If I remember correctly, going back all those years (LOL) we as teenagers hung around downtown also. Brownwood is an attraction, that will bring all types of people, not just teenagers. I'm sure the Police have things under control! Billiethekid, Barefoot, and Gracie, hit the nail on the head, with their good explanations. Brownwood is for all of us, and the businesses there need the revenue. Lets not be negative about our Hometown!! Enjoy your next visit to Brownwood!!!

Wow, I do understand that the kids there need places to hang out and most are likely harmless and this is probably way over exaggerated however....

I do get intimidated when I see a pack of teens (that is what I called them when my own son hung out with his friends) all hanging out together...you just never know.... Once while visiting there we found some sitting in our golf cart in the parking lot....no apparent issues and they did move but it was a bit intimidating....just saying.

Glad for the police that do patrol there.

Last week we attended Scooter's event at Sumter. Old folks, Young folks and Regular folks were running around being silly. He' a nut and we all loved his joy of being completely out there.

During the show he called up the cross country team and had them dance on stage with him. It was wonderful seeing the joy of these kids doing their "Thang". What's amazing, Scooter kept up with them. The audience loved it and gave these kids a huge applause.

I've seen old folks get out of control in the squares, too much booze, then they get in their carts and drive. Now that's scary:shocked:.

What I love about this community, it's not sterile, it's inviting to all age groups. There's a dynamic pulse here. If this community was a closed community, I would find it rigid and boring.

I agree!

As usual the voice of reason, thanks.

I don't have a problem with kids hanging out in the squares. I don't mind the image of them running around. That's what kids do -- they goof off, hang around with friends, burn off energy. I do, however, mind the idea of someone lounging in my golf cart; checking the doors of obviously closed business; hitting another human, especially a girl. The first is disrespectful; the second implies illegal activity is planned; the third is obscene and illegal. Knowing me, I'd tell to get out of my cart in no uncertain terms; call the police about the potential of illegal activity planned; call the police and interfere until they showed up (I do have a tendency to jump into things like that).

Would I live by Brownwood? Probably not -- I can't say I'd feel particularly unsafe, I just don't like being the one to test the water so to speak.

Last night at Brownwood, in the last hour there was a small group of about 6 preteens/teens goofing around on the dance floor during break (just being silly and jumpin' around to the music). One lady beside me (a newbie) said "I wonder where those kids come from....." and I thought "oh oh...here we go....."

But soon they formed a Conga line and some grandma types joined them and they went around the whole dance floor a few times, giggling together and they were fun to watch.

The adult thing to do is talk to the kids personally, individually, as if they are good people and not a "mob" that's up to no good. Chances are, they'll fulfill the expectation we set. If you talk to them as though they're worth something, they will probably respond likewise! Nobody responds kindly to being treated as worthless and up to no good. A lot of kids come from single parent and broken homes and would love to have some attention from the kind souls here in TV.

Talk to them!

Didn't we move to an over 55 community to avoid children?

Maybe we should vote to have "real" gates?

"To avoid children" probably means avoiding living next door to them with all the noise and drama teens and toddlers produce....and parents who do nothing to discipline them.

Going to the squares at night is optional. I can't think of many things more boring than watching 60 couples of white wrinklies slow dancing!!

Our wallet must not be as fat as yours... do you have a grasp of how much privatizing The Villages would cost? In addition to your tax bill you would be funding all of the streets, signage, would have private security patrolling the streets and so forth. I like public, A LOT!

We have lived on private streets before and after the fleecing from our real estate tax bill, we then began paying all the other expenses. No thank you.

One solution if the above are your goals is to either not move to TV or don't leave your house. And a real gated environment is not practical/or affordable and does nothing for controlling who is in the squares.

When one completely loses tolerance and patience for youth they have reached an age much older than the number on their birth certificate.........plus losing out on so much the world of youth has to offer.

The isolated incidences of "packs" of teens in TV is just that.....an isolated incident

btk

Why does it have to cost more? It's the same expenses as any other town incurs except you have gates. That SHOULD be the only additional expense. Incorporate into a town...a private town. I'll trade a few of the flowerbeds for the gates.

You need to research the reason that our gates are not secure. There's a whole lot more involved that would cost millions to tax payers as was stated in a previous post.

You moved to an over 55 community to be WITH children? Really? Seems like a non sequitur to me.

Packs of teens are like roaches...there are more than you see, and it leads to a dirty place to live. Compare places with more to those with less...you'll reach the same conclusion.

You came here planning not to be able to have your grandchildren come to visit?

There is obviously a missing element of reality in the response.
Are you willing to pay whatever it costs in increased monthly fees to live in a truly gated community and towns? You would not be able to afford the cost!!!

Do you know how many retailers and restaurants would dry up and blow away if the only clientele were us old farts who have a magic card to get in.....almost all of them!!!!

And would it be further suggested to either not go to any shopping centers outside TV for the sake of safety or avoiding the youth of America? Of course not!!

Makes for an interesting discussion up to the point one is asked to assume "it would not cost much more" to gate the residential areas AND the town squares!!!!!!

btk

People are talking about vandalism at the Barnstorm Theatre - seats were slashed?

answering no to the following question:

"Didn't we move to an over 55 community to avoid children?"

Does not translate to having moved to a 55 + community to be with children!

The age(s) of who frequents where/what/when had absolutely nothing to do with our decision to move to TV.

However if there was a restriction on TV that ONLY 55 plus could live and or play or visit here.....we would not be residents of such a community.

btk

It is time to take a deep breath and think more clearly. The Villages is simply a retirement community. The Squares are public retail areas that primarily market to the needs of seniors, but that in order to survive must also market to all ages. This makes the Squares no different than the malls to which we all are familiar. They are public.

The Villages is not a secure, gated compound and it has never ever been marketed as such. It does not matter what your rose colored glasses conveyed to your brain. Residents here must exercise the same common sense with regard to their security as has been their practice from whence they came.

Do not invent problems. Just trust that law enforcement and The Villages management, where appropriate, will deal with undesirable issues as they arise. A few isolated instances quoted herein are as much the fault of the victims as the perpetrators. The Villages is not an isolated dome.

However, it is a very nice place to live for those of our age.

For some reason there are village residents who actually believe they can control who comes to our squares and surrounding restaurants. Most of the teens I have observed are teens, loud, sometimes obnoxious, but still good kids. We need outsiders to keep our businesses going. One incident which may be overblown is not a reason to blame all teens.

Did I miss something ?? You said black kids and then said it doesn't matter their color ! Then why even say it ? :ohdear:

Don, if you desire to live in an area with gates, (it would not be my preference but I respect yours...), you may be very interested in Stonecrest or Spruce Creek adjacent to The Villages. These are very controlled communities as far as public access and they may be the type of security that makes you most comfortable.

Unfortunately, for your desires, The Villages is a retirement area that includes the public and I don't see that ever changing. Most of us have no problem living in the type of scenario in which we have lived most of our lives but has an additional layer of security, still it is by no means a fortress. Enjoy your day!

Fact: If we want the Squares to remain open and vibrant, income from "outsiders" is needed. Residents from outside communities, including teenagers, are welcome to attend movies, shop, dance at the Squares, eat in restaurants and hang out.

If a bunch of wrinklies are standing around drinking and talking and having a good time, it's OK. If a bunch of teenagers are hanging out together, it's considered threatening. Come on, we were all teenagers once, and probably we all loved hanging out with our friends. Let's not blow this thing out of proportion.

Yes, just wait until The Village of Fruitland Park is completed!:shocked::shocked:

It will be better yet, won't it Karron? Some very nice people live in Fruitland Park and they are an asset to the surrounding communities. Hi to our neighbors in Fruitland Park, :coolsmiley:

People talk about a lot of things. What people, where, when?

A lot of the young people hanging around work in the stores and restaurants here. They get off early, go to the movies, World of Beer, City Fire and hang around talking. Probably talking about all the old people that were complaining and wanting their meals comped. (Just Kidding ;). They like to unwind after work just like all of us did when we were young. I remember being young and hanging with friends at the mall. Older people would look at us like we were criminals !
I love the Villages and have no problem with younger people. My daughter and grandson come here a couple times a week spending money.

How will that change anything relative to teenagers on the square??

I would rather have the young kids hanging out than the old Villages dudes with a rolling meth lab !!! :eek:

HUH? I've been to Fruitland Park, doesn't look so big and bad.

I am certainly not an advocate of this development, but I don't see any relevance to this subject other than an additional 4,000 "old wrinklies", as we have been referred to, helping to out number those young "rowdies" in Brownwood.

Good lord 7 pages of this stuff?? Guess someone let the kool aide get contaminated with a little reality! If you don't like it you can leave or you can choose to hibernate in your own little village section-the fact is that we have choices and from my perspective we have pretty good choices. Are things going to be perfect? No but they are going to be pretty great. The villages continues to grow and change; will it all be good? Probably not but I am betting that most of that growth and change will be far better than most other places we could live therefore I choose to live here and have a realistic view of things.

There are not usually kids in assisted living or nursing homes, but until I get there I enjoy seeing a mix of age ranges.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
 

Any one remember the movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang? I can't help but think of the King locking up the children. Sorry I get it this is a serious thread but just too funny to me.

Squares are open to public
 

Living in The Villages is mostly for 55 years and older, but the squares are for the public. Also why people outside of The Villages attends events there.

You signed up to live in an age restricted housing development. However if you want the amenities of close by shopping and restaurants that we have you're in he wrong development if you do no want to share these perks! Business here could not survive without people outside the Villages patronizing them. Therefore those areas are open to the public like any shopping/dining venue might be. If not having these these conveniences and choices available so close to you is ok then perhaps Del Webb or Spruce Creek is a better fit for you. Just my opinion of course.

Or even Cypress Cove. They allow no outsiders

we do have an element of snobbery (for lack of anything better to lable it) here in TV that seems to have certain measurements of certain areas to look down on, like Wildwood and Fruitland Park.

The knowledge of these areas is second through 25th hand....no real experience.

Some of us as kids lived in areas that would aspire to that of the good people of Wildwood and Fruitland......probably more than most would admit.

Just remember for the imagined "bad" you all have of these areas just try to remember that most....95% or more are good wholesome folks with kids, grand kids and retirees that look and act no differently than where most of us came from.

How do you measure these folks when you are in church? Is it OK there too to have an uppety attitude of folks who either may not have what some of us are fortunate enough to have or may have chosen to not be where such attitudes of one's fellow man reside????????

Lighten up....they are your neighbors and would help you in a heart beat....set rumors, old maids stories, BS and prejudice aside....when you are in the shower you look just like they do.....;)

btk

"we do have an element of snobbery (for lack of anything better to lable it) here in TV that seems to have vertain measurements of certain areas to look down on, like Wildwood and Fruitland Park."

Well said btk!

Brownwood
 

I've been to the square when these kids were there. The kids I saw weren't there early in the evening, when the music and dancing was going on. The kids that I believe are being referenced, I don't believe live in The Villages, I would hardly think they work in The Villages, and I highly doubt they are spending any money in The Villages.

Most of them were milling around the parking lot. In fact, I drove down there in my own cart with my 40 year old daughter, to see a movie and someone walked us out, to pick up my cart to go home.

These are not just a bunch of kids dancing in a conga line. In fact, I've just been told they were caught trying to break into the sales office.