The Haven

The Haven at New Riverside is a private, gated 55+ active adult community built by Del Webb in Bluffton, South Carolina, tucked into the heart of the Lowcountry next to the acclaimed Palmetto Bluff. Construction began in 2007 and wrapped up around 2019, resulting in approximately 500 single-family ranch homes spread across a 348-acre site of majestic live oaks, towering pine forests, and quiet lagoons. The scale here is intentionally intimate — residents often cite the smaller size as the biggest reason they chose The Haven over larger Lowcountry alternatives like nearby Sun City Hilton Head. Homes are single-story (some with optional second-floor lofts) ranging from about 1,590 to 2,637 square feet on generous quarter- and half-acre homesites, many backing up to lagoons or wooded preserves. Exteriors blend stucco, Hardiplank siding, cultured stone, brick, and shingle accents for a Colonial-influenced Lowcountry look — square columns, wide porches, shutters, and dormer windows. Fences are permitted, which is a rare and prized feature in 55+ communities and a major draw for pet owners. Del Webb no longer builds new construction here; the community is resale-only, with prices generally ranging from the mid-$300s into the $700s and a median around $602K. The social center is The Retreat, an 8,500-square-foot clubhouse housing a fitness center, game room, craft room, catering kitchen, grand ballroom, billiards room, Internet cafe, and multi-purpose rooms. Outside, residents gather at the zero-entry heated pool with long lap lanes and a year-round heated spa, plus four clay tennis courts, two pickleball courts, two bocce courts, a dog park with shaded area, community garden plots, a children's playground for visiting grandkids, and a fire pit. A full-time activities director programs an active calendar of clubs and events — aqua aerobics, aqua golf, Bible study, bingo, book club, bridge, bunco, coffee talk, and more — and miles of walking and biking trails weave through the community and connect into the wider New Riverside master plan. The location is the other half of the pitch. The Haven sits off SC-46 and SC-170 in the New Riverside section of Bluffton, roughly 15 miles from both Hilton Head Island and historic Savannah, Georgia, with Charleston about 90 miles north. Berkeley Place (restaurants, shops, Cinemark/Sea Turtle Cinemas) is four miles away; Tanger Outlets, Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Lowe's, and Best Buy are all within about 10 miles. Residents get special rates at four golf courses within three miles of the community, with 40+ courses available across Bluffton and Hilton Head. Kayaking, boating, and fishing are easy on the May River, intracoastal waterway, and Atlantic Ocean. It's a quieter, more natural alternative to the bigger Lowcountry mega-communities — close-knit, wildlife-rich, and genuinely walkable.