An Overview of Lakewood Ranch, FL
One of the most popular communities in the Sarasota - Bradenton area is Lakewood Ranch. Lakewood Ranch is an 8,500 acre master-planned community consisting of 8 villages, with housing ranging from small condos and villas to custom, million dollar estates.
LWR offers residential neighborhoods, business parks, several retail shopping centers, over 20 places of worship, several private schools & schools of higher learning, a medical center, several golf courses (some public, some private) , an athletic center (fitness center, 2 pools, playground, basketball & volleyball courts and lighted tennis courts), community parks, lakes, nature preserves and over 150 miles of sidewalks & nature trails. There are over 80 clubs residents can join covering a diversity of hobbies and interests. The Lakewood Ranch community residents enjoy some of the highest-rated public schools in the area.
The center of Lakewood Ranch Community is Main Street, which was built in the style of a small town main street, with condos above the stores for that "downtown" kind of life. Main Street features boutiques, a travel agency, a bicycle shop, several restaurants ranging from sandwiches to fine dining, a tavern, a cinema, miniature golf and more.
Many of the events and festivals that Lakewood Ranch hosts are centered around the arts, such as Music on Main, Evening Under the Stars, Suncoast Wine Festival and Art at the Ranch.
The Premier Sports Campus at Lakewood Ranch officially opened in April of 2011. It is a multi-purpose facility that will be home to 22 full-sized, mixed use fields for soccer, lacrosse and other amateur sports. It will also host professional sporting tournaments, events and clinics.
Lakewood Ranch and it's various neighborhoods are clean, well maintained and the community areas are landscaped and meticulously kept. Some of the neighborhoods are gated, others are not. All have deed restrictions, including those pertaining to the maintenance of the exterior of homes & landscaping requirements.
As to the potential negatives:
Lakewood Ranch does have a community development district, and the CDD fee is added each year to the homeowners' tax bills in most (not all) of the LWR neighborhoods. A Community Development District or CDD is a special tax district that has been established to create a community with a higher level of amenities within an area/district and to maintain them to a level or standard of a specific developer had established. It help pays for the operation and/or to maintain facilities and systems such road improvements, management of wetlands areas, water and sewers, common areas and parks & recreational areas. Some people consider these annual CDD fees to be a negative. Others consider them a small price to pay to live in a well maintained, well run and manicured community.
Some consider the deed restrictions to be excessive in regard to landscaping, children’s playground equipment and exterior maintenance of the homes. Most residents consider the deed restrictions as a means to uphold the high standards of Lakewood Ranch and thereby also the home values. Before buying in any community with deed restrictions, it is always advisable to obtain a copy of the rules & restrictions and study them carefully.
Lakewood Ranch has consistently been voted as the "Best Neighborhood" by Sarasota Magazine and has been ranked in the top 20 for best master planned communities in the nation. LWR was one of three communities recognized in 2008 with the 1st ever American Trails Developer Award for the quality, well designed multi-use walking and biking trails throughout the neighborhoods and community of Lakewood Ranch.
The photos below are of one of Lakewood Ranch's many tree lined boulevards, the Main Street shopping district, Lake Uihlein (one of the largest natural lakes within Lakewood Ranch), the wharf at Edgewater (also located on Lake Uihlein), the San Marco Plaza shopping center, the Legends Golf Clubhouse (open to the public) and golf course.
LWR offers residential neighborhoods, business parks, several retail shopping centers, over 20 places of worship, several private schools & schools of higher learning, a medical center, several golf courses (some public, some private) , an athletic center (fitness center, 2 pools, playground, basketball & volleyball courts and lighted tennis courts), community parks, lakes, nature preserves and over 150 miles of sidewalks & nature trails. There are over 80 clubs residents can join covering a diversity of hobbies and interests. The Lakewood Ranch community residents enjoy some of the highest-rated public schools in the area.
The center of Lakewood Ranch Community is Main Street, which was built in the style of a small town main street, with condos above the stores for that "downtown" kind of life. Main Street features boutiques, a travel agency, a bicycle shop, several restaurants ranging from sandwiches to fine dining, a tavern, a cinema, miniature golf and more.
Many of the events and festivals that Lakewood Ranch hosts are centered around the arts, such as Music on Main, Evening Under the Stars, Suncoast Wine Festival and Art at the Ranch.
The Premier Sports Campus at Lakewood Ranch officially opened in April of 2011. It is a multi-purpose facility that will be home to 22 full-sized, mixed use fields for soccer, lacrosse and other amateur sports. It will also host professional sporting tournaments, events and clinics.
Lakewood Ranch and it's various neighborhoods are clean, well maintained and the community areas are landscaped and meticulously kept. Some of the neighborhoods are gated, others are not. All have deed restrictions, including those pertaining to the maintenance of the exterior of homes & landscaping requirements.
As to the potential negatives:
Lakewood Ranch does have a community development district, and the CDD fee is added each year to the homeowners' tax bills in most (not all) of the LWR neighborhoods. A Community Development District or CDD is a special tax district that has been established to create a community with a higher level of amenities within an area/district and to maintain them to a level or standard of a specific developer had established. It help pays for the operation and/or to maintain facilities and systems such road improvements, management of wetlands areas, water and sewers, common areas and parks & recreational areas. Some people consider these annual CDD fees to be a negative. Others consider them a small price to pay to live in a well maintained, well run and manicured community.
Some consider the deed restrictions to be excessive in regard to landscaping, children’s playground equipment and exterior maintenance of the homes. Most residents consider the deed restrictions as a means to uphold the high standards of Lakewood Ranch and thereby also the home values. Before buying in any community with deed restrictions, it is always advisable to obtain a copy of the rules & restrictions and study them carefully.
Lakewood Ranch has consistently been voted as the "Best Neighborhood" by Sarasota Magazine and has been ranked in the top 20 for best master planned communities in the nation. LWR was one of three communities recognized in 2008 with the 1st ever American Trails Developer Award for the quality, well designed multi-use walking and biking trails throughout the neighborhoods and community of Lakewood Ranch.
The photos below are of one of Lakewood Ranch's many tree lined boulevards, the Main Street shopping district, Lake Uihlein (one of the largest natural lakes within Lakewood Ranch), the wharf at Edgewater (also located on Lake Uihlein), the San Marco Plaza shopping center, the Legends Golf Clubhouse (open to the public) and golf course.
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