The Villages?

[HobbyDave]

Originally Posted by OpusX

Any one live at The Villages in Fl? If so is it as nice as it seems? What are the drawbacks?

My wife's parents moved there (as snowbirds, stay 6 months each year) a few years ago. They love it there. Now again, they're also big into golfing, which is a huge thing in the villages. My impressions:

1. Most people are older. Of course as a retirement place, you would expect this. We saw a very large number of 50-60ish year old people, early retirement type folk. Her parents are 55ish, and while on the young side, most of the people I saw weren't dottering around.

2. It is very neat how you can drive a golf cart everywhere, no need for a car most of the time. Seems a bit silly, but it certainly makes people more active, more likely to run down the street to a park to sit around, etc.

3. Houses seemed nice, though of course they're a bit 'clone home' ish. Some people do extra gardening, which makes things look nice.

4. Of course the florida weather is pleasant (especially when you're used to the snow)

5. Lots of activities planned for everyone. There was always art classes, golf lessons, dances, etc etc. I imagine if you wanted, you could be pretty busy.

6. Seemed to be clean, well kept, etc.

My wife and I looked into purchasing (and renting out) a house. We ended up dropping it (other places to put our money showed up), but it certainly left a good impression when we visited (we were 26ish on our first visits I think).

[TromboneAl]

Is this the same place that was hit by the tornadoes?

[UncleHoney]

Originally Posted by TromboneAl

Is this the same place that was hit by the tornadoes?

I think so.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/loc...home-headlines

[OAG]

Yes it was -- but it is a VERY large multi-development project.

[Goonie]

Here's an article (there are several) in "The Villages' Daily Sun" newspaper.

http://www.thevillagesdailysun.com/a...ews/news02.txt

Kinda sounds like a real 'community'!

[Rich_in_Tampa]

It's the notorious Villages. Huge private development bordering on the size of a small city. Endless activities, basically age 60 and above (I think 55 rquired).

While it is not for everyone, I've never heard so many people as happy where they live as the Village people. Seriously, everyone I've met who lives there loves it.

Condolences to the tornado victims.

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Sounds a lot like Sun City.

Hmm...a bunch of elderly reasonably well to do people are CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICANS? No way.

[sgeeeee]

Originally Posted by Cute Fuzzy Bunny

Sounds a lot like Sun City.

Hmm...a bunch of elderly reasonably well to do people are CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICANS? No way.

And they have unbelievably high voter participation. I was at the State Capital last week to participate in a community focused event. About a dozen of the major cities in Arizona sent a contingent of community activists to meet their legislators. When anyone from Sun City so much as farted, every elected official there nodded their heads and swooned. :P

[Moemg]

Most of the people who live in the Villages are the type who enjoy constant activity .It reminds me of the movie "The Truman Story ".( a fake perfect town)
I do feel bad for anyone hit by a disaster. It's beginning to feel like Florida is the disaster state.It might be time to move ?

[Rich_in_Tampa]

Originally Posted by Moemg

I do feel bad for anyone hit by a disaster. It's beginning to feel like Florida is the disaster state.It might be time to move ?

Yes, there are times it has felt this way. Though with massive blizzards up north, hundreds of thousands out of power, flooding elsewhere including the northwest, brushfires out west, tornados in the midwest, icestorms in the plains...

Then there are the 360 days a year without hurricanes where the weather is perfect, beautiful beaches, lush landscape, tons to do, diverse population, -10 up north...

Mother nature can get you anywhere. Prepare, hope for a little luck, and enjoy.

[Caroline]

Six months in Ballston Spa from August to February... never again.

SIXTEEN months in Olean, NY. (Seems I'm a slower learner than some others on this board, but then we knew that already.)

TWO slow-motion car trips off the icy road and into the ditch. FOUR slave-wage jobs between hubby and me to keep the gas bill paid. ONE 75-mile trip home from work during a blizzard (taken to avoid the big hill on the more direct route, and Trip #3 into the ditch.)

Never, ever again.

[LeatherneckPA]

Spent the first 21 years living all over Upstate NY; Middletown, Corning, Jamestown, Catskill, Cooperstown, and Oneonta (back when they had real winters that started at Halloween and might be over by May 1st). Living in Central PA now for 16 years, with only three remarkable winters. And also only three white Christmas'. I could be very happy with only the three other seasons, since I can't ride my motorcycle in winter and we don't get enough snow for snowmobiling.

Parents got sick of winter and moved to NC, then finally to Sun City Center (south of Tampa). Visited at least once yearly and I also am intrigued by the idea of that style of living. DW loves the golf cart idea, we both like the clubhouses and all the activities, and I love the golf courses(3). Last time I looked the houses we liked were selling for under $150k. But neither of us like the idea of not being able to landscape. I couldn't have my woodworking shop in my garage. And there appears to only be two seasons, hot and hotter. Love the proximity to the Gulf and the Bay for sailing and fishing. Everything is readily available to anyone with a golf cart or a trike bicycle, except a hospital. Monthly maintenance fee is about $275 a month; includes the clubhouses(2), pools(5), cable TV, library, movies in the clubhouse weekly, lawn care, leaf pick-up, garbage pick-up, painting the house exterior every five years, new roofing (I think every 15 years and repairs to storm damage). Pretty much everything outside the house is included. Anything you change, repair, replace inside the house is your bill though. (Afterthought: I don't remember seeing a bowling alley anywhere in the development or the town.)

Can you tell that I'm still actively considering this lifestyle? Especially when it comes to elder care. I am definitely the only one (of four sons) who would consider moving to take care of Mom (69) or Dad (76). Hopefully I won't need to make that decision until Cindy finishes her tenure and can collect her pension.

[Nords]

My spouse the oceanographer/meteorologist says these tornadoes had some very unusual El-Nino-related characteristics that have all the researchers doing backflips.

Apparently El Nino has caused a sea-based phenomenon to move over land and become very unstable. The tornadoes hit after dark and there was absolutely zero Doppler radar warning. I may have the details mixed up but this is either the second time it's happened at the same location or a second time with identical conditions at different places.

It's like 1900 Galveston or Halsey's typhoon only with all the technology rendered worthless. Heads will roll but a lot of research papers and textbooks will be rewritten out of this casualty.

And for at least a few more years this part of Florida will be a really really expensive place to buy insurance-- if it can be bought at all.

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Originally Posted by sgeeeee

And they have unbelievably high voter participation.

Nobody was as surprised as I was when I was filling my dad in on the benefits of absentee voting when he looked perplexed and pointed out that they send a shuttle van to pick him up and take him to the boatload of dedicated voting machines at the Sun City club house.

I'm pretty sure they werent doing that in the "lesser" neighborhoods, and that those neighborhoods combined had fewer voting machines.