The Art of Living

Carol Duchscher's official title might sound a bit grandiose. She's the "Art of Living " director at Victoria Park, the award-winning, 1,895-acre master-planned community just south of DeLand. But don't let the title fool you. What Carol Duchscher actually does is as down-to-earth as it gets.

Consider a recent week in the life of this gracious woman, whose vibrant personality and high-wattage smile could melt the icy reserve of even the most stubborn introvert:

On Friday, Duchscher played in a charity golf tournament that she helped organize at Victoria Park's acclaimed Victoria Hills Golf Club. "A grand success, but my game was a little off," she notes.

On Saturday, Duchscher was up bright and early to marshal a contingent of 28 Victoria Park volunteers who were helping out during "Keep DeLand Beautiful Day" by cleaning up debris along city streets. "These people actually had smiles on their faces while they were picking up litter," she says. "I never knew that garbage collecting could be enjoyable."

On Sunday morning, Duchscher, a dedicated runner who has participated in several marathons, was working behind the scenes at the Third Annual Victoria Park 5K Race and Fitness Walk, which she helped launch. "We had 165 participants who came here from all over Central Florida, and it was everything I could do not to lace up my shoes and run with them," she says.

On Monday, Duchscher took a break to catch up on office work, planning an upcoming Victoria Park Spring Garage Sale and the annual Easter Egg Hunt for children. But on Tuesday, she was on a bus with about 40 Victoria Park residents who had signed up to attend a spring training game between the Atlanta Braves and the New York Yankees at Walt Disney World's Cracker Jack Stadium. "I'm from Augusta, Georgia, originally," she says. "So yes, I rooted for the Braves."

And on Wednesday, Duchscher was back in the office getting ready for a Thursday seminar at Victoria Park featuring professors from the Stetson University Law School, who would be advising residents on how they can avoid becoming the victims of identity theft. "Stetson is just a wonderful resource for us," says Duchscher. "And we've forged a real connection between our community and the university."

Forging connections is what Carol Duchscher is all about.

"She makes fun happen," says Monica Reulbach, the mother of two boys, ages 3 and 4, who moved to Victoria Park with her husband, Tony, about a year ago. "From the moment we arrived, Carol made sure we met people and got connected with what was going on. She gave us a real sense of being in a tight-knit community."

While new communities throughout the Central Florida region boast all sorts of attractive amenities, from championship golf courses to fancy fitness centers, creating a sense of community for residents and seeing to it that they are engaged in the goings-on of the neighborhood is a bit trickier.

Indeed, a lack of neighborly cohesiveness is what many experts point to as a serious flaw in the social fabric of large Sun Belt communities that have sprouted up in recent years.

"The infrastructure can be awesome-gorgeous homes, all the services you can imagine-but the social structure is often non-existent," says Devon Wilson, a consultant with the Washington, D.C.-based Urban Land Institute, who specializes in "societal relationship issues" in modern developments.

"All too often, people move into these new communities and there is a complete disconnect," Wilson adds. "Everyone is new. No one knows each other. And the developer makes no real effort to change that."

When St. Joe Towns & Resorts (formerly known as Arvida) set out to develop a network of Florida communities that includes, in addition to Victoria Park, such places as Watercolor at Seagrove Beach in the Panhandle, St. John's Golf and Country Club in Jacksonville and Artisan Park in Celebration, it wanted to make sure new residents fit right in.

So the company created "Art of Living" directors for several of its communities, a sort of "super concierge" position that demanded a cheery demeanor and the ability to accommodate a wide range of residents' wants and needs.

At Victoria Park, which welcomed its first homeowners about three years ago, there are currently about 750 residents with an expected population of about 4,000 as the community grows over the next several years. While many of the residents moved from elsewhere in Central Florida, the rest hail from all over, particularly the Northeast.

Duchsher, who has worked for St. Joe for 17 years, hit the ground running. She launched a newsletter, The Garden Post, for residents of Victoria Gardens, the active-adult neighborhood within Victoria Park. She also helped start a website, www.towntalk.com, where residents could chat via bulletin boards and keep up-to-date on the many activities and events Duchscher was starting.

When owners at Victoria Park sign contracts for their homes, they are given questionnaires asking them to list their various interests, from sports and recreation to cultural events. Duchscher used these surveys to help model the community's first activities, and made it a point to introduce herself personally to each resident as they moved in.

"People here know from the beginning that they are members of a community, not just residents of another house along the street," says Duchscher.

That meant a lot to people like Donna Lennon, who moved to Victoria Park with her two teenage children about two years ago after living in a rural community in the middle of 50 acres and no neighbors within shouting distance.

"I was really concerned that it was going to be a daunting task, meeting people and making sure the kids were happy," says Lennon. "But Carol was right there from day one, making sure we were involved and making sure we knew all our neighbors. She made the whole thing magic."

For Duchscher, being the Art of Living director has evolved into much more than just planning bridge clubs and yoga classes. Nowadays, residents of Victoria Park turn to her for all sorts of assistance, often on a personal level.

"Sometimes it's just a matter of having someone to sit down and talk to if they experience the death of a loved one," she says. "It's mostly a matter of just being here for anything that comes along."

Not long ago, a group of motorcycle-owning residents approached her about helping them start a group for Harley-Davidson owners. And then there was the woman who asked Duchscher to help plan her wedding.

"She came to me and said she wanted to get married and could I suggest a good place to have it," said Duchscher. "Next thing I knew I was helping her find a caterer and hire a harpist."

All in a day's work for Carol Duchscher.

What a Great Idea

When visitors drop by Victoria Park this summer and tour the showcase home now being built there, many will undoubtedly take a look around and ask, "Now, why the heck didn't I think of that?"

Each year Birmingham, Ala.-based Southern Living magazine builds several "Idea Houses" in communities across the South. The projects offer new homeowners, prospective buyers and other fans of home design a chance to view state-of-the-art building technology and leading-edge design concepts.

Modern though its amenities may be, the 2005 Southern Living Idea House at Victoria Park offers a nostalgic ambience. The noted Memphis, Tenn., architectural firm of Looney Ricks Kiss modeled the home after Victorian-era farmhouses, complete with an expansive covered porches and patios.

The firm also sought to find innovative ways to mitigate the challenges created when several generations live under one roof.

Toward that goal, the Idea House includes everything from private spaces where each family member can escape to a multi-functional room that serves not only as a home office, but also as a craft room, laundry room and pantry.

"To have Southern Living choose Victoria Park as the site of a 2005 Idea House is a wonderful way for us to share ideas with a group of people who take great interest in their homes, lifestyles and surrounding," says Ed Hill, president of Central Florida residential operations for St. Joe Towns & Resorts, developers of Victoria Park. "The home will showcase many of the features that make the community appealing to both growing families and active adults."

In addition to innovative design and architectural elements, the 3,640-square-foot home will also showcase the latest in appliances and state-of-the-art building materials offered by GE Appliances, JELD-WEN, James Hardie, Lennox, MOEN, Boral Bricks and Square D.

Tours of the 2005 Southern Living House at Victoria Park will be open to the public and run from June 11 through Oct. 2. The project will also be featured in the August 2005 issue of Southern Living.