Poinciana

The suburban, 55+ community of Solivita is in Central Florida’s “attraction zone” due to its proximity to the state’s major tourist draws: Walt Disney World, Universal Studios and Legoland. Solivita not only has quick access to these attractions, but also to private outdoor activities and nearby shopping and dining options. “When I moved here, it was for the attractions and the active environment, but most of all because there were lots of people around my age to enjoy it with,” says Bob Monica, President of the Solivita Wildlife Advocates. With a small village providing a pharmacy, spa, gym and numerous other facilities, Solivita offers a sense of privacy and seclusion from busier areas. People from all over the country choose to retire and relocate to Central Florida, and Solivita is known for its relaxed, prime location about 20 to 30 miles from the main draws and districts of Orlando. Solivita features plenty of resort-style outdoor activities. Locals can enjoy the subtropical temperature poolside, whether in privacy on some properties or at one of the 14 community pools. The neighborhood has pickleball courts at Freedom Park available for reservation, bocce ball courts, dog parks, playgrounds for visiting grandchildren and countless other outdoor amenities and fields. One of the most popular outdoor activities in Solivita is hitting the greens of Stonegate Golf Club. Weaved through the combined 36-hole fairways are 100-year-old oak hammocks and flowing streams. For activities on the water, kayaks and dragon boats are available, as well. The neighborhood sits right up against Lake Marion Creek Wildlife Management Area, which has over 8,000 acres of hiking trails, creeks and fishing, so the neighborhood is immersed in nature with many different animals. The Solivita Wildlife Advocates group, founded in 2020, promotes coexistence and respect between locals and the various species here. “When you move from the northeast and see a 7-foot alligator for the first time, you’re going to freak out,” Monica says. “Before I founded the organization, people used to call the city to remove them, and then the fatal trappers would come. Now, we have drastically reduced the numbers of these incidences.” The organization sponsors events where the community can come together to learn about the diverse wildlife that inhabits the area. The Solivita community has over 250 clubs, allowing every resident to find an activity to enjoy and a group to join. The fitness center has yoga classes, there are ballroom events, game rooms, karaoke and movie nights, and plenty of other special activities. For a self-care and relaxation day, the neighborhood has a spa that provides services from permanent make up and acupuncture to massages and facials. There are car shows, farmers markets, parades and festivals, ensuring that residents always feel entertained. While the neighborhood consists primarily of homes and parks, Solivita also has quick access to shopping and dining. The Stonegate Golf Club features two restaurants, The Grille and the Bistro, with indoor and outdoor seating that overlooks the back nine. The restaurants have signature cocktails and breakfast, lunch and dinner menus. More restaurants are sprinkled throughout the nearby areas of Poinciana and Kissimmee, including The Loop, about 18 miles away, which is a popular district for dining, shopping and catching a movie. Closer options are available, including a Walmart, Publix and Aldi, all within 3 miles. Solivita also has its own K&M Drugs store, which stocks prescriptions and sells daily essentials, from milk to wine. Health care is another convenience, as the HCA Florida Poinciana Hospital sits right outside the neighborhood, across Cypress Parkway. The hospital has been a cornerstone in the community since 2013, providing medical and surgical services across ten unique specialties, including cardiology and orthopedic care. Just through the gates of Solivita are several subdivisions that offer Spanish Revival homes with traditional stucco exteriors and contrasting red clay tile roofs. Home prices can range from $250,000 two-bedroom houses to three-bedroom properties that surpass $700,000. Palm trees tower over homes and shade the bright green lawns that sit on most properties, and although many streets do not have sidewalks, residents can be seen walking the residential areas. In fact, the street is not only occupied by cars, but oftentimes by golf carts, bicyclists and pedestrians. Parking is typically no hassle here, as most homes feature driveways and garages. Solivita transportation is seamless with major thoroughfares close by, including Marigold Avenue and Cypress Parkway. Public transportation is not available in the neighborhood, though shuttle services are a benefit for residents over the age of 65. For air travel, the Orlando International Airport is about 30 miles away.

“An everchanging and developing area,” is the way Brandon Gengler, Realtor with KW Smart Realty describes Lake Marion Village in Poinciana, Florida. “Over the last 5 years, especially post-COVID, there’s been a lot of construction and development in the area. People in Orlando just started moving outward, so developers saw opportunities to build.” While the neighborhood remains fairly remote, surrounded by protected wildlife swamps and lakes, residents are within driving distance of Poinciana community events and shopping in nearby cities. Late 20th-century ranch-style and Spanish-revival homes with stucco exteriors and rid tile roofs average around $290,000. Two story Spanish-revival homes with arched entryways and fenced-in backyards built in the early 2000s typically range between $260,000 and $420,000, while New Traditional style properties built in the 2020s feature up to five bedrooms and average $375,000. Homes in the neighborhood sit closer together on large, grassy lots in secluded cul-de-sacs with small groves of oak and palm trees planted between properties. The Association of Poinciana Villages (APV), established in 1972, is the governing homeowner’s association; many subdivisions within Lake Marion Village fall under their jurisdiction, and residents can expect to pay around $300 in annual HOA fees. Members can splash around at the association’s community pool or get a workout in at the APV Fitness Center. Kids can start at Bethune Academy which receives a B-minus from Niche and can continue on to Dundee Ridge Middle Academy which receives a B. The C-plus-rated Haines City Senior High is known for its career/technical academies where students have the opportunity to earn credentials in Early Childhood Education and animal science for employment after graduation. The 35-acre Poinciana Community Park features a playground, a dog park with separate areas for large and small pups, and even a cricket pitch. Lil Halibut Park houses a gated playground with smaller slides and jungle gyms for younger kids. Gengler describes the community as a “freshwater boater’s paradise” with Lake Marion offering several spots to catch Bluegill and Largemouth Bass. Folks can also venture to the eastern side of the community to Lake Marion Creek for a weekend of camping, hiking and frog hunting. Folks in Lake Marion Village can wear their best red, white and blue outfits for the annual Fireworks Spectacular event held by APV; local food trucks line up beside the Amphitheater of Vance Harmon park where local bands perform, and visitors can get their face painted by artists walking the grounds. During Hispanic Heritage month in September, the Poinciana Public Library offers beginner Salsa dancing classes and DIY Maracas craft sessions. Locals can also trek to downtown Orlando for the Florida Puerto Rican Parade which features traditional Bomba dancing and performances by popular Puerto Rican musicians. Residents can grocery shop at nearby Family Dollar or travel roughly 8 miles north to Publix at The Promenade shopping mall. While local shopping is sparse in the community, Haines City, about 10 miles west, houses small businesses like Bless Cuts Barbershop and The Way 2 Shoppe thrift store selling gently used women’s purses and dining room furniture. Retail chains like Bealls can be found at nearby Haines City Mall. For a casual dinner by the water, Ducky’s Dockside Bar and Grill serves up fried alligator and pulled pork sandwiches, and for dessert, residents can pick up a mango frappe at Adiarys Bakery on Marigold Avenue. Winter Haven and Kissimmee are within a 20-mile drive of the community, and downtown Orlando is about 45 miles north via I-4. Traffic can be heavy in the neighborhood, but the Central Florida Expressway Authority has plans to build a beltway connecting the Poinciana Parkway and Florida’s Turnpike to help ease congestion. Orlando International is about 47 miles north, and HCA Florida Poinciana Hospital is an 11-mile drive via Cypress Parkway.