The first planned community in the United States - the Riverside neighborhood outside Chicago - was built in 1869 by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Worth, designers of New York's Central Park.

With its winding, tree-lined streets and houses at least 30 feet (about 30 meters) from the road, Riverside remains a beautiful and affluent community of about 8,800 people. A large portion of it is even designated as a National Historic Landmark.

In the wake of Riverside's success, hundreds of planned communities have taken root across the country, particularly in California, Florida, Texas and the Intermountain West.

While most communities may range in size from a few acres to hundreds of acres, an offshoot called the "master-planned community" has expanded the concept even more.

For example, one of the largest ranches, Irvine Ranch in California, consists of 24 interconnected "villages" spanning 93,000 acres of Pacific coastline.

Some planned communities are designed to appeal to specific interests or lifestyles, such as horseback riding or active living.

For example, Siena in Round Rock, Texas, has extensive hiking and biking trails, two parks and a public swimming pool.

Meanwhile, Bald Head Island, North Carolina, is an idyllic waterfront community that includes a rare marine forest, marsh and yacht club.

There are also water parks for kids, a racing course for avid cyclists and, yes, even a 377-foot zip line for adrenaline junkies.

Well-planned communities are also particularly attractive to retirees. Probably the best-known planned retirement community, The Village outside Orlando, Florida, began in the 1960s when a developer sold land by mail order.

Today, the community is home to 157,000 people, with an average age of 66, who can spend their retirement years at the community's many shopping and recreational facilities. This includes 48 courses of free golf for life!

There's a good reason why planned communities and their master-planned cousins are a popular real estate trend that many people want to buy into. That's what attracts homeowners.

Less traffic. Because the plan includes roads, traffic is smoother. There are usually more and better quality public transportation options.

Amenities. Now you can swim in the community pool or run along the wooded trails every morning.

Green space. Planned communities value the natural beauty and gorgeous landscaping of the surrounding neighborhoods.

A sense of community. From lighted streets to old-fashioned front porches to community gathering spaces, planned communities allow you to get to know your neighbors and do practical things with them, rather than simply nod awkwardly at each other as you each climb into your respective minivans.

However, planned communities aren't for everyone. Here are some drawbacks to consider.

Dealing with community development districts. Many of these communities are governed by community development districts, which are much like homeowners' associations (HOAs) but may have more rules about what residents can and can't do.

If you don't like this kind of micromanagement, planned communities can drive you crazy.

Extra costs. Someone has to keep these communities in tip-top shape, and unless it's a cooperative type of community that involves residents, you may have to pay a monthly fee, usually higher than a typical HOA, to cover maintenance costs.

According to John Burns, a real estate consultant, the cost premium for housing in a planned community is typically 6%.

About 2 percent of that is the cost of the property itself - the home will cost slightly more than a comparable home outside the planned community.

The other 4% is a monthly fee. So when you buy a house, you need to take that cost into account.

Less privacy. There tends to be less privacy in planned communities than in more typical suburban developments.

This may be due to the closer proximity of homes to each other or a more communal atmosphere. If you prefer solitude, then this may be uncomfortable for you.

In short, planned communities are ideal for active, outdoorsy and social people.