After my third time of acquiring an STD here in the Villages I've calmed down and now enjoy more of the other activities the Villages has to offer.
Of course I'm kidding! But there are some things about the Villages that one could perceive as negatives, but for the most part its a great place to live IF you want to be active and involved in sports, games and hobbies. Most residents of TV are here for FUN and are very active in sports, games, hobbies and clubs. I believe relationships take a back seat to all the activities. Most have lots of 'friends' they engage with, but few close relationships. There seems to be little time put into relationships compared to activities. The commonalities are different here also. There's less chance that you have family here or a friend you went to school with. Ties with family are remote as are close friends of many years. The Villages is a usually short term place of residence in the passage of life. I doubt there are many who have been here 20+ years. And most of that is about the Year-Round residents, with even less association for those who are Seasonal residents. Is the Villages your HOME or is it your playground? For most it is not home, but just a place to have FUN. Even many full time residents spend a good deal of time going back HOME to visit with family. TV residents are burdened with high costs for much of what's available along with poor service and workmanship in many cases. Its hard to find someone to paint your house, groom your dog, install a pool, Enclose your Lanai and on and on. Most businesses and contractors in the area have too much business already and don't necessarily need yours. The activities are plentiful, but often times too crowded to enjoy. There are 'unfair' practices that you will have to accept from a community that is run by the Family. They are in full control of virtually everything and as a resident you are at their mercy. Try to get more pickleball courts in your area or remove the unfair tee time advantage of large groups (over 32), or get free access to recreation gyms and exercise equipment as other retirement communities have, and you'll quickly find that it is not going to happen even if you amassed hundreds of followers in agreement. There is no petitioning or voting to change what you may not like.
I feel that its still one of the best places to live in retirement, but you need to be accepting of its downsides. Most don't even notice the downsides or even care because they're just here to have some fun. I'm a full time resident and I like and Enjoy TV, but I do recognize its not Utopia, and I'm OK with that.
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