My visit to The Villages in Florida

[Dreamer]

Thanks for writing your thoughts. It would be nice to be able to rent a place for the winter months. Are you able to do that or must you buy a place? I have a feeling that one must buy a place, rather than rent. I am cautious by nature, and probably would want to rent for a while before buying.

[Walt34]

Thanks for the posts on the Villages. I've seen ads in radio control modeling magazines and it looks interesting. Now if I could just convince DW that never seeing snow again would be a good thing....

[Orchidflower]

Thank you so much for doing all the work it took to describe The Villages, albundyz. It really helped me alot.
I have a friend I went to college with who purchased a second home there with her husband, and HE raves about it. She, however, likes it but seems less enthusiastic.
They are 63, so, I guess, the age thing doesn't bother them. Not sure if it would bother me...probably would after awhile, but you can leave and go to town, surely.
Both of the couple are golf addicts, tho, and that is their big draw as there are so many options coursewise at The Villages. They love that aspect. I don't play myself.
My biggest problem with The Villages is what I hear over and over: cheaply constructed homes for the money. THAT, if anything, would deter me from buying there.
However, personally, the sense of community and all the activities would be great for us extroverts, I should think. However, when I looked at the activity listing it seemed somewhat hokey...not that I am too good for hokey, that's for sure. I think the entertainment at night intrigues me most.
I guess I need to visit myself....
But, again, thank you alot for all that work, albundyz!!!! Great inside look without visiting there myself yet!

[Moemg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orchidflower They are 63, so, I guess, the age thing doesn't bother them. Not sure if it would bother me...probably would after awhile, but you can leave and go to town, surely.

The catch is THe Villages is the town . It's wall to wall seniors for miles . There is no town nearby . It was built in the center of the state on farmland .

[utrecht]

I have a friends whose parents rent a house for a month or two every winter so I know it can be done. They have just decided to buy a house there and will be moving in the next month or so from Maryland.

[calmloki]

A little old lady was sitting on a park bench in The Villages, a Florida Adult community.

A man walked over and sits down on the other end of the bench. After a few moments, the woman asks, ' Are you a stranger here?'
He replies, 'I lived here years ago.'
'So, where were you all these years?'
'In prison,' he says.
'Why did they put you in prison?'
He looked at her, and very quietly said, 'I killed my wife.'

'Oh!' said the woman. 'So you're single...?!'

>>Venice was pretty old looking as well - maybe it's a Florida retirement thing....

[TromboneAl]

Well-written and enjoyable to read, Al, thanks.

I'd sure think you could find a softball team of appropriate skill level in many towns. Not true? I've noticed a team of very old players at a very, very small town near here.

I was really into softball (co-ed beer and pizza type) when I was around 30, but have no interest now. Are you sure enough that your interest will continue long enough to base a choice of city on it?

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

My brother at age 55 was playing softball, hit a grounder to the infield and ran it out. He beat the throw to 1st by a hair (as Red Barber used to say) and as soon as he reached the base heard a gun shot. He dropped to the ground only to realize that the gun shot was his Achilles tendon snapping apart.

Surgery and rehab went well, but now he just watches hockey on TV.

[albundyz]

<< are you sure your interest in softball will continue? Are your sure your bod won't explode? >>

Both valid questions. you are correct. Those are real issues. Nevertheless, I have been playing competitive softball for 30 years, so the desire will be there. But yes, I could suffer an injury and end my playing days. it's a valid concern, but as I said, we ended up deciding not to relocate to The Villages.

[Moemg]

Before I moved to Sarasota I lived in Venice and there was a really active men's softball league there .

[Zantastic]

Hi albundyz. Is your senior league coed or men's? Is it slow pitch or fast pitch?

I'm in the SFV & I would love to find a slow pitch coed senior league to keep me playing a little longer. I'm a 50 year old female who's having a hard time keeping up with the kids on my work team lately. I can pitch with the best of them, but the rest of my game is going south fast.

Zan

Quote:

Originally Posted by albundyz << are you sure your interest in softball will continue? Are your sure your bod won't explode? >> Both valid questions. you are correct. Those are real issues. Nevertheless, I have been playing competitive softball for 30 years, so the desire will be there. But yes, I could suffer an injury and end my playing days. it's a valid concern, but as I said, we ended up deciding not to relocate to The Villages.

[albundyz]

Zantastic:

I play for the LA dept parks and rec in the SFV, you can view their website for info. look for senior softball. There's only one league to my knowledge.

City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks

FYI, in our league, the men have to be over 55, the women have to be over 45 (I think). We have about 110 players divided over 8 teams. There are only about 6 or 7 girls in the league.

The quality of play is all over the place. You see some outstanding plays followed by some rather dreadful plays.

[Gregory]

My wife and I visited the Villages in May of this year. It is a huge community but each of the "villages" has it's own recreation centers etc. It seemed to me that the community was like a medium sized city and each of the villages was a neighborhood within the city. We liked it very much though I agree that the average age seemed like 70. I have always been attracted to 55+ communities, perhaps because I am a golfer and love the thought of climbing into a golf cart and driving from my house to the first tee box.

We noticed that when you look around a village where the homes are older that the average age was also older and the reverse is true also. When you visit a community of new homes the average age was lower. So I would suggest buying a newer home if you prefer being around "younger" retirees.

I think that the prices quoted for homes were a little low. They were accurate but the prices quoted did not include "lot premiums" and the lot premiums in the villages are high. You can easily add from twenty to eighty thousand dollars to the prices quoted for larger lots, corner lots and view lots.

[Sandhog]

Quote:

Originally Posted by calmloki A little old lady was sitting on a park bench in The Villages, a Florida Adult community. A man walked over and sits down on the other end of the bench. After a few moments, the woman asks, ' Are you a stranger here?' He replies, 'I lived here years ago.' 'So, where were you all these years?' 'In prison,' he says. 'Why did they put you in prison?' He looked at her, and very quietly said, 'I killed my wife.' 'Oh!' said the woman. 'So you're single...?!' >>Venice was pretty old looking as well - maybe it's a Florida retirement thing....

Thanks Al for your review. I have been looking into 55+ communities since I'm by myself. Do they have apartments as well as homes? I know some 55+ communities do have apartments as well as assisted living apartments.

Continuing the conversation from above quote

Man replied, "You could say that I'm single"

Woman promptly asked, "how often do you have sex?"

The man replied "infrequently."

The woman asked, "is that one word or two?"

I cracked myself up.

[American-Canadian]

My father lived in a Del Webb senior community about 5 miles from the Villages. It was beautiful and I loved visiting him and using the pool, bingo, etc. I felt very safe walking around late in the evening.

We toured the Villages and I particularly remember the shuttle bus that the residents could take to and from Orlando airport. The Villages seemed a little too fake to me (beautiful as it looked) and I believe my father's house in Del Webb was much better built and the yards were larger.

There have been books written on the Villages and one of the questions brought up was: Will the Villages still be a viable community in 50 or 100 years?

[rescueme]

Quote:

Originally Posted by American-Canadian Will the Villages still be a viable community in 50 or 100 years?

Will you be alive in 50 or 100 years?

It's a senior community (e.g. +55 age). If you move in tomorrow, how long does your property have to stand?

DW's former boss has a place there, that was hit by a hurricane a few years ago and a lot of damage was done. But you don't have to live in the Villages to have hurricane damage (it's freely available anywhere in the state, regardless of your age )...

[JPatrick]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sandhog Thanks Al for your review. I have been looking into 55+ communities since I'm by myself. Do they have apartments as well as homes? I know some 55+ communities do have apartments as well as assisted living apartments. Continuing the conversation from above quote Man replied, "You could say that I'm single" Woman promptly asked, "how often do you have sex?" The man replied "infrequently." The woman asked, "is that one word or two?"

Still continuing from above.....

Guy says---"One word or two?"
"Are you kidding Lady, didn't I just say I'd been in prison?"

(yes folks, that thought can go two ways...

[FreeAtLast]

Quote:

Originally Posted by albundyz Another "bad" is the Florida summer weather. Several people have described July and August in Florida as "brutal". This does not sit well with me. Actually, it frightens me. l

I have lived in South Florida since my college days at the University of Miami.
The summers can be quite hot and wet. Then there is the matter of hurricanes.
I know a number of people that leave for the summer and return a few times during the summer as their business demands. I am considering doing the same after I fully retire.
It is a great place the rest of the year.

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FreeAtLast I know a number of people that leave for the summer and return a few times during the summer as their business demands. I am considering doing the same after I fully retire.

If it were up to me, DW and I would also become dribwons. I'd love to spend the summer in a cooler climate.

[73ss454]

Not me, I love the heat here in Fla.. I'm getting ready for my afterlife.