Originally Posted by Whalen

It's not really a debate about indoor activities or outdoor activities.
Considering the amount of money spent on bonds, amenities fees etc, many people expect at least some equipment in the recreation facilities which do not entail a fee.
As stated before, most 55+ communities have work out facilities available as part of the total package.
I have visited communities with as few as 500 homes which had gyms as big as the regional centers here.

I agree. Back when my mother was in her 60's, people didn't exercise and go to health clubs the way they do now. Its been an evolving change of lifestyle, and most retirement communities do now offer exercise facilities as part of their package because that's one thing retirees are looking for. I can't imagine why The Villages didn't pick up on that. Yes you can bike and walk, and have your own home exercise equipment to try to get around it, but as far as I'm concerned, the lack of decent health clubs here is a deficiency. To remedy this, I suggest that people that are here on sales trips looking at property, mention it to the sales people. For residents, when we have our annual survey, write it down as a suggestion. If they hear about it from enough people, maybe they'll do something.

[Reezie]

Originally Posted by Talk Host

I was a member of the Wellness Center for over a year. In the winter, it was so crowded that it was a real problem. When it came time for me to renew my membership, I commented to the sales rep that it was pretty crowded most of the time. Her answer was a curt "....get use to it." I didn't renew. I have been a member of "to your health" in Belleview for over two years now. Not a new gym, but lots of equipment, and I have some very good friends there now. I do weight training for an hour, then play raquette ball with my friends for an hour. Great workout.

JLK

HI
We are new to TV and just read your post. We would like to know what the name is of this place and where it is located. From what we are reading in some of the posts, we are not interested in the gyms here or The Wellness Center. But are interested in joining something while we are down here. My fiancee' is interested in weights and raquette ball, while I am interested in weights, and fitness machines. If you could answer me here, or pm me, we would really appreciate it.

Thanks
Reezie

[uujudy]

Originally Posted by Russ_Boston

I guess this could be debated all day.

. . . I find it funny how most people want EVERYTHING on the campus.

The other point of emphasis by my agent was the swimming pools. Granted they are not indoor but it is surprising how almost no one mentions them in terms of exercise on this thread. Obviously TV has put money into these as well and I think there are almost 40 of them?

My point is that TV isn't making false promises in my opinion. I know pretty well what I'm getting and what I'm not when I decide to move.

I heartily agree with you on this, Russ. From our first visit to TV until we came back to buy, the map of TV was a permanent fixture on our kitchen counter in Utah. We checked the new listings every night, and we narrowed our housing search based on the amenities we wanted. I wanted to be close to the pools, so our new house is within walking distance to 3 pools -- the family pool, the neighborhood pool, and the Regional Rec Center pool. (And after I show Mr. Judy your excellent break-even costs for the priority membership, we'll have a country club pool. Thank you!) We checked out all of the pools in the neighborhood before we bought our house.

Everybody on this forum says to spend the time to do your homework before you buy. If a gym is important to you, go check out the gym. If a walking trail is important to you, go walk on it. If a dog park is important, go check it out. TV doesn't advertise on the animal channel or the exercise channel -- they advertise on the Golf Channel. IMHO everything else you get here is a bonus.
Just my 2 cents,
Judy
PS: A family visited our pool over the holidays, and everyone (from grandpa to the baby) wore long-sleeved UV protection swim shirts and goggles while they were at the pool. They spent hours there every day, and they had a wonderful time. Where there's a will, there's a way.

[Russ_Boston]

Well stated Judy,

I wonder if people in these other communities that have a full service gym but only 1 golf course have a thread that's titled "We need more golf courses!!"?

Give me the golf (and softball, and pools and pickleball....)

[rshoffer]

Originally Posted by rekop

I agree. Back when my mother was in her 60's, people didn't exercise and go to health clubs the way they do now. Its been an evolving change of lifestyle, and most retirement communities do now offer exercise facilities as part of their package because that's one thing retirees are looking for. I can't imagine why The Villages didn't pick up on that. Yes you can bike and walk, and have your own home exercise equipment to try to get around it, but as far as I'm concerned, the lack of decent health clubs here is a deficiency. To remedy this, I suggest that people that are here on sales trips looking at property, mention it to the sales people. For residents, when we have our annual survey, write it down as a suggestion. If they hear about it from enough people, maybe they'll do something.

What annual survey?

[rshoffer]

Originally Posted by Reezie

HI
We are new to TV and just read your post. We would like to know what the name is of this place and where it is located. From what we are reading in some of the posts, we are not interested in the gyms here or The Wellness Center. But are interested in joining something while we are down here. My fiancee' is interested in weights and raquette ball, while I am interested in weights, and fitness machines. If you could answer me here, or pm me, we would really appreciate it.

Thanks
Reezie

There is no racquette ball in TV. The Omni fitness gym on 466A (headed out of TV toward 441/27) is great. The Wellness Center is at the hospital but is usually jammed with people. If you live below 466, Omni fitness is as close as The Wellness center.

[NJblue]

This is not an issue of being "deceived" by TV. Nor is it an issue of golf versus fitness - we can clearly have both. Right now there is a huge imbalance in favor of golf and a paucity of fitness centers. By looking at just the spare change in the amenity budget it would be easy to significantly improve the number of fitness facilities. Don't forget that TV doesn't just advertise on the golf channel and there are a lot of TV residents who chose to live here despite the golf and not because of it.

I think the point of this discussion is that it just makes good business sense to add more fitness facilities. As was pointed out, there are some people who will choose not to buy here because of its deficiency in this manner. This will likely become more of an issue as more baby boomers come into the market. This means fewer dollars in the developer's pockets and also fewer dollars in home owner's pockets if they decide to sell. If I were the developer, I would add fitness facilities to every future rec center (or at least every two) to improve the attractiveness of my product. Speaking for myself, the proximity to the Colony Cottage fitness center was a very large part in our decision as to where to buy.

Besides, do the dedicated golfers really want to play behind a group of duffers who are only playing because they are trying to get their money's worth from their amenity fees? Wouldn't you rather see them sweating their butts off on a treadmill or pretending to be Arnold Schwarzenegger on the weight machines?

[Russ_Boston]

Originally Posted by NJblue

Besides, do the dedicated golfers really want to play behind a group of duffers who are only playing because they are trying to get their money's worth from their amenity fees? Wouldn't you rather see them sweating their butts off on a treadmill or pretending to be Arnold Schwarzenegger on the weight machines?

You got me there!

I'm all for both if it's feasible. TV is first and foremost a golf community. But times do change and money does drive everything so perhaps we'll see a shift.

Originally Posted by NJblue

This is not an issue of being "deceived" by TV. Nor is it an issue of golf versus fitness - we can clearly have both. Right now there is a huge imbalance in favor of golf and a paucity of fitness centers. By looking at just the spare change in the amenity budget it would be easy to significantly improve the number of fitness facilities. Don't forget that TV doesn't just advertise on the golf channel and there are a lot of TV residents who chose to live here despite the golf and not because of it.

I think the point of this discussion is that it just makes good business sense to add more fitness facilities. As was pointed out, there are some people who will choose not to buy here because of its deficiency in this manner. This will likely become more of an issue as more baby boomers come into the market. This means fewer dollars in the developer's pockets and also fewer dollars in home owner's pockets if they decide to sell. If I were the developer, I would add fitness facilities to every future rec center (or at least every two) to improve the attractiveness of my product. Speaking for myself, the proximity to the Colony Cottage fitness center was a very large part in our decision as to where to buy.

Besides, do the dedicated golfers really want to play behind a group of duffers who are only playing because they are trying to get their money's worth from their amenity fees? Wouldn't you rather see them sweating their butts off on a treadmill or pretending to be Arnold Schwarzenegger on the weight machines?

Well put, NJBlue

[mommullr]

Is the fitness center at Colony Cottage busy at all times of the day? How far would the Omni fitness facility be from the Village of Duval? Thank you for your post.

[Whalen]

"I think the point of this discussion is that it just makes good business sense to add more fitness facilities. As was pointed out, there are some people who will choose not to buy here because of its deficiency in this manner. This will likely become more of an issue as more baby boomers come into the market. This means fewer dollars in the developer's pockets and also fewer dollars in home owner's pockets if they decide to sell. If I were the developer, I would add fitness facilities to every future rec center (or at least every two) to improve the attractiveness of my product. Speaking for myself, the proximity to the Colony Cottage fitness center was a very large part in our decision as to where to buy."


You said it a lot better than I could have.

[rshoffer]

Originally Posted by Whalen

"I think the point of this discussion is that it just makes good business sense to add more fitness facilities. As was pointed out, there are some people who will choose not to buy here because of its deficiency in this manner. This will likely become more of an issue as more baby boomers come into the market. This means fewer dollars in the developer's pockets and also fewer dollars in home owner's pockets if they decide to sell. If I were the developer, I would add fitness facilities to every future rec center (or at least every two) to improve the attractiveness of my product. Speaking for myself, the proximity to the Colony Cottage fitness center was a very large part in our decision as to where to buy."


You said it a lot better than I could have.

BTW, the Colony facility is usually not crowded at all between 5-7 pm.

[rshoffer]

Originally Posted by mommullr

Is the fitness center at Colony Cottage busy at all times of the day? How far would the Omni fitness facility be from the Village of Duval? Thank you for your post.

colony is NOT busy after 5 om.... OMNI is less than 10 min from Duval (I live in Duval). Just get on 466A and head east toward 441/27. It's about 1-2 mi outside TV, brand new. If you live in Duval it is definitely closer than The Wellness Center.

The fitness centers in TV are not amenities... they are PROFIT centers. Thus, decisions to expand or build more, I suspect, require the litmus test of, "will they be profitable".

[Muncle]

A couple points of no particular value--

Many folks, especially new ones, have great ideas for something that TV lacks. We've gone thru this a few times with a performing arts center vis a vis the Savannah Center. Walking trails, bike paths, covered pools, and similar enhancements have also been discussed. One commonality of all these things is that they would cost money. They would cost US money. Right now, the developer is apparently putting a Fitness thingie in at least every second big rec center. I would not willingly pay additional amenity fees to see more of them added to existing facilities.

Last June, July, and August, I heard no complaints about overcrowded fitness places. People, it's Snowbird season. There's a 45 minute wait to go to the toilet. TV cannot be built to provide ultimate service from Xmas to Easter and then be unused the other 9 months.

At the risk of being chastised for cynicism --- once again we have people who were lied to by the sales rep and never would have moved here if only . . . We have others who know of many places that have far better amenities at 1/2 the cost. Well, we love ya and like having you as neighbors. We realized everyone has a right to point out shortcomings. But if it's really that bad and you really can't stand it, remember that the road you came in on goes both directions.

[Russ_Boston]

Originally Posted by Muncle

TV cannot be built to provide ultimate service from Xmas to Easter and then be unused the other 9 months.

Excellent point oh wise one!

May I steal that quote?