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]

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_in_Tampa]

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

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.