What are the advantages for a single in TV?
 

As a long time single now 72 years of age seriously considering relocating to The Villages I am curious about how singles now residing in TV feel about their lives in TV versus in their hometowns. Was it worth the move? How so?

What I have felt during several visits to TV is a warm sense of close (but not closed) community. Singles in TV not only frequently socialize but look after one another. Everyone has moved from somewhere else and seems to be open to meeting new people and developing new friendships. In my hometown social groups are pretty much long term and fixed in place. I have long term friendships but it can be difficult to develop many new ones other than by joining large church groups.

I am not asking for anything personal, just general thoughtful observations.

Thank you!

well, i came to a realization this summer while visiting my daughter and family....there i am grandma, the old person....here i am chachacha, a "hot chick" by our standards :) i feel like i am still leading an active and relevant life. heck, Maybe even thought i was a celebrity! i am sure every person our age can appreciate being among peers no matter what their interests happen to be.

Manaboutown, when you figure out what that "chachacha" post is all about let me know.

Manabouttown:welcome:, great post!! Did not expect to be moving to The Villages as a single but have recently become a widower. Bought a home July of 13 expecting to move down retired together. Now I will be moving down single summer of 15. Hoping there is a welcoming community for a 61 year old.

No one can plan the loss of a spouse. I moved down her and also lost my best friend.

But there are all kinds of groups for socializing (village single baby boomers & village singles)

There is music everywhere. women love to dance. Meet and greet

Don't be a seat

don't know what was not understandable about my post except that Maybe is one of the posters who told me he thought i was a celebrity :) i thought that was funny! my point was that among our peers we are still relevant, but when thrown in with the regular world we are only looked upon as old people. if we were in an oriental culture where age is revered, that might be different. :)

Moving down to TV has been a great experience from the cold northeast. Some parts of upper Westchester County, in New York, had several inches of snow yesterday. I mentioned the snowfall to a friend today and the horrors of TV people having to wear a jacket today, when out and about. He replied, OH NO!!!!!! It's too early for snow, even up, here!

It's a chance to make new friends and relationships because "it takes time to grow old friends". I still have kept my friendships of 35 years plus, and enjoy many new friends.

If a person is somewhat outgoing, making friends is easy. You'll find that many people are good people and want to share their life experience, with like minded people. After all, we all have been around the block once or twice. :D

I moved here because I was single. Back home most of my friends were married and my social options were limited. I tried joining meet-up groups with limited results. Here, I can be as busy as I want. If I want to go to a movie I can go with Sumter Singles movie and dinner night. They have hiking activities, golf, parties, etc. so you don't have to feel odd attending alone. There are clubs for everything you can think of. I was really worried about becoming more reclusive in my old age....I saw my mother isolate herself and did not want to be that way. There are also lots of volunteer opportunities if you are so inclined. There's really too many things...I haven't even scratched the surface after being here a year.

Great responses
 

Chachacha, your response was understood perfectly. Living with my peers is what I am looking forward to. Don't know if TV will work out for me when I'm ready to move, but living in an active 55+ is a priority for me.

I'm thrilled you are enjoying your celebrity status - live like a queen beautiful lady!

Thank you all for responding.

A few years ago I started being addressed as "Sir" when meeting or talking with younger adults and renamed "Grandpa" from "Dad" by my son so I can relate to what Chax3 wrote.

During my visits to TV I went alone into different restaurants to eat and struck up conversations whenever I could. It almost felt like a class reunion! The folks I met, single or married, wanted to talk, share experiences. We could all relate to one another somehow. I felt very welcome.

It appears to me there is no reason to be lonely or get bored in TV with so many available companionable folks around, scheduled activities, informal get togethers and clubs. Too, most destinations are readily accessible by golf cart.

I was happy to read 2BNTV has been able to satisfactorily maintain his longterm friendships. I fear losing some of mine if I move away. Of course, as he also mentions new friendships are waiting in TV!

My current situation is like that expressed by Bonnievie before she moved to TV, most of my friends are married and my social options are limited. They invite me over and we do some things together but I sometimes feel like a third or fifth wheel. I did not feel that way at all in TV, even among the married people I met.

manaboutown, from what I know of you on TOTV, you're an inveterate raconteur and bon vivant. I would not hesitate to bet cash money that you would settle in and be leading the parades in no time. :)

and your friends from where you live now can come and visit....if you have any doubts whey not rent for awhile?

I relate to you all, coming here a widow and feeling so lost back home, 5th wheel, etc. Now I have options, a great home and great friends. This is a lifestyle worth moving to and a winner climate. I do stay indoors more in the hot humid summer but less than when I had to stay indoors to be warm up north. My fuel bills are WAY less as are my taxes. I miss my kids more but we talk, text and they come here escaping the cold.

Now I'm throwing parties to play games with friends and newbies. I could barely get the gang up north to play the occasional game of cards. This works for me and I bet you'd find plenty to do and like here also. When you come down, be sure to meet up with us ;-)

Being single here in TV you do not have to feel like an outsider at all. There are so many single clubs and events that life here s a single is better to anywhere else .. And yes chachacha is a celebrity and works hard to make new singles feel welcomed and part of the community

My daughter helped me drive down and move in to my new life in the Villages. When she was leaving she said it was like leaving me at collage. I remembered telling her that going away to school was going to be a blast, what other time in your life do you get to have everyone around you be your age and some of the new friends you make will be your friends for life. Little did I know that I would find a place where everyone was in my peer group and we'd all have the same things in common having moved here to enjoy an active life in warm weather and relative safety.We all look out for one an other and want to make the best of a community as we can. So come on down and join in.

I've been up in the cold snowy north for the last three weeks for the Thanksgiving holiday. It's great to see my family and friends, but I can't wait to get back to TV. It's not just the weather, but my activities and catching up with all the people I know. The fact that I can't wait to get back
really shows what a great place TV is for a single person.

I am not single, but if I were to suddenly become single, one of the first things I would do is move to TV. I can't think of anyplace which would offer a person of my age more opportunities for socialization and activity than TV, Fl.

That is exactly why I left Los Angeles (which I loved) and moved to TV. After being married for 30 years, I wanted to have lots of opportunity to do things and meet people and that is exactly what I have done. I don't necessarily need to be around single people as I'm pretty outgoing and have fun with everyone. What I love the most is that I socialize with many married friends and have never felt like a 5th wheel. They accept me into all activities and I dance with the wives and husbands as well. I'm very happy I made the move, except I do miss the weather in SoCal.

That is also why I want to move to TV so badly. I am single and there seems to be so much to do in TV that I am missing out on.

I worked in DC for 26 years. I retired and moved back home to Michigan about 9 years ago when my Dad's health started failing. Dad is gone now. Luckily, I still have DC/Virginia friends and Michigan friends from years ago but I feel lonely because those friends have their own lives. My married friends are busy with their families and my single friends are busy with their ailing parents.

Mom and I built our beautiful TV home in 2012 and rent it as a long-term rental. Mom is 90 and I think she would move to Florida if I really pushed it. But, I'm also responsible for my 86 year old aunt and my Dad's 85 year old cousin.

I've been working on Mom, my aunt and I becoming the Golden Girls. So far, it hasn't worked. But, I don't know what I would do with Dad's cousin as he doesn't have anyone else and I would feel guilty about leaving him alone.

To not be a downer I did not bring this up initially; my two closest nearly lifelong male friends passed away a few years ago. One I had known since the second grade. Obviously they can not be replaced and I do not expect or hope to do so. I know their widows miss them far more than I do. Furthermore, several other friends are ailing or challenged in one way or another. That is just the way it is within my age group and I accept it. My brother has had spinal issues that required him to stop playing tennis which he had done since age 10. Fortunately he can still play golf.

It feels my opportunities to make new friends near my age where I now live, although they are available, are few in number. Moreover, my friends and acquaintances are spread out over the Orange County, Los Angeles, San Diego and Ventura County areas. It is not very easy to visit and spend time with them. People in SoCal seem to move around a lot within the area.

It felt like during the two months total time over three visits I was able to spend in TV that it was easy to meet people with whom I enjoyed spending time, there was plenty to do and everything was convenient. Those are major upsides as I see things today.

Like KathieI I would sure miss the Southern California weather though. I consider it to be the best in the world. But it might be worth it to have a great social life right at my front door, so to speak.

I'm married and have both married and single friends. The folks I know are open to friends of both varieties. I know my single friends participate in the large number of available single events, as well as those open to all. You won't have trouble making friends or finding things to do. Quite honestly, your biggest problem will be narrowing down the things you want to do.

Nice article about singles in The Villages in the 12/5/14 Daily Sun - internet version. I was surprised by the large number of singles in TV and surrounding towns according to that article.

Clearly, singles have much to occupy their time in The Villages!

I so agree. We have many single friends and I just don't think of them differently. We need to encourage friendship of like minded people.

But, I wish someone would be a good match maker, like Yenta, so that anyone who wants a partner can find one that would make them smile and be their comforting other half.

Perhaps we should put together a business model...let's see, we could call it "It's Only Pickle Ball."

Doggone it, Manaboutown, get your SoCal hiney down here so we can have you over for dinner!

Thank you for your kind invitation Wanda. When I return to TV I will most definitely take you up on it!

Where and when do the singles meet ?

there are several official singles groups which you can find in the rec news, but our Unclub here on this site does not have regular meetings....if someone contacts us to say they are coming to the villages as a single or have recently moved here, we try to arrange a Meet and Greet of some sort to help them meet friends and fill their social calendar....please pm me if you are here and i will let you know of some of the small get togethers we have planned in the next few weeks....everyone is invited to the dec 27 holiday party, for example! hope to meet you!

I was in my yard yesterday when my new neighbor walked over and introduced himself ........... he is a long time widower and was asking about single ladies. I told him TV has the best looking single ladies and the singles do more things than you would imagine. He is not full time yet, but he was much relieved to hear that there was life after retirement!

great! i hope you told him about our thread. i really think the great majority of villagers have never even heard of this website!! we need to spread the word! :) and also about the facebook page for Villages Single Seniors!

Chachacha, I have no idea why anyone would say they couldn't understand your post! I am brand new to this site and a new homeowner but not yet resident and what I see in you is the epitome of the spirit of The Villages! Your efforts are as welcoming as your smile and you have already been a big help to me. And of course you are a celebrity - the Royal Hostess of TV and we are all better for it!

well, thank you so much for those kind words...look forward to welcoming you when you next come to visit. i love my job as royal hostess :) even though i don't get paid! just love getting folks together!

One advantage to being single with your own house in TV?

Loads of closet space!!

Golf whenever and as often as you want!

And one can set the thermostat wherever one desires.

ChaX3 is a TV star and so very nice and welcoming to all newcomers. She was the first person I met when I first visited there and she went out of her way to introduce me to folks. I am moving to TV in Feb. and I often say to myself "Thank God Cha is there. At least I know someone."

Are there any single snowbirds?

I am following Joe's (2BNTV) thread about not being able to bring off campus dates to events. Anybody else experiencing that difficulty?

My first love is my greatest love and will be my last love. so if fate deals me a hard blow I have already let it be known to my wife and kids that I would never marry again.

My daughter is single lives in Westchester County and has many friends both single and married and many places to go.

My brother was single for many years and traveled the world, partied hardy nightly, remarried and enjoys a very social life.

What I am saying is you can be almost anywhere and enjoy an active life its your personal choice.

The Villages has many and varied interests and attractions to keep us all entertained . The majority of people here are fun loving and approachable and indeed we are all blessed