Originally Posted by Michael 61 (Post 2185021)

I’m still a fairly new Villages resident. I took my first vacation since moving here (two week Caribbean cruise). While on the cruise, I proudly told people I had just moved to Florida, and The Villages in particular. Gushed enthusiastically, as I talked about my beautiful new retirement home. Over and over, was met with people questioning my decision, asking if I had done my “homework” ahead of time, and stating that my “honeymoon”will soon wear off. I asked these folks if they had ever visited the Villages - none of them had, but all seemed to have a very strong opinion, mostly negative about The Villages. It became tiresome, having to dispute the false rumors and erroneous stats that they spewed out. It became evident that these strangers did not want me to be happy with my new community and decision I had made. I was frankly taken back that so many people wanted me to feel bad. I guess this is something I will have to get to used to. After awhile, I just told people I was from Central Florida near Orlando, and left it at that. Has anyone else experience this when traveling outside of ‘The Bubble”?

Originally Posted by Retiring (Post 2185077)

I have encountered the identical situation. Mostly family members. As soon as I say The Villages, they quickly walk me into a corner of the room and tell me all about TV. How this is the STD capital of the universe and there are orgies going on everywhere and people having sex in the square. I did a ton of homework on TV before I built here. I was in my early 50s and knew I had some time till I can live here. I’ve now been here one year. In my search I found the citation about STDs, turns out it was a joke that got out of hand. It ended up in a newspaper/internet and still lives today. The orgy thing came from a book written about TV. The author interviewed bartenders from the squares, these bartenders are often hired for private parties, which were actually orgies. As for sex in the square, it’s true, and the couple was arrested. I remind my cousins or aunts or uncles, TV is a small city with all the goes with the title of city. Yes, there is crime, I don’t recall the village but I remember the neighbor that shot 30 rounds through the neighbor’s front door. Yes, I’m sure there are orgies but no different than any other city. I bought here for the positives which far outnumber the negatives. When someone starts in on how horrible The Villages is. I ask where they got their information, it’s always the internet, then I give a sarcastic grin and say, then it must be true. I too no longer say I live in TV. I tell people I’m just south of Ocala or about 90 mins north of Orlando. If they press, I’ll say The Villages.

Originally Posted by Michael 61 (Post 2185021)

I’m still a fairly new Villages resident. I took my first vacation since moving here (two week Caribbean cruise). While on the cruise, I proudly told people I had just moved to Florida, and The Villages in particular. Gushed enthusiastically, as I talked about my beautiful new retirement home. Over and over, was met with people questioning my decision, asking if I had done my “homework” ahead of time, and stating that my “honeymoon”will soon wear off. I asked these folks if they had ever visited the Villages - none of them had, but all seemed to have a very strong opinion, mostly negative about The Villages. It became tiresome, having to dispute the false rumors and erroneous stats that they spewed out. It became evident that these strangers did not want me to be happy with my new community and decision I had made. I was frankly taken back that so many people wanted me to feel bad. I guess this is something I will have to get to used to. After awhile, I just told people I was from Central Florida near Orlando, and left it at that. Has anyone else experience this when traveling outside of ‘The Bubble”?

Originally Posted by Michael 61 (Post 2185021)

I’m still a fairly new Villages resident. I took my first vacation since moving here (two week Caribbean cruise). While on the cruise, I proudly told people I had just moved to Florida, and The Villages in particular. Gushed enthusiastically, as I talked about my beautiful new retirement home. Over and over, was met with people questioning my decision, asking if I had done my “homework” ahead of time, and stating that my “honeymoon”will soon wear off. I asked these folks if they had ever visited the Villages - none of them had, but all seemed to have a very strong opinion, mostly negative about The Villages. It became tiresome, having to dispute the false rumors and erroneous stats that they spewed out. It became evident that these strangers did not want me to be happy with my new community and decision I had made. I was frankly taken back that so many people wanted me to feel bad. I guess this is something I will have to get to used to. After awhile, I just told people I was from Central Florida near Orlando, and left it at that. Has anyone else experience this when traveling outside of ‘The Bubble”?

Originally Posted by Michael 61 (Post 2185021)

I’m still a fairly new Villages resident. I took my first vacation since moving here (two week Caribbean cruise). While on the cruise, I proudly told people I had just moved to Florida, and The Villages in particular. Gushed enthusiastically, as I talked about my beautiful new retirement home. Over and over, was met with people questioning my decision, asking if I had done my “homework” ahead of time, and stating that my “honeymoon”will soon wear off. I asked these folks if they had ever visited the Villages - none of them had, but all seemed to have a very strong opinion, mostly negative about The Villages. It became tiresome, having to dispute the false rumors and erroneous stats that they spewed out. It became evident that these strangers did not want me to be happy with my new community and decision I had made. I was frankly taken back that so many people wanted me to feel bad. I guess this is something I will have to get to used to. After awhile, I just told people I was from Central Florida near Orlando, and left it at that. Has anyone else experience this when traveling outside of ‘The Bubble”?

Originally Posted by Ptmckiou (Post 2185332)

I do run in to the negative comments from others. They are always based in ignorance. I just look at them and say, “You know there is a reason why The Villages has continued for a full decade to always be rated at number #1, or #2, on the Forbes best retirement communities and the fastest growing community in America.” That stops them because they can’t argue raw data results, that The Villages is in demand.

Originally Posted by MX rider (Post 2185209)

Well said. I hear what the OP describes now and then as well. Most have never been there or know anything at all about the place.

We bought last March and will be snowbirds next October when both of us will be retired. We spend as much time there as our time off allows, and we love it more each time we're there.
We love our neighborhood in Amelia and our neighbors.
TV fits our active lifestyle perfectly. But as with anything in life, it's not for everyone. My SIL lives in Dell Webb/Stonecreek in Ocala and they like it. We visited them there and thought it was very boring.
But they thought TV was too busy. lol

There's a happy place for everyone, you just have to find it. Although some people really don't want to be happy.