[Jima64]

I want to thank everyone for the friendly advice and encouragement to move amongst you. I know the area is a small city with the common problems and look at it like that. Rather than try one of the gated communities I feel that the Villages has more to offer overall and look forward to a future move.

[JerryLBell]

I'm a lifelong teetotaler and my wife rarely drinks any alcohol. We live in The Villages and love it and that includes going to the squares for dining, movies and music. Are there people here that abuse alcohol or other substances? You bet! And they are here at just about exactly the same proportions as everywhere else in the country. So come stay at The Villages for a week or a month or a winter and see if the place is right for you. If it's not, there are plenty of other retirement communities scattered all over Florida and in the rest of the country and lots more non-retirement communities everywhere as well. One of them is bound to tickle your fancy as much as The Villages does for us.

[J1ceasar]

No more than most places . but yo7 can have a lot more to do in the villages or any nearby community of seniors . DON'T forget. There are ten other senior communities also in central lake and sumter . cheaper than here by $100,000

[Pedrocarrasco01@yahoo.com]

Lived here now for 21 months, go to the squares once per week minimum, NEVER have had any issues that involved alcohol or drugs, most of us are retired and enjoying what life we have left, I never had any problems with anyone, I do not drink (my choice) a lot of people do but all are responsible and cordial!!!!! Come on down you will enjoy it

[ladybugsmom]

My husband & I don’t drink AT ALL and we have had the very best experience and fun loving here. Life is what you make it, not what others do.

[Bay Kid]

Drinking is only a problem if you have a drinking problem.

[dimaxim]

Originally Posted by Jima64

After years of reading the forums I finally convinced myself to seriously consider buying a home in the Villages. Despite all the alcohol related problems with domestic abuse and drunk driving I'm ready to give the Villages a try. To those that stay sober do you really get to enjoy the village squares, restaraunts(sp) and other amenities without a social life of alcohol and social drug use. Do you find neighborhoods up north or the middle more established and peaceful? Thanks for any replies.

I don't drink alcohol at all but still have a great time at all events in The Villages. The "drunk" problem is overblown and gets a lot of attention, but all in all I find most people to be responsible drinkers if they drink at all.

[gb1944]

My wife does not drink and has a very good time at the squares and neighborhood socials. No one ever tries to force you to drink nor are you looked down on if you prefer not to drink.

[EnglishJW]

Originally Posted by Jima64

After years of reading the forums I finally convinced myself to seriously consider buying a home in the Villages. Despite all the alcohol related problems with domestic abuse and drunk driving I'm ready to give the Villages a try. To those that stay sober do you really get to enjoy the village squares, restaraunts(sp) and other amenities without a social life of alcohol and social drug use. Do you find neighborhoods up north or the middle more established and peaceful? Thanks for any replies.

I have never had a drink. We've been in TV for 5 years and it has been wonderful. The place you describe is not this place. Of course, there may be some issues since over 125,000 people live here!

[bmit16]

If that is what you think The Villages is like, you will be very disappointed. I am not sure where the drug abuse and domestic assault perception is coming from. As far as alcohol, it is like your sex life. We don't care what you do. There is plenty for you to do here no matter your life style.

[Pat#79Luv]

We are very casual drinkers. We enjoy going to the square and just listening to the bands and don’t have to drink. Pop is also served and you can bring 1 of your own if you like. We live in the north - the village of Chatham - and love it. Lots of great neighbors. No one will force you to drink just because you live in The Villages. Yes, there are plenty of places that serve alcohol, but it doesn’t mean you have to imbibe because others might be. You are your own boss!

[Curtisbwp]

Sir, your vision of the villages is distorted. I would tell you that the villages is NOT afflicted with a magic veil that causes seniors to drink. The people that drink in the villages were drinking long before they moved to the villages. The ratio of drinkers to non drinkers is the same as any other community in the nation. People do NOT developed habits when they move to the villages, they bring that habit with them. The villages is a wounderful place to live and offers numerous opportunities for residents, YOU decide which is good for you.

[Koapaka]

I can understand where OP got the "concerns"...we too are planning our move there, and I read this forum as well as have subscribed to The Villages Newspaper, and several YouTube video channels where I am getting a lot of information to help us with plans. Lets face it, the TV News seems to HIGHLIGHT the DUI's/arrests/thefts/brawls...almost makes it sound like the Wild, Wild West! What we need to keep in perspective, is this stuff occurs EVERYWHERE people live, but where most of us live now, it is not the BIG enough to make the 10pm news or our local newspaper. I read these reports and we keep saying to ourselves "If this is what makes the front page news, it is a PERFECT place to be! No shootings, stabbings, murders. Sign me up Coach!

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by TomOB

There are many people in The Villages that don't drink, or can't drink because of illness or medications. They still go out and have fun.

To The Villages.

[Number 10 GI]

Warning, warning, danger Will Robinson! If you are a teetotaler you don't want to live in TV. I've never seen so many alcohol and drug abusers in my life, including my 21 years in the Army. I don't know how many times I've found my neighbor sleeping off a drunk on my lania and had to wake him and walk him home. The drunken parties in our neighborhood are getting out of hand, people drinking outdoors until the wee hours of the morning. There are people passed out in the yards and sometimes the neighborhood watch patrol had to get them off the road so they don't get runover by the drunk driver coming home from another drunken party. I don't have enough fingers to count the number of golf carts I've seen in the retention ponds by the golf courses, obviously driven there by impaired drivers. Never seen a body though, so I guess the alligators do serve a purpose. The wanton sex that happens in TV makes Sodom and Gomorrah look like Sesame Street and some of these people look like the Sesame Street inhabitants, not a pretty sight. If you go to some of the urgent care facilities you will see these same people lined up at the door to get their penicillin shots. As far a spouse abuse, hey if I don't beat my wife at least once a month she gets too uppity and forgets her place. I love it here, all the drinking and sex going on is fantastic. You'll not find another place like it. The only problem here in the lower 44 is the federal prison inmates that try to crash our parties. That's not acceptable because they never bring their own booze. It's kinda hard to sleep off a drunk though with the blasting the quarry does at all hours of the night and day. The drug houses tend to attract the lower class people from outside the bubble and now and then there is a shoot out right outside your lanai. Just get your concealed weapon permit and shoot back, great fun when you're drunk or stoned out of your mind. As I said before, it's a great and fun place to live.