Sawgrass Lakes

Right off Florida's Turnpike, the communities within Sawgrass Lakes offer both gated and ungated suburban living.

In the Treasure Coast's city of Port St. Lucie, the cul-de-sacs of Sawgrass Lakes are shaped by glittering bodies of freshwater, providing many properties with lakeside views and ideal fishing spots. You'll often see residents outside enjoying the South Florida sun as well as the neighborhood's lush and mature landscaping. Dense tree lines border each community, giving the area a secluded and serene feel despite its close proximity to major roads and highways, including Florida's Turnpike, Interstate 95 and Port St. Lucie Boulevard. "In Port St. Lucie, it's quick to get anywhere," says Karl Taylor, a local Realtor with Redfin Corporation and a Port St. Lucie resident himself. "The city isn't that big, and our traffic is nowhere near what it is down south, but the biggest thing is you have here quick access to the Turnpike."

Sawgrass Lakes is composed of five different sub-communities built around a 100-acre lake. Four are gated, and one — the Estates of Sawgrass Lakes — is ungated. Panther Trace is the largest community, with 145 single-family homes, followed by Hammock Cove, with 129 single-family homes. Hammock Cove is also the sole sub-community with a clubhouse and community pool. That said, most properties in Sawgrass Lakes feature in-ground pools or have more than enough space for one to be installed. As for the two remaining gated communities, there's Crane Pointe and the Sanctuary. Each community in Sawgrass Lakes utilizes an HOA.

"Sawgrass Lakes is the kind of area where you know your neighbors," Taylor says. "Most of the houses are three to four bedrooms, so it has more families than some neighborhoods." Furthermore, because Sawgrass Lakes is home to some of the only gated communities in this section of Port St. Lucie, the price point here is a tad higher than the surrounding HOA-free neighborhoods. "On the high end, I'd say you're looking at the high $600,000s," Taylor says. "On the low end? Probably $350,000 to $400,000. Most of the homes were built in the 2000s, so they're more contemporary in style." While what was considered contemporary in the early 2000s has shifted, the designs of these ranch-style homes reflect New Traditional, Minimal Traditional and Spanish Eclectic styles. And while ranch-style homes are the most popular build, there are many bi-level homes as well. For $489,000, you can land a four-bedroom, three-bathroom, 2,158-square-foot bi-level home on an oversized, 0.4-acre lot.

On the west side of Sawgrass Lakes, just outside Panther Trace, a small shopping strip has two great spots for tasting local flavor. Popular for its street tacos, Taqueria El Rey serves up hearty portions of authentic Mexican cuisine. A couple of stores down, One Love Caribbean is another favorite with everything from fried shrimp, blue crab and tilapia to curry goat, oxtail and brown stew chicken.

Port St. Lucie is served by St. Lucie Public Schools, so Sawgrass Lakes students can attend Windmill Point Elementary before going to Oak Hammock K-8 School and graduating from Treasure Coast High School, which has a B rating on Niche and is just over a mile from the neighborhood. Treasure Coast High features academies, also known as "small learning communities," allowing students to find an area of interest to focus their studies around. The focuses of these academies range from industrial biotechnology and health science to culinary arts and criminal justice.

As for recreational and green space, Whispering Pines Park sits right behind the high school, equipped with sports fields, a playground and a tennis center with 14 tennis courts and 8 lined pickleball courts.

Just a hair over a 15-mile drive from the beaches of Hutchinson Island, Sawgrass Lakes is a quiet but connected community in the growing city of Port St. Lucie.

Written By

Micaela Willoughby

Photography Contributed By

Daniele Giuseppe Del Gaudio

Video By

Kellan Beaver