Celebration

I have another place to add to the list of places to retire......  Celebration Fl.
In the early 1990s, the Disney Development Company (DDC) established the Celebration Company to spearhead its development within approximately 4,900 acres of land. Total investment for the project is estimated at $2.5 billion.

The master plan for Celebration was developed by Cooper, Robertson & Partners and Robert A. M. Stern and the extensive landscape, parks, trails and pathways were designed by the prominent San Francisco firm known as EDAW. Celebration is planned in an early 20th century-architectural style and is not zoned for high-density residences. Celebration was named the "New Community of the Year" in 2001 by the Urban Land Institute.
The first phase of residential development occurred in the summer of 1996 with Celebration Village, West Village and Lake Evalyn; this was followed by the North Village, South Village, East Village and Aquila Reserve and the final Artisan Park phases. Disney CEO Michael Eisner took an especially keen interest in the development of the new town in the early days, encouraging the executives at Disney Development Company to "make history" and develop a town worthy of the Disney brand and legacy that extended to Walt Disney's vision of an Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow (EPCOT). DDC executives collaborated extensively with leaders in education, health and technology in addition to planners and architects to create the vision and operating policies for the town. As of the 2010 census, the population numbered 11,860.The Disney Corporation has gradually withdrawn it's oversight of the community and it has been incorporated as a town.
Here is a picture of the overall design of the business area of the town. Note the large water area in the center.

These are some candid shots around town. We spent the whole afternoon walking around and window shopping. The side walks are brick. There are solar lights beside the sidewalks for illumination at night.

We ended the day by sitting in rocking chairs by the water feature in the center of town eating ice cream. Here's John. Right after I took this picture.....

A cormorant came up on the cement area to dry it's wings........  I decided to take a picture of it.......  YES, the dark bumps in the water behind it is a baby alligator.

I decided that I could live here.