[Tweety Bird]

Yes, I knew of a couple that would rather have lived in an over 55 community in Arizona. Why? Because all the children and grandchildren live in California and the flight would be more expensive and would be ALL day.

[Tweety Bird]

Originally Posted by ilovetv

Yes. People who think their grandchildren will die without them there (as if the adult kids the grandparents raised are incompetent).

The grandkids know where we live. Let them come here. Lots of motels around.

[lovsthosebigdogs]

Originally Posted by ilovetv

I think this post sums up a lot of why we are discussing this. I can honestly say I have never gone to visit somebody, at their invitation, and gave them an evaluation and analysis of their home, neighborhood and town.

Even though they LOVE it, in NYC I never told them, "The streets and buildings are dirt-coated and too close together and the rent is too damn high".

In Chicago suburbs and "The City"--capitalized and prounced/enunciated reverently like "The Son of God"--I never told them "I could never live here, sitting in the car on the so-called "express"way for three hours trying to go 3 miles. And there are too many democrats and the STD rate is too high" (never mind the fact we've been married and had the same and only partner for the last 40 years).

We didn't go there to evaluate and critique where they live, but to visit with them and enjoy the things and places they like....and we liked also.

I think you and TomHannon summed it up very well and I agree. My sister and her husband HATE The Villages although they haven't visited yet and they hate the 'condos' we all live in, even though we don't. They know everything about it and I know by the time they get here they won't need to see anything to be sure they are experts. They have always disliked what isn't their idea. It won't be for them BUT I don't care since it is MY choice and frankly, I am thrilled that it isn't for everyone. I don't really want to population to double and be 200,000. Some of my friends are thrilled for me; some swear it's a huge mistake. I'm not an old-timer like some others, but I still get excited every day for a retirement that will allow me to live in TV for what it is without being perfect. It's a choice I made for myself with all the good that comes with it. I only need for my husband and me to love it.

[angel222]

I've had two single friends (ladies) visit and tell me it's fun to visit but can't understand why I would want to live here since its sooo couple oriented. They are right that there are a tremendous amount of couples here but that doesn't mean there's no room for those of us that are single...I enjoy many activities with PEOPLE not "singles" or "couples".... Guess I'm not much for "labels" -- I'm just a "people person"!

[lanabanana73]

Originally Posted by angel222

I've had two single friends (ladies) visit and tell me it's fun to visit but can't understand why I would want to live here since its sooo couple oriented. They are right that there are a tremendous amount of couples here but that doesn't mean there's no room for those of us that are single...I enjoy many activities with PEOPLE not "singles" or "couples".... Guess I'm not much for "labels" -- I'm just a "people person"!

THAT is a wonderful attitude!

[jtdraig]

LOL,, we have good friends who tend to be a little on the snobby side and live in Sarasota. They belong here but they will never come because they can't get past the Sarasota thing. We laugh because we have it SO much better here in all respects except the ocean isn't nearby. They turned their noses up a bit when we moved here. They have one country club at which they pay equity membership fees; three nine hole courses; the club, while nice, is on the verge of bankruptcy and has continual employee turnover; they have a nice house but they could have a nicer one in a place like Bridgeport or something like that but their house's value is no where near what they paid for it; Sarasota in the winter is a traffic nightmare; and, we might be country people now but we have it SO much better...and, they know it but will never admit it.

[ilovetv]

"They have one country club at which they pay equity membership fees; three nine hole courses; the club, while nice, is on the verge of bankruptcy and has continual employee turnover; they have a nice house but they could have a nicer one in a place like Bridgeport or something like that but their house's value is no where near what they paid for it; Sarasota in the winter is a traffic nightmare;"

So true!

[villagerjack]

Originally Posted by Tom Hannon

My wife's friends came to visit us in The Villages. They have a place in Tampa and stopped over on their return to NY. During their three hour visit they sat in the kitchen shooting the bull and drinking coffee. I offered them a golf cart tour but they declined. I offered to take them to Cody's and get a bite to eat and again they declined. For three hours all they did was sit...never leaving the house. A few days later they tell my wife "The Villages did nothing for them and they weren't impressed."

Had the same experience. People see what they want to see. Where I saw a beautiful golf course, one of our relatives saw an open field where tornados could come at us unobstructed and golfers would use bad language and relieve themselves in front of our home. Is Envy still one of the deadly sins?

[LndLocked]

Why is it so important to so many that their choice of living in TV is validated by others. Comments about those that did not like TV are almost always some version of .... they are stupid and don't get it .... I am smart and do.

If you like TV, great! Enjoy yourself. If someone else do not like TV, great! They can enjoy where they do like.

[notlongnow]

I for one hope that most don't like TV! If everyone did and moved there it would no longer be TV. I don't live there YET but hope to. My wife loves it but says see can't see us living there because the houses all look the same. It is hard to argue this and even harder to persuade her otherwise because I am an architect and have design custom homes for over thirty years and have long drummed into her head how I don't like tract homes so I guess I peed in my own soup!!
I love TV because of the lifestyle not the houses. I really don't mind the way the houses look that much either. I have been there three times to visit my parents and will be there again in April to visit and try to show how beautiful the homes in TV can be.

EB

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by jtdraig

LOL,, we have good friends who tend to be a little on the snobby side and live in Sarasota. They belong here but they will never come because they can't get past the Sarasota thing. We laugh because we have it SO much better here in all respects except the ocean isn't nearby. They turned their noses up a bit when we moved here. They have one country club at which they pay equity membership fees; three nine hole courses; the club, while nice, is on the verge of bankruptcy and has continual employee turnover; they have a nice house but they could have a nicer one in a place like Bridgeport or something like that but their house's value is no where near what they paid for it; Sarasota in the winter is a traffic nightmare; and, we might be country people now but we have it SO much better...and, they know it but will never admit it.

We have friends who MUST live in the same golf community. I think they like being big ducks in a small pond.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by ilovetv

I think this post sums up a lot of why we are discussing this. I can honestly say I have never gone to visit somebody, at their invitation, and gave them an evaluation and analysis of their home, neighborhood and town.

Even though they LOVE it, in NYC I never told them, "The streets and buildings are dirt-coated and too close together and the rent is too damn high".

In Chicago suburbs and "The City"--capitalized and pronounced/enunciated reverently like "The Son of God"--I never told them "I could never live here, sitting in the car on the so-called "express"way for three hours trying to go 3 miles. And there are too many democrats and the STD rate is too high" (never mind the fact we've been married and had the same and only partner for the last 40 years).

We didn't go there to evaluate and critique where they live, but to visit with them and enjoy the things and places they like....and we liked also.

If Swimdawg still posted she'd probably give you the post of the day.

[senior citizen]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

We have friends who MUST live in the same golf community. I think they like being big ducks in a small pond.

In all fairness as to why some folks might choose Sarasota.........check out the Ringling Museum of Art website.

Ringling Museum of Art
The museum is wonderful; the waterfront gardens are amazing. People of all ages enjoy it. In our 40’s we remember a 90 something spry lady we met at the museum.

Sarasota has an awful lot going for it. We have a friend who retired there; recently deceased. Lived on a golf course. According to her, neither of them EVER golfed. She just liked the privacy out back.

She and her husband, a retired superintendent of schools in Connecticut, also deceased, had a terrific retirement....both passed in their very late 90’s.

She was originally from Cambridge, Mass. and he was from Maine.........then lived in Connecticut.

They went between Sarasota and their cottage on Pemaquid Peninsula Maine ......

My friend was an author, thus she enjoyed the “culture” in Sarasota and belonged to many groups, even into her very elder years.

We enjoyed visiting Sarasota ; remembering one really great Cuban restaurant.......upscale luxury Cuban restaurant; wonderful food.

The Ringling Museum of Art is a great tourist attraction........as are the beautiful beaches, just over the causeway........very very short drive.

We always flew right into Sarasota’s airport........nice size; not too big. Since we always went "off season" in early spring, we never experienced the traffic jams of the "high season".....but actually we were in Venice during December, January, February, March and April.........and ditto re both Venice and Sarasota. Never saw any massive traffic jams at all.......not on the beach side coastal roads..........maybe inland?? On the major highway???

I truly believe there is a place for everyone and that not everyone has to like the same place.........or we would all be cookie cutter objects.

We'd also go to Sanibel Island in the springtime and never had traffic congestion at all...........yet we've heard from neighbors of ours who went in January that it was bumper to bumper over the causeway from Fort Myers to Sanibel Island and even on the island.........but we never saw it. Just lucky I guess. Everyone has a different perception of what is nice and what isn't. The parts we saw of Sarasota were truly very nice. Ironically, our two lawyer neighbors in our old neighborhood here, both were from Sarasota and only thing they complained about was the heat; thus the move to Vermont and it's four seasons.

I also do genealogy with a cousin whose son lives in Sarasota; know for a fact he and his wife LOVE visiting the son and his family and love Sarasota. We loved the museum and the beaches.

Great shopping also, for those into that.

Sarasota Florida Beaches: Siesta, Lido, Longboat, Venice, Casey, Manasota | Visit Sarasota : The Official Website for Visit Sarasota County on Florida's Gulf Coast

Sarasota has beautiful white sand beaches...........Siesta Key, Longboat Key, Lido, etc. and a short ride away is Nokomis Beach, Casey Key and Venice Beach, Casperson Beach....

[mickey100]

Originally Posted by LndLocked

Why is it so important to so many that their choice of living in TV is validated by others. Comments about those that did not like TV are almost always some version of .... they are stupid and don't get it .... I am smart and do.

If you like TV, great! Enjoy yourself. If someone else do not like TV, great! They can enjoy where they do like.

Thank you - an intelligent post!

[senior citizen]

Still on the subject of Sarasota.........alas, nothing in this world is perfect.

Sarasota Red Tide : The Official Website for Visit Sarasota County on Florida's Gulf Coast

This is one of the two reasons we chose to leave our Gulf of Mexico beachfront condo..............the realtors never divulged the horrible symptoms caused by the Red Tide.........always has been there and always will. So, it is a negative if you want to avoid bronchial distress........