Best mistake you ever made. :)

I had a conversation with someone who moved to Top of the World and they didn't seem overjoyed about it.

Ditto! That was first thought I had too! :agree:

we have friends from TN who used to live in the Tampa area for many, many years. They left to go to TN because they did not like FL.

After their first visit with us shortly after we built our home here and spending a few days with us they both remarked....now this is what living in FL is supposed to be like!!!!!!!

btk

I actually just "stumbled" into TV. Yup, hubby and I had decided to move down south and since we had a daughter living living on the southern east coast, though she really liked the area, close to night clubs, the beach, I found it not for us and set off for a 10 day driving tour of Florida with it ending visiting a friend in Longwood, who had mentioned TV to me as possibility that I should keep in the back of my mind. The idea of "retirement" community wasn't really what I had in mind as hubby and I had talked about living somewhere on a lake that he could fish after retiring.

That said, I started my journey driving over Alligator Alley to Naples and worked my up the west coast, some beautiful areas, but lots of congestion and not finding anything that really fit for us. Got all the way up to Crystal River and decided to cross over and weave by lakes that I found out had dried up on my way to Longwood. Hours and hours go by, hubby is calling me asking me what am I seeing. Well, to be honest, I felt like I was in Pa., lots and lots of horse farms, cows, had no idea Florida had areas like that, was nice, but no lakes and kinda like nowhere land. Needed a rest stop for the night and hubby told me just down the road was a Holiday Inn Express, which unknown to me, was actually in Spanish Springs. Being very tired and hungry, I check in and ask the front desk where can I get a bite to eat that was close by, they tell me just less than 10 minute walk there was a square that had free entertainment and some restaurants, I should go there.

O.K., I go and WOW!, I see signs saying Welcome to the TV, I am like what? Oh yeah, I am supposed to look there, well, maybe tomorrow, I must be close, so I keep walking and I hear music and lots of golf carts are scooting by me, I am like what is up here? I walk into the square and never looked back, the band was playing some Jimmy Buffet type music and I am a parrothead, so really liked that, and sat outside just in awe of everything, the people I met as I walked around came up and welcomed me, guess I had that look, as they told me they too, had been where I was that day.

I stopped in TV sales office and decided to have a look, WOW! again. Later, I called my hubby and told him about this "city within a city" out in nowhere land that he would not believe!

Rest is history, did bring him back to TV for two visits, and our house will be finished being built Feb. 14th of this year! I love everything about TV and all it has to offer us. Looking so forward to new friendships, getting involved with all the wonderful activities that are here for everyone and may actually try my hand at pickleball too! I feel our lives will be enriched living here and an exciting new chapter of our lives will begin and awesome memories will be had! I have never ever seen anything like TV in all my travels and I have traveled all over to lots of places.

Great thread! Sorry to be so lengthy, but we you all get to know me more, you will find out I do have a hard time saying what I want in five sentences or less, just can't seem to do it.

Graciegirl you said everything better than I could've, and covered most of my reasons for moving here.

Here's how I found TV:
I had never heard of TV, and never even saw the commercials, so it was a miracle that I learned about it.

The mother of a friend of my daughter was driving North on 441 from visiting friends in Miami, returning to her home in Maine. She drove past the previous sales center on 441, which was the building across from the P.O., now La Badega (sp?). She was immediately drawn to the beautiful Spanish architecture, turned around and went inside to use the restroom. She fell in love with the tile in the ladies room, then went to a sales person, and bought a house! She had never intended to ever leave Maine and move to Fl, but she loves it here!

So, when I was getting ready to move somewhere warmer, and considering AZ or CA, my daughter suggested I take a look at The Villages. It was an easy decision, for so many reasons. I've thanked her many times for her suggestion, and I thank God every day for this place. :)

Very nice story and you told it well. :coolsmiley:

Great stories
 

It's a lot of fun hearing your stories. The most amazing thing is....nobody regrets it! It is like nothing else on the planet.

Totally agree with you,but i first came to visit TV only to shut my adorable girlfriend up.She saw the ads on Fox News and wouldn't stop talking about TV.I figured since i wasn't close to retiring and still had my business in Lexington,there was no way in h*ll i was buying anything in Florida, at this point in my life.Well the rest is history,it took just one visit in 2010 and i knew she was right(are you females ever wrong????).No regrets,except i keep hearing"i told you so" over and over again ,by you know who;)

DebbieB:

I loved your post. You could have written a novel and I would have enjoyed every word. Thank you for posting your experience. :)

DebbieB -- Excellent post. And you and your husband are closing on Feb. 14 -- what a great Valentine's Day present for yourselves! Hope your moving and settling in go smoothly. :wave:

PJ -- Loved your post! Must have been fate that brought your daughter's friend's mom to TV and you too!

Of course not!!! :spoken:

The Villages is truly a magical place. I have lived in a lot of really nice communities, and live on a beautiful lake now, but I have never experienced a consensus of opinion anywhere close to the love for this community by residents and wannabees (gonnabees) alike. It is magical and in some ways I wish everyone would tone it down a notch, at least until I buy my place, so as not to drive the prices up! I did some research on past posts and I have tallied so far:

1021 Love TV unconditionally
31 Love it, but find some fault with a few things
2 Don't love it, but admit it is pretty good.
1 undecided.

So there you have it - scientific evidence that folks love the Villages.

P.S. Anyone want a beautiful home on a gorgeous lake in NW Missouri? It comes with a great lifestyle (according to the owner).

Magical Place
 

Yesterday January 20th, 2012 noon was a warm day. We were outside at the Lighthouse Restaurant in LSL with sunshine in our faces sipping a glass of Pinot Grigio and I having fish n' cole slaw and she a plate of fried oysters. We could see the beautiful courses of Palmer and the wonderful lake. The last time I experienced this feeling was at Sausalito Pier in SF. Now, don't over extend yourself here as now I don't know how many social groups and other activities I belong to. I only know that today is the only day I am fairly open in my calendar for January though we have Dance Social this evening. This place can get addictive and don't have enough time to get on to TOTV. I was browsing and posting more when I was up north.

Been to Sausalito, and eaten at a resturaunt overlooking the bay - it is a cool spot. I also find little time to browse and post when I am in TV, which I will be the next couple months.