[rustyp]

Originally Posted by BK001

Ok - I jumped off my soapbox too soon ...

Further evidence, of The Villages still being "the friendliest hometown", is the fact that we repeatedly encourage newcomers and prospective buyers to go out to the squares, talk to people, ask them about the villages. We tell them that if they are lost, just whip out a map and expect for Villagers to stop and help (and they do). Or, in my case, in a spirit of helpfulness recommend they join TOTV to get the "scoop" from real people.

Surely we would not recommend that if we thought for a moment that they were going to hear various "war stories" of ill-treatment and rude people, and bad food, and greedy developers. No sane person would give that advice.

And a short personal story:

In April 2016 we moved to The Villages so it is just over two years. I find my sense of "awe' is lessening a little. When we first got here I could not stop admiring the fact that there is no graffiti, that people do smile and wave, that the flowers up and down 466 are beautiful, etc., etc., etc. But like I've heard about people who live with a beautiful sunset view, eventually they get used to it and it just simply stops registering on an emotional level. It's not the environment that has changed. But the participants in that environment. I've come to expect that my expectations are fulfilled, and, for the most part, they are. So what I will remember and feel emotionally charged about will be the exceptions.

Imagine that hometown feeling dwindling if you have been here since 2005. Interesting enough in 2005 we were looking at a courtyard villa for sale by owner. I asked why would you be moving. Response was TV getting too big. When you went to the squares everyone knew each other. Now it is big enough that the "knuckleheads" can hide behind each other. As always the ying and the yang. Has lost a lot of luster for me also. Still have not found better but I never stop looking.