The Villages vs. Tradition

Editor's Note:
If you enjoy this sort of thing, in my private, member’s only community for future Florida retirees, I’m comparing lots of other popular Florida retirement communities just like you see here. Learn more here… (opens in a new window)

Tradition is a Master-Planned community on the east coast of Florida and though it is not as big as The Villages, it will be one of the biggest in the state.

While it’s not exclusively an active adult community, there are active adult sections within it like Del Webb Tradition, Vitalia at Tradition, and others for those looking for 55+ communities.

In some ways its similar to The Villages, but as with most of our head-to-head comparisons, Tradition is much smaller in size.

See also:
The Villages vs. Citrus Hills
The Villages vs. On Top of the World
The Villages vs. Solivita

Location

I’m an east coast Florida guy myself, so as far as I’m concerned Tradition has The Villages licked in the location department.

While The Villages is essentially land-locked, a fact that keeps many people from moving there, Tradition is located in Port St. Lucie, which has been rated one of the Top 10 Best Places to Retire in the U.S.

Tradition is about a 30-minute drive to the beach. Close enough to go as often as you want without any inconvenience, but far enough inland so as to not have to pay coastal insurance rates. Win-win.

Amenities

Because it is much smaller than The Villages, Tradition does not have as many amenities as The Villages.

However, the ones they do have are top notch.

The individual neighborhoods in Tradition surround a Town Square, called Tradition Square.

Tradition Square is home to shops, restaurants, retail, offices, meeting space, parks, and a performance pavilion. The Square is also anchored by a Publix Supermarket.

There’s also a full schedule of entertainment at Tradition Square and the 1st and 3rd Fridays of each month there’s a “food truck invasion”, which is basically a huge outdoor picnic where food trucks of different origins, cuisine and menus prepare food that is cooked to order.

In addition to Tradition Square, there’s also The Landings at Tradition which has Target, Bed Bath and Beyond, Michael’s, Pier 1 and more of those types of stores.

The individual neighborhoods within Tradition have their own clubhouses and amenities for residents.

For instance, Vitalia at Tradition has a 24,000-square-foot clubhouse encompassing everything from tennis and bocce courts to great lawn with fire pits and a putting green to a ballroom, fitness rooms and more! The Captiva Club is a private lakefront facility offering year-round recreation and social activities for Vitalia residents, complementing an active lifestyle.

Tradition Field

The Villages may have their softball fields, but this is something you won’t find in The Villages.

Tradition Field, currently named “First Data Field” as part of a 10-year agreement between The Mets and First Data, is a baseball stadium that holds more than 7,000 people and is the Spring Training home of the New York Mets.

While it’s not exactly in Tradition itself, it’s only about 6 miles away.

Spring training baseball is a huge pastime for Florida retirees, and with Tradition Field right in their own backyards, residents don’t have to go far to catch all the action.

Vitalia at Tradition

I mentioned earlier that while Tradition itself is not an active adult community, there are active adult sections like Vitalia at Tradition.

Vitalia at Tradition has taken the art and science of resident-centered community planning to new levels. At just over 450 acres, there is a wonderful sense of community.

You can get more information about Vitalia at Tradition here.

Like many of the communities you might compare to The Villages, the decision between Tradition and The Villages will probably come down to location and size.

Do you prefer big and in the middle of the state, or smaller and closer to the coast?

Tradition Field image via Wikimedia Commons