Summerlin defined by villages

The 22,500-acre Summerlin master-planned community aligns the western edge of the Las Vegas Valley, from Cheyenne Avenue to Russell Road, and covers more than 36 square miles.

Because of its size, planners adopted the village concept from the outset to create smaller, more intimate and cohesive subcommunities.

"The village concept allows us to create a distinctive look and feel for a specific area of the community," said Chuck Kubat, vice president of planning and design for The Howard Hughes Corp., developer of the community. "Individual identities are created through the use of architectural detail unique to the village wall system, architectural style of the homes within a village, landscaping style and color palettes."

The Pueblo village is known for its use of desert landscaping; The Arbors, for the trellises and trellis-like structures that dot its common areas and streetscapes; and The Canyons for its variegated desert colors.

Today, there are 14 villages in various stages of development, including seven that are complete or nearly complete; six that are under development; and one that is in early development. The average village measures about 650 acres, although a few are smaller than 500 acres and some are as large as 1,200 acres.

Each village is built around a golf course or major park. Several neighborhood parks and trails are also featured.

Within the villages under development, there are nearly 130 model homes offering more than 200 floor plans developed by 23 home builders. Single-family homes, townhomes and condominiums are available, and priced from less than $100,000 to more than $700,000.

In addition, custom lots from one-quarter acre to three-quarters of an acre are priced from the mid-$100,000s to more than $1 million, and predesigned custom homes are priced from $500,000 to more than $1 million.

Apartments offer monthly rents starting from the $700s.

Summerlin has ranked as the nation's best-selling master-planned community for eight of the past nine years. It is home to two Tournament Players Club golf courses, a Bear's Best course by Jack Nicklaus, and five others. There are also nearly 100 parks, more than 90 completed miles of trails, 16 schools, houses of worship, shopping centers, medical centers, cultural facilities, business parks and medical centers.

To visit the community's home finding center, take Sahara Avenue west, past Hualapai Way, to Town Center Drive. Or, take Interstate 215 to Sahara. The office is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

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