Snow birds gone
 

I know all of the money that the snow birds bring to our community but I have to breathe a sigh of relief now that they are gone. It's nothing against them personally, but I really like being able to eat at a restaurant, travel the roads without too much traffic and shop more comfortably in the stores. It's kinda like our vacation now. Does anyone else feel the same?

I feel we spend too much time bashing the snow birds.

I feel exactly that way, but am afraid the new normal will be like snowbird season all year around TV as more and more houses are built and occupied. I can tell an increase this May from last May which accounts for the thousands sold last year.

I shy away from negativity toward the snowbirds. They own homes like us and they pay year round for goods and services they only use part time.

However, I agree with Gomoho's post. In my opinion, this wonderful place has become a serious vacation rental destination year round, and that is a real problem. I come from a vacation/resort area on Long Island, NY. I saw, year after year, the problems attending the "I'm paying good money for this vacation - so watch out" attitude. Increased year round traffic, ignorance or negligence in driving, impatience and rudeness and all too often an obnoxious and mistaken sense of 'entitlement.'

I'd much rather be in some mild TV traffic in the sunshine and 70 degrees than to be driving on ice and trying to stay behind a salt and sand truck while the windshield washer fluid has gone dry!

As for restaurant crowding, I'm getting tired of large groups that seem to not know that a dining room is not a banquet facility. Break the group up into foursomes when dining so that half the dining area is not tied up for 2 hours by a group of 22, or reserve a banquet/party room somewhere.

Is it a veriafible hypothesis that the number of snowbirds is inversely proportionate to the number of lovebugs?

Everywhere you look in The Villages now it's sex, sex, sex.

In my neighborhood, it also means they took their snowdogs with them.

:bigbow::bigbow::bigbow:

I don't think she was bashing them, she is just enjoying the peace and quiet. Sort of like the quiet after the Holiday rush. Time to breathe

LOL
I've often wondered why it is okay to golf together in foursomes but not dine as foursomes!

And then there is the other side of that 'entitlement' coin - the folks who believe that because they are the year-round residents - they are the folks who are entitled to go first, etc.

As a permanent resident of a vacation destination and a villages snowbird I have met more than my share of both sort of folks! Just glad I'm not in a rush to go anywhere! :)

Nice post - well said.

$$$
 

I'm thankful for the $150,000,000 the Snowbirds pump into TV every year.

It pays for a lot of what we all enjoy.

Thank you S-birds!!!

:bigbow: I agree. I love my Snowbird neighbors and friends. The slower summer pace is nice too.

Snowbirds
 

Love me or hate me; this big snowbird will be back Jan.-March 2015! I love The Villages.:a040:

The snow birds are the lucky ones. They get to drive/fly off somewhere and get good medical care, eat in upscale restaurants, shop in top shelf stores, while full time residents are stuck here picking love bugs out of their teeth.

No Rush
 

Amen about "not in a rush to go anywhere"----life is too short so enjoy! unfortunately, we can't go back to the way TV was 10 years ago. With or without snowbirds, and snowflakes (I think they come in the winter and rent) brace for more people and more traffic.

Large groups at TV restaurants are very noisy and sometimes down right obnoxious. Most restaurants are not prepared for large groups. We are thinking twice about going out to dinner with a group that size unless they breakup into a small groups at the restaurant.

It's difficult to even have a "decent" conversation because there seems to be three or four who try to laugh the loudest or "mouth" the most for attention. :boxing2: :blahblahblah:

We're heading North for the summer months...returning Labor day where we'll be clogging restaurants and glomming up tee times.

Safe Travels!!!

Look forward to when you return to TV.

:ho::ho::ho:

If those hundreds of houses that are being built in TV were occupied by all year round residents you might be wishing you had the Snowbirds back since they aren't there year round - just saying.

Best reply I read in the entire thread,Modigliani !!
I hate to see the snowbirds leave only because I know the heat /humidity will be here daily.. I treat Summer in TV as my winter and stay in the AC as much as possible.

I can't believe all the people who think this is bashing snowbirds. I love my snowbird neighbors! But yesterday I was enjoying the quiet and the reduction in traffic. Saying that there is a difference here when the snowbirds leave is not bashing. It's just enjoying two very different situations in different ways. I love the energy when they are here, and I love the quiet when they're gone.

I think you've misinterpreted my post. I was just saying that after all of the hustle and bustle with so many "extra" people in our communities, it felt good to get back to some sort of normal. I am appreciative of how much more calm it has gotten.

Thank you for clarifying this for me. I wasn't bashing anybody. It's off putting that some tend to interpret innocent posts as negative ones.

:bigbow:

Mr.big....we love ya. You are welcome back anytime. In the mean time we are enjoying the calmer presence on the villages.

Snowbirds gone !!!!!
 

I'm thrilled they are gone, and like you said you can drive and eat out in peace now. :bigbow:

I love snowbirds. They taste like chicken.

Same old, same old - and you can't blame the snowbirds!

"but I have to breathe a sigh of relief now that they are gone"
So hard to put up with them when they are here?

The more the merrier!!! LOL :welcome:

Keep your windshield up. No love bugs then. Been a full timer since I moved and never had love bugs in my teeth.

And I get good medical care, eat in upscale restaurants and shop at top shelf stores. All right here in TV!!!

Z

I don't know anyone who really dislikes snowbirds. I think they are a lot like Christmas Holidays...lots of excitement, rush and hustle bustle but when it's all over we sit back, relax and enjoy a quieter pace until next year.

I agree. People are people. Whether they are renters or homeowners, they deserve to be here just like anyone else. So what that life is more crowded for a few months of the year? If we truly value the financial boost they give to our local economy, there would never be comments about being glad when snowbirds are gone.

I have to agree with the posters who enjoy the decrease in the numbers of people/traffic for whatever the reason. In my perfect world, I would love to see the Villages stop being essentially a time share resort. I am sure that comment will ruffle a few feathers, but I would love to see the villages totally sold out, and no renters. I have heard more than once that when build out is complete , we would have enough people to justify more and/or better restaurants and stores. And, no, nothing specific has been said. As far as having 100% non renters (and "snowbirds" could buy every house in the Villages, I don't care who buys the houses). I have nothing against any specific renter, but if only the owners lived here-like most neighborhoods in this country-I personally think we would see far less destruction. People who own the property are far more concerned about keeping everything looking nice because any repairs are probably will be coming out of their pockets. They are more familiar with rules/regulations, and I can only hope-more familiar with how to drive in a roundabout. We wouldn't have this constant back and forth about people who like or don't like snowbirds. They owners-- and again I am speaking broadly in the whole post, for the most part don't have the attitute of "I am only vacation, and I am going to just go wild" which I would hope would decrease accidents, confrontations when they have had too much to drink" I could go on and on, but will stop now. I have talked to a few servers in the restaurants, and while they enjoy the money they get in the winter, they would rather have TV full of people who actually lived here, because they could be fairly sure of a nice steady income year round, not to mention they would rather be hired year round and not just seasonally. Obviously I am sure many of you will disagree with what I have said, but I am talking about my perfect idea, not yours, so I don't expect , nor care if you don't agree. I would like to get back to the idea of a "hometown" and not just rental property. I also doubt it would ever happen, but again, my thoughts.

Greedy

I like The Villages just the way it is. I have many friends who are snowbirds or renters and I enjoy their company when they are here. I lived in New England for over forty years and I was used to increased traffic during the warm summer months. Who was I to tell people to stop traveling to the beautiful beaches during the summer because they slowed my travel time getting to my sales calls? I usually just adjusted my routes in the high season to avoid extensive delays. We are full timers here in The Villages and we do enjoy the summer when crowds are smaller, but we also enjoy seeing all our snowbird friends in the winter. Adjustments have to be made,(e.g.leave early for church.) but that is AOK. The world was not made just for me. I have to learn to share the good things with others.

Is it okay for me feel relief that the crowds are gone - or am I not supposed to acknowledge that for fear of someone being offended. Me thinks we are getting to PC around here. Please allow folks to have an opinion and enjoy the change of pace.

Whew Snowbirds are gone !
Trash on the trails still appearing
Bad golf cart drivers on a daily basis are encountered
Now who are going to point the finger at

The thing is .... those of us who are Seasonal Residents don't consider ourselves "extra people".
We pay property tax and amenities twelve months a year just like you do.