[Ohiogirl]

Actually, the large size of TV appeals to me. The smaller ones, with one or two clubhouses and one golf course, remind me of a country club with houses - think that unless you were one of the original residents, might be hard to break into the cliques, etc., plus you would have to make more of an effort to go out to dinner at someplace other than "the Club."

I really like the fact that if you don't like an activity at one rec center, either because of the time it's offered, the particular leader, or whatever, you can usually find another somewhere else. Plus, you are ALWAYS meeting new people here, playing golf, pickleball, cards, the pool, a club for something (and they have them for EVERYTHING) or at Happy Hour somewhere or on the square, plus all the people in your neighborhood.

I have met people who said their neighborhood wasn't very social or friendly - these are usually people who had already moved to a different neighborhood for various reasons, but that could be retrospect rationalization or maybe they gave up too soon without a lot of effort, or maybe they were right, and that particular neighborhood was full of stay-at-homes or people who already had lots of friends and too much on their calendars (happens very easily here).

Sometimes the new person needs to be the one to have the driveway party if no one else does. I do think it's easier to make friends in new or newer neighborhoods, but that's also true outside of retirement communities.