Unlike the majority of Lowcountry communities, Johns Island is one of the last bastions of the gracious old rural South. Nevertheless, a few developers have managed to build residential communities that offer beautiful developments blending into pristine fields and marshland. These homes are particularly attractive to retirees who appreciate the tranquility and simplicity of the island's slower pace. At one time Johns Island produced the lion's share of the city's fruits and vegetables and farmers markets or roadside stands are still common sights. The island's most famous landmark is the Angel Oak, estimated at 1,400 years old from a younger limb but possibly twice that age. This massive 65-foot tree casts a 17,000-square-foot shadow, enough to shade the island's entire population. Newly constructed Stono River bridges connect the island to a more contemporary world and will undoubtedly drive deeper residential development.