How crowded is it??

[anarick]

I heard that it takes an hour to get a seat at restaurants for dinner, difficult to get a tee time set up and traffic is ridiculous.
Is it really that crowded in TV now ??

[perrjojo]

I heard that it takes an hour to get a seat at restaurants for dinner, difficult to get a tee time set up and traffic is ridiculous.
Is it really that crowded in TV now ??

Not bad..yet. Haven't waited for dinner...getting tee times and there are seats available at the squares..come on down. It's a beautiful day/night in the Villages.

[anarick]

Not bad..yet. Haven't waited for dinner...getting tee times and there are seats available at the squares..come on down. It's a beautiful day/night in the Villages.

That's what I thought.
We're coming in a few weeks. Can't wait to join the fun.

[billethkid]

9 years here and have not ever not been able to get a t time when we wanted to play...anytime.....with/without snowbirds!!!

You will wait no longer than anywhere else you live to get into a good restaurant.

Most complaints and whines come from too many who expect walk in seating or t times.

TV developers have done an excellent job of distributing services/amenities/entertainment/etc.....hence large population pretty well served.

Like back home unless one is from the back 40!!!!

C'mon down and join the satisfied majority.

Btk

[Mimivillager]

My group of 4 did not get a T-Time for Friday this week executive. We had an average of 2 pts for the group(3,3,2, 0) I put in 3 hr time span and 10 courses. I am disappointed.
Went to the Lighthouse last night for dinner at 5 and were seated immediately. They have a new owner and their happy hour is now extended to 6 PM. Dinner was delish and we will add them back on our list of restaurants to frequent.

[Cisco Kid]

Good 2 know
2 weeks away from 1 trip down
:2excited:

[2 Oldcrabs]

The pickleball courts are full most of the time. Softball has about 45 players waiting to get on a team. The Rec centers are busy. Needed to bring my own chair to LS Square. Lines at the resturants. Hard to find a parking space at the Publix at Colony. Traffic is a lot heavier. But the weather is great! So come on down. There is always room. :pepper2:

[paulandjean]

Its getting bad, real bad.

[graciegirl]

Come on now guys. I think it's getting good, real good.;)

[mulligan]

Gracie's glass is half full

[DandyGirl]

:agree:Come on now guys. I think it's getting good, real good.;)

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

There's quite a bit more traffic than in the summer, but it moves pretty quickly. The rec centers and clubs have a lot more people, which I like. I don't go out to eat that often, but the service is slow here even in the summer so waiting a little bit for a table is nothing.
Some of you who are complaining should go and live in the Philippines for a while. Drive on a road called EDSA and then come back here and complain about bad drivers and traffic. You have no idea how good we have it here. This place is paradise compared to the rest of the world.

[gomoho]

Tee times are awful. Our Sunday group has not been "unable to accomodate your request" 3 weeks in a row. My Monday group of 4 ladies has been turned down once and a friend tried for four of us on a Friday and "unable to accomodate" We probably average 2 pts, but I wouldn't think expecting to play golf 3 times a week is too much. Yes we choose a wide time span and lots of courses - too many people and not enough start times.
Traffic is terrible compared to summer, but better than most other places. Publix at Colony Plaza depends on what time you get there. You would have thought they were giving things away at Walgreens on Saturday.
Haven't tried a restaurant yet, so can't answer that question. Yep, it is much, much busier now, but that is what keeps us going the rest of the year when we can sit back, relax and say ahhhhh "The Villages - Florida's friendliest hometown". Wouldn't be as vibrant without the change of seasons we experience with the folks.

[tainsley]

Yes the population is growing quickly! Traffic is heavier but not like 64 and 264 in the Tidewater area. Takes longer to be seated at eateries. Rec centers, squares are crowded...but I like it! I get to see friends who are only here a few months out of the year. There seems to be electricity in the air. As I watch Everyone enjoying themselves I think how lucky I am to be here year round! And if I don't want to be in a crowd, I stay at home! So c'mon down!

[llaran]

wait times for resturant seating is a problem espically jan,feb,march - tee times - easiest on line - enter time to play, then expand the hours to play - the shorter time (3)hours less likly to get a time - expand courses - I think there are 30 9 hole now - so you enter 9am - 8:30 to 2:30 - 20 courses - your chances are better - if you are on the lifestyle visit they will have times set aside - traffic is heavy - we have 90+ thousand people - learn shortcuts - avoid Morse - what else do you have to do with your time?

[paulandjean]

Gracie's glass is half full

Wonder what was in that first half that see drank?

[janmcn]

All of Florida is crowded folks. It's the beginning of the high-season. If you think it's crowded in TV, just take a trip to either coast.

[OldDave]

We'll see for ourselves in March, but i'm wondering. Do the same rules that apply most places apply here? Can you go eat at 4pm or 7pm and get in better? Can you go to the grocery store at 9am on a weekday and find it less busy?

[Suzi]

Gracie's glass is half full

Gracie's my kind of person !

[eweissenbach]

I for one, think the snowbird season "overcrowdedness" is highly overstated. Last year we came for Feb. and March, after having come in April the two prior years, and we expected, from having read posts on TOTV, to be inconvenienced in everything we did. We found it to be relatively easy to do everything we wanted to do. We usually ate around 6 to 7 and had to wait for a seat no more than a few times. Had to wait for an hour at Lopez on a Monday for the lobster special, but we expected that. Lighthouse, Codys, Redsauce, and City Fire were often a wait, but no big deal, maybe 20 minutes. Never waited at Mallory, Cane, Havana, Palmer. Tee times were denied three times out of forty tries, and we still got times out of our prefered zone three days out. The traffic was heavier than in April, but NOTHING like rush hour in any metro area any weekday. Almost always found open pickleball courts when we wanted, and the pools were well used, but not overly crowded. I think the overcrowding perception arises from people who live here year round and it seems so much worse than summer and fall to them. I have never been here in summer, but I would imagine it is very laid back with about a third or half as many people as in the winter using the same number of amenities, resturaunts, roads etc. Perception is everything and if you are used to 40,000 people and jump to 100,000 people you probably feel inconvenienced. If, you are used to living in or near an urban core and come to TV you will likely feel that you are in wide open spaces. Either way, it is a GREAT place to spend the winter, or I am sure, any time of year.

[Mudder]

I agree with Gracie's glass !

[Bogie Shooter]

My group of 4 did not get a T-Time for Friday this week executive. We had an average of 2 pts for the group(3,3,2, 0) I put in 3 hr time span and 10 courses. I am disappointed.
Went to the Lighthouse last night for dinner at 5 and were seated immediately. They have a new owner and their happy hour is now extended to 6 PM. Dinner was delish and we will add them back on our list of restaurants to frequent.

Add 5 more courses and 2 more hours..........................

[Bogie Shooter]

We'll see for ourselves in March, but i'm wondering. Do the same rules that apply most places apply here? Can you go eat at 4pm or 7pm and get in better? Can you go to the grocery store at 9am on a weekday and find it less busy?

Yep.
Yep.
Yep.

[rubicon]

People always complaining. Did they really expect that they would play golf anytime they wanted just because the Villages marketing people said "Play golf free for the r�st of your lives"? Did they expect that just because they paid a heavy premium for the "Village Lifestyle" that meant some sort of priority on all things The Villages? Did they expect that this �dult DisneyWorld" wouldn't be a victim of its own success?" Did they expect that living the life of a millionaire on their limited pension wouldn't translate into a price competitiveness that would limit their limited pensions? As the Zen Buddhist believe �ll is sorrow". ""Sorrow is derived from desire." "Eliminate desire and you eliminate sorrow". So eliminate desire villagers and you will eliminate all those expectations. Just my attempt of making light of a situation that can annoy many.

[gomoho]

:cryin2: NO - say it ain't so!!!

[Villages Kahuna]

I heard that it takes an hour to get a seat at restaurants for dinner, difficult to get a tee time set up and traffic is ridiculous.
Is it really that crowded in TV now ??Of course it's more crowded in all the places you mentioned in January thru March (the "high season"). But no more crowded than anyplace else in Florida or Arizona at this time of year. And certainly less crowded with less traffic than the big northern cities at anytime!

If you think you'll be able to walk into most of the restaurants and get a table with no wait like you can later in the spring, summer or fall...forget it. Can you get a tee time when you want it, on the course you want? No way...but with a little advanced planning and flexibility, you'll be able to play as much as you'd like. Are the lines of cars longer at the more popular gates? For sure. Are we occasionally frustrated by drivers who obviously are lost, don't know how to navigate thru a traffic circle, or figure out how to keep their rented golf carts off the roads? Absolutely.

The influx of visitors from colder weather climates during a few winter months does cause some inconvenience. But it also results in retailers and restaurants we love getting enough business to keep them afloat during the slower summer months. And the taxes paid by our snowbird visitors keep our taxes low for the whole year, long after they've gone back up north. Did you ever wonder how much of Florida's extremely high hotel and rental taxes result in no state income tax for Florida residents?

The influx of visitors during the coldest winter months causes "problems" that Floridians have complained about for years. It's no worse in The Villages than elsewhwere with warm weather and beaches. People need to remember that Florida wouldn't be anywhere as near attractive a place to visit and live without our cold weather visitors. For me, I'll take the inconveniences a few months a year in exchange for the benefits the rest of the year. C'mon down!

[bonrich]

[QUOTE=Villages Kahuna;609382
The influx of visitors from colder weather climates during a few winter months does cause some inconvenience. But it also results in retailers and restaurants we love getting enough business to keep them afloat during the slower summer months. And the taxes paid by our snowbird visitors keep our taxes low for the whole year, long after they've gone back up north. Did you ever wonder how much of Florida's extremely high hotel and rental taxes result in no state income tax for Florida residents?


THANK YOU!
We snowbirds really try to contribute to the economy of TV and help to keep the "lights on".

[2BNTV]

Of course it's more crowded in all the places you mentioned in January thru March (the "high season"). But no more crowded than anyplace else in Florida or Arizona at this time of year. And certainly less crowded with less traffic than the big northern cities at anytime!

If you think you'll be able to walk into most of the restaurants and get a table with no wait like you can later in the spring, summer or fall...forget it. Can you get a tee time when you want it, on the course you want? No way...but with a little advanced planning and flexibility, you'll be able to play as much as you'd like. Are the lines of cars longer at the more popular gates? For sure. Are we occasionally frustrated by drivers who obviously are lost, don't know how to navigate thru a traffic circle, or figure out how to keep their rented golf carts off the roads? Absolutely.

The influx of visitors from colder weather climates during a few winter months does cause some inconvenience. But it also results in retailers and restaurants we love getting enough business to keep them afloat during the slower summer months. And the taxes paid by our snowbird visitors keep our taxes low for the whole year, long after they've gone back up north. Did you ever wonder how much of Florida's extremely high hotel and rental taxes result in no state income tax for Florida residents?

The influx of visitors during the coldest winter months causes "problems" that Floridians have complained about for years. It's no worse in The Villages than elsewhwere with warm weather and beaches. People need to remember that Florida wouldn't be anywhere as near attractive a place to visit and live without our cold weather visitors. For me, I'll take the inconveniences a few months a year in exchange for the benefits the rest of the year. C'mon down!

:agree: A well balanced point of view.

[rubicon]

Several posters have attempted to make a logical comparison between large cities and The Villages as to overcrowding etc. I am not so certain that this is a valid comparison unless you include some event(s) that would cause a great influx of people.

I am impressed with the business people in this area as they seem in many respects to manage the influx well; especially when most business operate on a "just in time inventory model".

Another difference has to do with adjustments. When living in a big city you become accustom to the rythmn of the city and you plan ahead, plan alternate routes are familar with restaurants routines so you use the optimum times to your advantage.

In contrast fulltime residents here have become accustom to less traffic regarding highways, cartpaths, restaurants, golf courses and then suddenly :boom:

I opine you decide

[Shimpy]

Worst traffic I've seen and the gym is more crowded than ever. This is of course due to many new residents moving in south of 466A into those new homes. Also, the Publix in Colony is like Thanksgiving everyday.

[SALYBOW]

I am surprised that it is not worse. We did get bumped for Wednesdaybut have golfed all the rest. The restaurants are not too bad yet. You wait in any City. This weather is soooo beautiful it really cancels out all the other things you mention.:eclipsee_gold_cup:

[Villageshooter]

best way to describe it is;;; it is like a big university in the fall on a home football game,,, EVERYDAY!,, lots of excitement,, lots of drinking,, good music,, good food,,,, come on down an enjoy,,, we all find something to complain about,,,, it is a great life we have here,,,, I play golf everyday i want to play,,, i am not picky with my times or where i play,,, just enjoy,,, we all are in the checkout lane of life,, just hope it is not the express line!

[NotGolfer]

If you're flexible you'll be fine during the "high season". I personally haven't joined the exercise classes as they can fill very early (it's with a ticket system..get a ticket upon arrival you'll get in).

Restaurants...if you go at 6 or 7 you'll wait! If you go a bit early you'll get in. Yes the squares are full but it's fun to "people watch". Don't you wonder what everyone's kids would think, if they could see Mom and Dad having fun??

:pepper2:

[Judith Ann]

I can't write about golf times, but we do go out for dinner 3 times a week. We tend to go out a little later....7:00 or later. We avoid the big rush and have never had a huge problem. As for the popular exercise classes, you might have to arrive an hour early, but it is a perfect time to chit chat with the nice people in line with you, read a book, do a crossword puzzle, or read the paper. Isn't that what we wished we'd have time for when we were working endless hours? Hey...we're retired...what's the rush?

[Emery Eaton]

Went out to dinner on Saturday night at Lake Sumter Landing. Party of 7 around 6pm, waited only 30 minutes. That is pretty good. In Ocala we have waited much longer.

I look at The Villages as sort of a 10,000 acre cruise ship, yeah it might be a bit crowded in some places, but they entertain you, their is lots to do, and you definately can have some good times.

[ncarvalho]

Come on now guys. I think it's getting good, real good.;)

I agree with you Grace. I am not full time at TV yet, but we have not found one single thing we don't like at TV� and it keeps getting better by the day!

[asianthree]

We eat at 7 or 8 have the place to our selves most nights...but as for the half empty or half full..just rember the Glass is still only HALF

[gocubsgo]

I find it almost claustrophobic down here Jan-April and am grateful for my full time job outside TV. In June, I can get to it in 15 minutes...during the "bird" season, it takes me 45 minutes down 441. I usually eat out a couple of times a week and head for Ocala. The lines are way too long here.

[paulandjean]

I find it almost claustrophobic down here Jan-April and am grateful for my full time job outside TV. In June, I can get to it in 15 minutes...during the "bird" season, it takes me 45 minutes down 441. I usually eat out a couple of times a week and head for Ocala. The lines are way too long here.

I can agree with some of this.

[pamIam]

It's just part of the village lifestyle hurry up and wait :22yikes: