a new start?

[nancy thereader]

Hello.
I am a newly retired teacher from Brooklyn (are there any other NYC teachers in the Villages ? ).
I guess I am wondering if The Villages would be a good place for me to move. I am sort of an introvert and it is not easy for me to do new things, but I have wanted to make a change . I notice that most of the photographs show couples in The Villages . Are there any single people at all? Can you tell me what things I would need to do to make this kind of move? Would it be better for me to try out The Villages, first? How would I go about that?

Are there any townhomes there or is every home one level?

How is the weather usually (I know Florida gets hot in the summer, but how about now , in December?).

I am sorry for all the questions. I only know what I read in Leisureville
which I did not find to be terribly flattering.
Thanks you all for any help.
nancy

[jeffy]

welcome nancy,

The villages is the most incredible place there is. I was very much an introvert until I came to TV. It is easy to be outgoing when everyone else is so nice and friendly. You can always expect that those you meet will be nice and friendly. Buying a home on a culdesac probably makes it easier to get close to your neighbors. I new my neighbors here better after 3 days than I did my neighbors back in Maryland after 10 years.

There are many singles clubs and activities here. We have several single next door neighbors. They are all very much included in our neighborhood life here. Be it either golfing together , socializing, going out to eat, etc. All the single people are usually invited over for holidays if they do not travel back to where there family is.

99% of the homes here are one level. There are a few areas of two story homes. Most people love being without steps.

The weather today was probably hi 70s. It is sunny 99% of the time.

I would probably come down for a month to take time to figure out where in TV you might like to live. It is a huge place. April or May might be a good time. It is pretty busy here in Feb and Mar. There are great bargains here right on on homes. You can go on villages.com and look at new and preowned homes. You can go to thevillages4rent.com and find rental homes.

jeffy

[cglenhar]

Read my blog here if you want to get a feel for day to day life here. I started blogging in response to Leisureville.

I think The Villages are one of the nicest imaginable places to retire and and an easy place to meet people. There are many NYer's here! Clubs exist for any interest that you can dream of.

Hope you will come to visit, a Lifestyle tour is a good way to get a feel for our community.

[ConeyIsBabe]

Welcome to the TOTV forums. You can learn a lot about Villages lifestyle by hanging out here. Of course, no amount of cyber surfing will take the place of an actual visit and I have not experienced mine, yet; perhaps next spring :ohdear:.

:popcorn:

I'm expecting the first "cold front" to move in this coming weekend with temps around 28 degrees for the low, and possible SNOW at my level of 1,000 feet :cold:

[cglenhar]

http://www.thevillagesfloridabook.com/

I have recently found this blog and have not bought his book yet, but it seems like this might be of interest to you.

[baileysdad]

Hi Nancy..I am not from NYC nor a school teacher, but I am a "single" not by choice. My wife passed away a few years ago and found myself looking for a "new lifestyle" ...I must tell you the Villages really does have something for everyone. First, my neighbors are fantastic !!! They have made me feel so welcome and comfortable. Next activities, I have made so many friends golfing,at the pool or just walking my best friend, Bailey (my dog). I thought about waiting, I'm so glad I didn't. I would have missed so much. Best of luck as you make your decision...
Baileysdad

[ouma1938]

Nancy I can only echo what others have said. I have only visited TV once, on a lifestyle visit last year, and am now so anxious to be able to move there. I also read Leisureville and it was not flattering at all and was also very distorted. I have been a regular reader on these boards for a long time now and TOTV is the best place to get the best feel of life in The Villages. The members are wonderful, knowledgeble and very enthusiastic. Do make a trip down and you will be hooked. I was. I have lived all over the world but now, I only want to be in The Villages! And will as soon as we sell our house!

[Blondie]

Nancy,
Are you a GIANTS fan??? I consider myself a New Yorker, even though I live in MD (for the next 16 days anyway). I came for a lifestyle visit last April, as I knew I was going to retire at the end of June. To give it a fair trial, I rented in TV for the months of Sept., and October. It would be fair to say though, that they had me at Hello. Everyone I have met goes out of their way to offer kindness, or have a chat. When I first visited, I knew no one, and now I have many friends who I feel I have known for a lifetime, and I plan to spend the rest of my life with these wonderful folks in that wonderful place. Come for a visit, Nancy, you will not regret it I'm sure.

[Yoda]

Read my blog here if you want to get a feel for day to day life here. I started blogging in response to Leisureville.

I think The Villages are one of the nicest imaginable places to retire and and an easy place to meet people. There are many NYer's here! Clubs exist for any interest that you can dream of.

Hope you will come to visit, a Lifestyle tour is a good way to get a feel for our community.

How do we get to your blog?

[rshoffer]

Hello.
I am a newly retired teacher from Brooklyn (are there any other NYC teachers in the Villages ? ).
I guess I am wondering if The Villages would be a good place for me to move. I am sort of an introvert and it is not easy for me to do new things, but I have wanted to make a change . I notice that most of the photographs show couples in The Villages . Are there any single people at all? Can you tell me what things I would need to do to make this kind of move? Would it be better for me to try out The Villages, first? How would I go about that?

Are there any townhomes there or is every home one level?

How is the weather usually (I know Florida gets hot in the summer, but how about now , in December?).

I am sorry for all the questions. I only know what I read in Leisureville
which I did not find to be terrible flattering.
Thanks you all for any help.
nancy The weather's wonderful and so are the people. I have met many singles here. I rec you rent a small villa for 6 months and live the life of a Villager.

[Donna]

Hi Nancy..Wishing you all the best..You won't be disappointed in TV!

[Belle]

Hi Nancy,

I am originally from Queens, NY and I worked for a while in Brooklyn. I am also single and a snowbird. I went to TV on the advice of a co-worker three years ago and have been going every winter. There is plenty to do and the place is beautiful. I would suggest you visit in April or May when it is not so crowded and you can get acquainted with the area. There are loads of restaurants, shopping malls, clubs and everyone is very friendly. I love my neighbors and look forward to seeing them again. I am up in the Hudson River Valley area during the summer and holidays because my two girls and their families live here. Any questions you may have we'll be glad to answer. So, Nancy, try it you'll like it.

[Shirleevee]

Hello Nancy,

Former Brooklynite, and now part-time Staten Islander, part-time Villager. We love it here, the community, the weather and most of all the people.

[Russ_Boston]

How do we get to your blog?

Just click on her name and choose 'view blog'.

[nancy thereader]

Thank all of you for responding to my post. (I had forgotten I wrote it and what a surprise when I returned to this forum to see all of your answers ) . The Villages does sound like a wonderful place. I think I will try it out this spring , just to see what everyone is talking about.
From what I can understand, it is a really large place with more than a few neighborhoods. Is that right? Do the different neighborhoods have different ambiances ? Do some , for example, have more gardens or trees than others? Are some more mixed in with the town part of the complex? Are any isolated and on the fringes (I don't think that I would like that part to live in if I had a choice ). Are there usually homes available ?

The blog that I just read (it was on this thread) mentioned "cottage homes" . That sounds so cozy and just the kind of home that would be perfect for me and my cat Gracie.

Is it true that you can golf cart virtually anywhere ? To Walmart ? That is soooo neat. :laugh:
Sorry for all of the questions which I am sure are obvious to all of you who live there. You all sound like the happiest and friendliest people . I hope to join you soon.

All the best,
nancy

and, HELLOOOOOOOO, Coney Island ( a friend from another Forum :beer3:)

[faithfulfrank]

Nancy,
If you are down there in May, we'll be there then...(Well, in The Plantation, 12 miles south of TV).....Jane and I would love to meet you in person....we "Mods" can actually meet.....
Keep us posted on your plans...! I'm excited for you....Have a blessed Merry Christmas.

Frank D.

[ConeyIsBabe]

I've been hanging out here for almost a year and have learned so much about The Villages lifestyle (pro and con) ! It seems very different from anything I have ever experienced but I remain an enthusiastic wannabee :pepper2: with no time-frame for relocation. This crappy economy has me stuck in Oregon for ?

However if certain circumstances occur, perhaps I might skip over to the east coast in the spring/summer of 09 and do a Lifestyle visit - anything is possible. If you are there at the same time, we will certainly have to meet and compare notes.

[chuckinca]

Thank all of you for responding to my post. (I had forgotten I wrote it and what a surprise when I returned to this forum to see all of your answers ) . The Villages does sound like a wonderful place. I think I will try it out this spring , just to see what everyone is talking about.
From what I can understand, it is a really large place with more than a few neighborhoods. Is that right? Do the different neighborhoods have different ambiances ? Do some , for example, have more gardens or trees than others? Are some more mixed in with the town part of the complex? Are any isolated and on the fringes (I don't think that I would like that part to live in if I had a choice ). Are there usually homes available ?

The blog that I just read (it was on this thread) mentioned "cottage homes" . That sounds so cozy and just the kind of home that would be perfect for me and my cat Gracie.

Is it true that you can golf cart virtually anywhere ? To Walmart ? That is soooo neat. :laugh:
Sorry for all of the questions which I am sure are obvious to all of you who live there. You all sound like the happiest and friendliest people . I hope to join you soon.

All the best,
nancy

and, HELLOOOOOOOO, Coney Island ( a friend from another Forum :beer3:)


You can golf cart nearly everywhere in TV, to both "Squares", to many strip malls, to BOTH Walmarts, to both movies, etc etc.

The different villages, aka neighborhoods, are basically similar but have somewhat different amenities and features. The "historic villages" East of Hwy 441 is mostly manufactured homes that were built during the 80's and has the most mature landscape. The area North of 466 was built out in the 90's and the area South of 466 is about half built out and the only area that has new homes for sale; all areas have previously owned homes for sale.

The two town squares are surrounded by homes (a third square is planned for the far South area)(North to South is about 12 miles); the strip mall areas are mainly on the edges on the major highways (441/27 on the East, 42 on the North, 466 thru the center of town, 301 a mile or so West, and 466A on the South)

This website has a bunch of links that you might find of interest: http://www.virginiatrace.com/


.

[nancy thereader]

:laugh: Thanks again for all of your help. You guys are great. I think it would be wonderful to meet part of The Mod Squad, Frank.
And, you too, Coney. I lived in the Village , too (the East Village, though , hippie that I was . . . . ). :coolsmiley:

Those classes that you recommended from the website , chuck sound really interesting. That's something that I'd love to be involved in. Right now I take seminars for retirees with OSHER in Stony Brook & I love it.