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.