Are We Losing That Sense of Community?
 

I've lived here full time for 6 years and the transition from Friendly Retirement Community to Urban Competitive Environment has been profound. More people competing for resources and a gradual passing of the generation that was raised with 'manners' to the influx the 'me first' people who seem to take satisfaction in discourtesy and rudeness. Still, I also see daily exhibitions of kindness and gentility and a lot of people trying to enjoy their retirement as they can.

It seems to take a village to do a lot of things these days but I wonder about the state of our "larger" village. Growing is good in many ways but that sense of Community and comradeship with our fellow residents seems to be slipping away. Hopefully, I'm wrong.

We are just into our third year living in TV full-time. Our experiences have been nothing but very positive. I can't relate at all to the "Urban Competitive Environment" you speak of. People we encounter here are usually upbeat, happy and excited about life in TV. Sure we all have a down day once in a while but it sure beats just sitting around. Like you said, we also see daily exhibitions of kindness and gentility and people enjoying their retirement.

I take that back, I was given a hard time by some water volleyball players one time because my newness to the game wasn't up to their standards. But I quickly got over it driving home in my new golf cart, looking at the landscaping. :D

Respectfully, you don't need to worry, I think you are wrong about TV losing it's sense of community. :thumbup:

It's not the same world that we grew up in. Some day we will be outnumbered by the "me first" people. I don't think the problem is exclusive to The Villages. However, smaller retirement communities, with less notoriety, may be less effected.

I disagree. Perhaps it where you come from as to how you perceive a friendly town should be.

To me, The Villages is extremely friendly and caring to each other including newcomers and strangers.

I moved here from the Washington DC area and you would not talk to strangers there or ask if they needed assistance.

We had a neighbor up there who was held up at gunpoint and pistol whipped when he did not have enough money to satisfy his attackers. In the six years I have been here, there has not been one instance of that kind of violence that I know about.

The "me" attitude happens at times but there are far, far more acts of kindness that outweigh the attitude of "me".

We have lived here for 20+ years, so have seen huge changes. The Villages has gone from small town charm where everyone knows your name to the unfriendly and rushed state of a larger city. The Villages is no longer the community were were elated to call home.

I happen to feel the same way you do. I was fortunate to have moved into a neighborhood with some very active and wonderful people who after 9 years still continue to be good neighbors.

However despite what the marketing people say the once upon time charm of The Villages Lifestyle has been compromised because of their quest for bigger. It has also been compromised because the vision of a 55+ retirement community has now become a vacation destination for many.
Far too many homes rented out and purchased for the sle purpose of renting Can one find community with people who come and go?

Yes you will find people who are accommodating, friendly etc but the pressure on amenities, restaurants stores, and the heavy traffic on roads and multi-modal paths places stresses on people who retired here to end that type of pressure

In the Daily Sunday the announced the markings of multi-modal paths for center lines and side markings. By its nature it will provide some benefit but it is going to stop cowboys, entitlement types or those who otherwise exercise poor judgment. In my view the same people who believe that rules trafic signs etc were made to be broken will continue.

In prime season I see people who actions say we paid for all of this i have only a short time to use it so get out of my way. and so you are push back or get pushed . Bigger is better if you are profiting from it but if not if you have to live it

I agree with you. We have been here nine years and the changes over nine years are many and very apparent. We are too big, just too big. The two main roads through TV, i.e. Morse and B.Vista were not built to accommodate this much traffic, our own and the people using them to cut through. It is difficult to impossible to use many of the "free" recreational activities offered due to the number of people residing here both during the summer and especially in the winter season. Even the Lifestyle Learning Center now has a wait list for several of their most popular classes.

I have good memories of the great times we had at Spanish Springs for the lighting of the Christmas Tree, and New Year's Eve in the Square was just wonderful. We had so much fun.

We are fortunate that our Village still remains pretty much the same, nice people, good decent people who are always there for you should you need them, and (thankfully) attrition has not reduced our original numbers too much!

However, having said all that - where else can one go to live this lifestyle?

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Now enjoy the day.

Bigger is not always better...here in the lake country of Minnesota, we live on property that used to be one lake home (ours) that now has 13 homes on it...mostly city slickers wanting to make the lake like the city..some that reek of arrogance....the world is getting crowded..

Nevermind.

" It is difficult to impossible to use many of the "free" recreational activities offered due to the number of people residing here both during the summer and especially in the winter season. Even the Lifestyle Learning Center now has a wait list for several of their most popular classes. "

My thoughts exactly.....

Sometimes things can get too big........

An attitude one can see many times with the development and growth of "good things":
"I'm here, so now lock all the entrance doors and gates!"

Bingo! If this place banned short term rentals, I think that would solve a lot of this. Many condo and subdivision developments have this restriction; rentals no less than 6 months. But it is probably too late for that. I know of one person who owns 7 places in TV. Six are short term rentals.

I've seen a loss of community on a smaller scale in the past year when it comes to neighborhood softball. Due to a realignment of the leagues, I no longer play for the village I live in. I had played 9 seasons in a row for Tamarind Grove, the village I live in, but the last three seasons I have played for The Village of Amelia.

Does it make a difference to me, at first it did, but now not really. I enjoy just playing and wearing a uniform of sorts, having umpires and having a schedule, is what really matters. Playing for a different village I've gotten to know some really nice people that I otherwise would not have known.

Life is change. The Villages will change but the tone has been set and the changes depend on each and every one of us. I choose to keep it open, friendly and treat my neighbor as myself and hope the majority agrees with me.

Live in a CYV. Anyone living in our neighborhood must pass our home since we live near the entrance. Very friendly neighborhood, but now seeing a number of short term rentals. Renters are completely obvious- they speed in , don't look at anyone , don't wave , and don't interact with anyone in the neighborhood. I know this is a generaliation, but hope this trend doesn't continue to grow.

We have been here over 15 years. I am still elated to call the Villages my home. I think it's a great place with many wonderful people !!

Times change and people change. I do agree that I hate the short term renters. One of my neighbor houses has different people every week. Kind of sucks.

I have met many nice people who are short term renters here. They are very friendly. These renters spend a lot of money in our stores and restaurants.
My sister usually rents for a few weeks every year. They don't speed, they wave to people and they love to talk to people.

" More people competing for resources and a gradual passing of the generation that was raised with 'manners' to the influx the 'me first' people who seem to take satisfaction in discourtesy and rudeness"

IMHO, the spirit of community is nothing more than the sum of the spirits of each of it's inhabitants. And weather they are owners or renters, or full time or part time is not relevant. ME FIRST people will always negatively impact a sense of community, simply because they put their needs Above the needs of others. Perhaps when we encounter someone who is behaving in a Me First way, each of us should simply remind that person that TV is and inspires to be the world's friendliest town and that we expect people to behave that way while they are with us.

the "me first" people are quickly followed by the "me only" people

I think to have a good perspective one has to have been here for a minimum of 10-15 years.

I wonder how many would be happy with none of the shopping that exists at the corner of Rolling Acres and 441.
No Sam's club.
No Home Depot.
No Kohls.
And many of the national chain restaurants would have not been here yet.
Buena Vista did not go any further South than Arnold Palmer CC.
10 years ago there was no Arnold Palmer CC or golf course.
There was only one town center, Spanish Springs.
The population was around 30-35,000.

Just to name a few. Much of the success of TV has been due to the fact that it did reach a critical mass size that in fact began to draw national attention and chains.

Everything is relative. If you came from a town od less than 100,000 TV may not appear as friendly as your home town.
If you came from cities double, triple and more you think you have died and discovered heaven here in TV.

We have lived it for the past 11 years. We enjoy TV as muvh now as we ever did. We still have no problem getting to play golf anytime time we want. We have no problem getting into the many, many places to ear here in TV.

TV is sort of an ala carte smorgasboard. You can enjoy as much or as little as you want. With a little flexibility in expectation...not a lot just a little.....one can enjoy just about anything that has been presented as a negative.

There is no place else one can have such a selection of how to live ones daily life well into aging toward 100!

We all know that everybody cannot be made happy......but TV goes a long way in that direction!

In the 2+ years we've lived here as full-timers, we've learned to pick our spots regarding traffic & activities. I respect the OP's concerns. This truly is a special place and we two 58 year-olds want to do nothing but enhance the area with our presence & respect each of our neighbors, be they renters or more permanent residents. There is plenty of "good" here for all of us, and growth prospects bring plusses & minuses. We'll focus on the former while managing (as best we can) the latter.

" I got mine but I don't want you to have yours" and also " its a matter of attitude"

While respect these views I respectively disagree.

The key ingredient missing in the aforementioned two views can be summed up in one word "overbuilt". and unfortunately the build out will continue indefinitely because the developer stands to make huge profits from new and used sales, from the stores that occupy his domain, etc., while residents way of living "The Villages Lifestyle continues to get compressed. I do not see where a change of attitude will make lines any shorter or shortages and unavailable resources any less short or unavailable or traffic any less congested either on the road or multi modal paths. I don't see how attitude will change being bumped from a tee time. I purposely only golf 2-3 times a week because of the shortage of tee time. so free golf may be free but it doesn't matter if you can't get a tee time. Its like paying more for high speed internet but the band with cable lines, etc are over capacity and never reach your modem.

The emphasis from a 55+ retirement community to a vacation destination has also drastically altered this community.

some may view me as a pessimist but a pessimist is an optimist with experience

I lived in a lovely city southwest of Minneapolis that once was rated the best city in America for a number of years until.................

I am also a realist and so I just can't get my mind wrapped around the concept that the backups on Morse or crossing the entrance to Lake Sumter landing are figments of my imagination and worse yet they are not even disappearing in the middle of summer any longer.

C'est la vie

:BigApplause: :bigbow: :bigbow: :bigbow:

Who raised and installed values into the "me first" generation and then the "Me Only"?

Seems like each generation is getting worse in many ways. They don't now Civics as shown on TV interviews, and their Religion and they pass this along to the next generation.

Well said. When I read posts from people who came for a visit, fell in love, and bought a house in a few days, I always wonder if they end up feeling differently after the initial giddiness subsides. People who have realistic expectations seem to settle in best, long term.

Totally agree.
There are good and bad things alike when you live in a small community as well as when you live in a big community.

Personally I like the "energy" of a bigger village with so many intelligent, active, and successful people. Reaching a critical mass points to sustainability, more conveniences and a safer bet in investing to live here.

Yes, we live in The Villages but there are the smaller individual villages we live in and you build a sense of community/friendships around common core interests.

We have not been in TV long. First trip 2007. Bought April 2010. I find January traffic not a big deal. Today it took me 46 minutes to travel 11 miles. It's orange barrel season up north. Even in the summer we can wait up to 2 hours for a table at most restaurants. We also travel up to an hour to eat at a restaurant. We live in the country. TV is like a breath of fresh air for us, find many with the sense of community.

I'm surprised how generations get labeled and how each generation is thought of as worse.

Each generation has their good, their bad and their ugly.

I'm impressed with each generation and their contributions to society.

Regarding TV................feels like a community to me, I just haven't met all my new friends yet.

I'm living here 11 years and tv is not as friendly as it use to be. But it still a nice place to live.

So true!
When I run into a rude person I remind myself they are the minority.
Most people in T.V. are friendly and helpful.

If you have lived in a city you would not feel the traffic here is bad.
Just go to Tampa any day and you will know the difference, never mind
cities like N.Y.

I can imagine if you have lived here a while you can see the difference.

Change in TV?
 

For those that feel there is a change in the feel of the community. Is it renter versus owner, part time full time. Younger older residents? Is there any one thing you feel is causing this?

Bonny I fully agree with you. We have been vacationing in the villages since 2010 and now are full time residents. We are from NYC where no one speaks to anyone and the pace is so fast that people pass you in a flash. My first recollection of TV was my husband and I driving around and residents were waving at us. My husband said "I think something is wrong with our car. All these people are waving us down". lol... duhhh We soon found out they were just being who they are "friendly and social".
All I have to say is... keep on waving... show renters who may soon could possibly be soon to be residents all TV has to offer. They will soon understand, as we soon did, that TV is the greatest place to live where your neighbors will become some of your most trusted and wonderful friends you could ever imagine.

having grown up in the bronx I was more used to people waving with 1/5th of their hand....it is the first thing I loved about tv and still enjoy doing (with the whole hand)

:1rotfl: