers 8,500 beautifully landscaped acres and supplies residents with an abundance of recreational activities. Golfers love Lakewood Ranch for its 54 holes of championship golf. The course was designed by the Arnold Palmer design team and is complemented by the natural setting and gentle fairways. And there is more! Lakewood Ranch has a spectacular country club with a swimming pool, fitness center and facility, well-maintained tennis courts, and even a community medical facility.
The Lakewood Ranch community was designed in harmony with its natural surroundings with miles of trails and sidewalks for biking, jogging and hiking. Lakewood Ranch homes exist in concert with nature - more than half of the 8,500 acres of land has been set aside as open space. Single-family homes, villas, estates and condos are available to satisfy every taste. Homes in the Country Club area range from 1,500 to 8,000 square feet. In Edgewater Village you can live in a 1,600 to 3,000 square foot home on a beautiful lake, and launch your boat at Wharf Park. Greenbrook Village is perfect for nature lovers, with natural Florida preserves and easy access to Adventure Park. Summerfield Village is the ideal family community, within walking distance of great schools like Lakewood Ranch High School, and surrounded by lakes and parks. Riverwalk has miles of nature trails for bird watching and nature hikes, and beautiful lakes that sparkle in the sunlight.


Palmer Ranch
Palmer Ranch is located in fast-growing and peaceful south Sarasota. From anywhere in Palmer Ranch, the beach can be reached in about ten minutes, downtown in about twenty. Not that you would need to go anywhere at all if you lived in Palmer Ranch – it has its own grocery store, mall and a variety of other amenities including gas stations and shopping centers. Palmer Ranch is a massive master-planned community spreading over 10,000 acres. At this size, it is by far Sarasota’s largest single development, and is one of the friendliest communities to be a part of.

Regardless of what type of home you’re looking for, Palmer Ranch has it. The community is full of individually maintained subdivisions, from condominiums and villas to single family homes to grand estate homes. Lifestyles, architecture and prices differ but the one thing that they all have in common is that they’re located in one of the most impressive communities in Sarasota. The entire development, including all the smaller communities within all have a very manicured and luxurious feel; this makes driving from your home to the supermarket not such a chore!
Just a few of the communities that lie within Palmer Ranch are Silver Oak, Prestancia, Turtle Rock, Deer Creek, Arielle, Serenade and Pinestone. Many of these communities offer homes or condos with lakefront or golf course views. These communities within a community all offer different amenities and lifestyles, so be sure to check out each one for the benefits that suit your family best.

[Big House]

Hey SoFLGal - are you showing off again!
Beautiful pictures, they look like really nice places.

Hey Buckeyegal, I hope you find this site useful. I hope you and your husband have great time scheduling your trip down. Make sure you take some time for your self, and check out Siesta Key's beach, and hit a couple of the beach side / road side bar / restaurants. You guys will love it!

[atroxanautin]

They are different, but its hard for me to quantify. Lakewood Ranch is more of a small city on the edge of Sarasota and Bradenton. Palmer Ranch, while a large development, is more of an area within South Sarasota. I think traffic is better on Clark Road (palmer ranch) than University (lakewood ranch). Personally, I like South Sarasota more than the University Parkway area, but South Sarasota is my neck of the woods.

[smiledoc1]

Originally Posted by buckeyegal78

We have looked at apartments online both in Lakewood Ranch and Palmer Ranch. Looks like they are on opposite ends of the city. Are they similar or totally different? What do each have to offer in terms of things to do with family, access to shopping and dining, and reasonable housing? Is one "nicer" than the other (ie safe, better maintained neighborhoods, etc)

Thanks!

We bought in Palmer Ranch. It was a better fit for us than Lakewood Ranch. I wouldn't say that one is nicer/safer than the other, but Atroxanautin has kind of highlighted the differences.

[returningtonepa???]

i miss lakewood ranch---many friendly neighbors there

[gypsychic]

One caveat about Lakewood Ranch - some of the homes there have been built with that Chinese drywall, (Lennar homes) which there are articles every day about it in the local paper. It makes people sick, smells foul, and corrodes pipes and wiring. Be sure any home you look at there was not built with the stuff. It affects homes built from about 2006-2007, during the boom.

Palmer Ranch is older, so I don't think there are any worries there.

[Adream]

Originally Posted by gypsychic

One caveat about Lakewood Ranch - some of the homes there have been built with that Chinese drywall, (Lennar homes) which there are articles every day about it in the local paper. It makes people sick, smells foul, and corrodes pipes and wiring. Be sure any home you look at there was not built with the stuff. It affects homes built from about 2006-2007, during the boom.

Thanks for mentioning this Gypsychic! I hadn't heard about the Chinese drywall problem, but will do research and make sure I remember it when searching in Florida. Sounds like a terrible problem to have.

SoFLGal ~ those pictures and accompanying information are great!

[SoFLGal]

Glad you like the pics! Here's a few stories referencing what Gypsychic mentioned about the drywall issue: Drywall worries affect Lakewood Ranch homeowner | HeraldTribune.com | Southwest Florida's Information Leader

Homeowners Say Chinese Drywall Making Them Sick

Drywall From China Raises Health, Safety Concerns

Originally Posted by Adream

Thanks for mentioning this Gypsychic! I hadn't heard about the Chinese drywall problem, but will do research and make sure I remember it when searching in Florida. Sounds like a terrible problem to have.

SoFLGal ~ those pictures and accompanying information are great!

[buckeyegal78]

You all have been so helpful! I have only made one major move in my life and that was twelve years ago, so as you can imagine I'm kinda nervous moving someplace where I don't know anyone. My husband and I are coming to Sarasota for a week in April to explore and get to know the area. Any recommendations on things to do while we are there (when we are not looking at apartments?!) I most definately will be going to Siesta Key beach, but what else?