[roxelle44]

We are thinking of locating to Florida and want to know what is available within the Villages if we do not actually reside there, but are close by. Thanks

[CFrance]

The squares and their entertainment and shopping plus restaurants are all open to the public. The rec stuff--classes, clubs, swimming, pickleball, tennis, etc., is not. I don't play golf, so I can't answer about golf availability, but my guess is it is not available to people living outside The Villages.

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by CFrance

The squares and their entertainment and shopping plus restaurants are all open to the public. The rec stuff--classes, clubs, swimming, pickleball, tennis, etc., is not. I don't play golf, so I can't answer about golf availability, but my guess is it is not available to people living outside The Villages.

Championship courses are open to the public. Tough to get a tee time and expensive.

[JGVillages]

A good rule is most entertainment & restaurants are open to the public. Most all the athletic activities (golf/tennis/Pickleball/pools & activities/softball), plus clubs, recreation centers, Lifelong Learning College will not be available unless you have a resident ID card. A possible exception is golf in the summer season only, and even then the cost and limited tee times make it unattractive. If you are active and love to stay busy in retirement this is the place to be. People come here for the lifestyle. Since homes range from under $100k to 1 Million plus most can find a residence to enable enjoyment of The Villages lifestyle.

[quirky3]

Originally Posted by JGVillages

Lifelong Learning College will not be available unless you have a resident ID card.

The following link provides a list of The Villages Lifelong Learning Courses that are available to the public:
The Villages Lifelong Learning College enrichment classes for adults.

[pqrstar]

The movie theaters, entertainment at Savannah Center and classes at the Lifelong Learning College are a little more expensive for non-villagers.

[kstew43]

but remember, those other places surrounding the villages have there own recreation, pools clubs ect. Maybe not as many, but for the amount of people in the subdivisions, its just as nice.
It all depends on how much money you want to spend for what you will get.... or is what you get worth the money........its all up to personal choices..

[graciegirl]

Why be an outsider if you can just as easily be an insider?

I don't work for the developer. I have a small chip imbedded in my neck.

[MikeV]

I don't work for the developer. I have a small chip imbedded in my neck.[/QUOTE]

I knew it!

[njbchbum]

You will not have access to the Villages via golf cart...will have to drive the car and contend for available parking...not too bad in shopping areas but contentious in the areas of the squares - during the winter months especially.

[Taltarzac725]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

Why be an outsider if you can just as easily be an insider?

I don't work for the developer. I have a small chip imbedded in my neck.

That explains a lot.

[graciegirl]

Original Poster, If you become an insider, you can live on a street called Inner Circle, or Neighborly Drive, or Underpar Loop. You can drive a golf cart to any of 32 nine hole courses and 13 championship courses. You can play pickleball, tennis, basketball, shoot pool, throw horseshoes, play shuffleboard, go to any of over 2000 clubs,60 pools, learn pottery, ceramics, glass fusion, watercolor, oil painting, acrylic painting, colored pencil painting, learn genealogy, go to a civil discourse meeting, use the woodworkers facility, learn to line dance, ballet dance, clog, tap or do ballroom with your partner. You can go to classes on how to invest your money and how to decorate cakes.

You can live in a home ranging from about 1,100 sq ft to one with 3.800 square feet and pay a little over 100K for it up to over two million, and have the exact same lifestyle and the exact same amenity fee of about $140 a month. You can comfortably fit into the political majority or not and you can discuss politics or not. Most don't in the real world, but they do here on this forum.

You can sit at the square next to a single mom who worked as a nurse all of her life or a guy who was the CEO of an automobile company, but you could do that if you were an outsider.

You can walk your dog and carry a plastic bag to pick up after her and still make enemies of the two people who live here who don't like dogs period, even if they didn't poop at all.

You can go to water exercise classes at the sports pools or organize water exercise classes and take over the neighborhood pools and be secretly hated.

You can walk freely as a senior citizen without disdainful looks and vacant stares and feel comfortable with your neighbors who mostly are over 55 and know a little bit about life that is still a secret to the young pups of the world.

You can love and adore an assign all good things to the unseen developer, Gary Morse as I do, or hate him for his success as 12 or 13 people do.

YOu can live here and live like people who are millionaires and be a part of this wonderful place...or you can be an outsider.

[llaran]

There are many areas, some are over 55 and some are regular family areas.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by llaran

There are many areas, some are over 55 and some are regular family areas.

The regular family villages are not part of THE VILLAGES and do not pay amenities to The Villages and do not have amenities from The Villages.

They were built for families of workers who work here and as a result can put their children into the very good Charter Schools built by my hero, Gary Morse.

[Moderator]

There were a number of off topic, personally directed posts in this thread that have been removed from view.

Please stay on topic or the thread will be closed.