Cascades community celebrates 10 years

Ten years after moving into their Cascades home, Nick and Lois Mancuso can’t imagine living anywhere else.

The couple joined neighbors Feb. 22 in celebrating Cascades’ 10th anniversary with a special party at the clubhouse. At the event, the Mancusos were crowned as the community’s longest tenured residents.

“There were four homes when we moved here under construction at the same time,” Lois Mancuso says.

The Mancusos moved in 1994 to the Sarasota area from New Jersey. They first lived in Sarasota’s Turtle Rock community and moved to Cascades about 10 years later. 

“We were in Orlando with some friends of ours and we took a trip to see this community (developer) Levitt (& Sons) had built,” Lois Mancuso says, adding they also bought their home in New Jersey from Levitt. “When we went, I fell in love with it. We were looking at retiring in about five years.”

A salesman told them not to make any moves because Levitt was buying land in Manatee County for the future Cascades development. 

The couple waited. And on the day the sales trailer opened for Cascades, Nick Mancuso was the first future buyer through its doors.

The Mancusos were the second family to close on their home.

“When you work your whole life and are busy, busy, busy, to come to an abrupt stop was kind of scary,” Lois Mancuso says.

That’s why Cascades seemed so perfect. Because it’s an age-restricted community, residents are in the same stage of life — retiring, losing older family members or spouses, for example. 

“I really feel like we’re a family,” Lois Mancuso says. “I’ve seen people pass on, and I’ve seen people (they don’t even know well), say (to their spouse), ‘Let’s go shopping,’ or ‘Bring them a meal.’ You have that support.”

Nick Mancuso adds: “It ties the community together.”

Willard Taylor, who closed on his home Feb. 28, 2015, agreed.

“It’s a very nice place,” he says. “The folks who live here are very congenial. We always have a good time and it has a lot of facilities that are geared toward older people. It’s a pleasant place to live.

The clubs within Cascades hold events regularly. For example, Nick Mancuso attends the men’s coffee group on Mondays. The social committee plans events, such as the 10-year anniversary bash, and there are arts and craft classes, line-dancing lessons, bingo, tennis, swimming and other activities. 

“My kids get mad at me because every time they call, we aren’t home,” Lois Mancuso says, laughing. “It’s an active community. There’s always something going on.”

Cascades residents felt turmoil when Levitt & Sons filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2007 and construction of the community came to a halt before it was fully developed. However, Medallion Home came in late 2009 and developed the remaining 65 home sites, for a total of 453 homes.

Residents, the Mancusos said, were pleased with the homes’ consistency with the existing properties. 

“When things were unfinished because of Levitt, there were a lot of things people were concerned about,” Nick Mancuso says. “But now we’re in good shape.”

The Mancusos have no regrets.

“I can’t imagine living anywhere else,” Lois Mancuso says. “I can’t imagine a group of people who are so caring about their neighbors and friends.”

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected].