[pooh]

Originally Posted by duffysmom

I've lived here for over three years and still feel that TV is friendly.
I thank God every morning for the privilege of living here. In the past
we've lived in resort areas and learned to time our outings so that we
avoid crowds during prime time. Everything I want or need is only a cart ride away and that includes international art instructors. When I read the negative comments I wonder if we live in the same community; as a senior I've learned that life is what you make it. Because we feel so blessed we want to convey to wannabes that there are people here who love their life here but aren't as vocal as the nay sayers.

I've lived here for 5 years this week as a matter of fact, and I, too still am thrilled when I am out and about. I wave. Sometimes people don't wave back, but what the heck, maybe they will the next time someone waves at them. Did people wave at others in the communities they came from? Maybe, but then again, maybe not. Is it more crowded? Yes it is, but I've lived in areas that were terribly crowded in the summer and other areas that were crowded in the winter. Guess one just gets used to it and makes adjustments. It's a large community and over time, things do change and either we make adjustments of some sort, or ......


I don't attend some of the classes that are crowded so I don't have that frustration. Even though there's lots of traffic, it's not at all like traffic in cities many of us worked in and lived in. We can always use a golf cart as an alternative to our cars.

TV is a beautiful community, well laid out. Traffic has increased in our community, but as our community grows, so do the surrounding communities. Not all of the traffic is necessarily our own. Restaurants are crowded seasonally...heck, it was the same in communities everyone came from. Trying to eat out on the weekends wasn't easy...restaurants were crowded!

Things are always changing, here and where we lived. Everyone wants peace, quiet, the good old days. Here we have a chance for peace and quiet, but sometimes the good old days were better in our memories than they were in reality.

Everyone wants something different in their retirement years. Here I've found exactly what I want. A beautiful community with many opportunities for fun, learning, physical activity, making friends, enjoying wonderful neighbors who are like family....that's a special blessing when so many of us are so far away from our own families. I'm happy to be a member of TV community.

[Larry Wilson]

Originally Posted by KathieI

I totally agree, Larry, and a bunch of friends have been talking about this lately. I remember when I first started to visit TV, people always waved to you - so much that your arm got tired from waving back... I remember giving out name cards to keep connecting with new people, I remember everyone walking around with a smile, not a frown, and with their heads up not looking down. Things have really changed here, we're not sure why, but we're assuming its the overcrowdedness (such a word?) and lack of additional roads and facilities to accommodate so many people. Whatever it is, I'm not looking forward to this winter with the awful crowds in restaurants and on the roads. This makes me extremely sad because I also loved this paradise, but unfortunately, I'm not feeling like its a paradise any longer. SAD!

Thanks Kathy. I'm not a naysayer and neither is Kathy. We are both realists.
I've been here since 2004. It is just a fact that the population has grown and grown fast. My wife and I are in a ton of sports and clubs. (Enjoy them in the summer) Winter is getting tougher and tougher. The more active you are, the more you notice this.
A few examples but there are many more.
Check the statics on golf cart accidents, and car accidents.
People are being turned away from classes. My wife's exercise class has people come an hour early to get a number and stand in a line with that number for an hour to be to let in when the class starts. People who get there a half an hour before class get turned away by the dozens because the class is at capacity. That goes on in all the popular classes. Now that's overcrowding.
I play in three major sports and its getting so you get no play time because there is just too many guys, now that's overcrowding.
Golf and tee times...we play outside the Villages in the winter.
Hours of wait time at every restaurant and sometimes you just are told you can't be served.
Yes Kathy, everybody use to wave and said Hi. We had great times and everybody was your friend. Not anymore. We don't even go to the special events at the squares anymore because it is so crowded. Our friends feel the same way.
I know this is the honeymoon board.( mainly new people here) You are suppose to just love the Villages and all is perfect. Well, it was a much more perfect a few years ago.

[Posh 08]

Originally Posted by Larry Wilson

Thanks Kathy. I'm not a naysayer and neither is Kathy. We are both realists.
I've been here since 2004. It is just a fact that the population has grown and grown fast. My wife and I are in a ton of sports and clubs. (Enjoy them in the summer) Winter is getting tougher and tougher. The more active you are, the more you notice this.
A few examples but there are many more.
Check the statics on golf cart accidents, and car accidents.
People are being turned away from classes. My wife's exercise class has people come an hour early to get a number and stand in a line with that number for an hour to be to let in when the class starts. People who get there a half an hour before class get turned away by the dozens because the class is at capacity. That goes on in all the popular classes. Now that's overcrowding.
I play in three major sports and its getting so you get no play time because there is just too many guys, now that's overcrowding.
Golf and tee times...we play outside the Villages in the winter.
Hours of wait time at every restaurant and sometimes you just are told you can't be served.
Yes Kathy, everybody use to wave and said Hi. We had great times and everybody was your friend. Not anymore. We don't even go to the special events at the squares anymore because it is so crowded. Our friends feel the same way.
I know this is the honeymoon board.( mainly new people here) You are suppose to just love the Villages and all is perfect. Well, it was a much more perfect a few years ago.

I appreciate what you and Kathy are saying. We are weighing all this. Thank you.

[Bryan]

The big test on "politeness" and "reserving your spot" will come this Thursday at Spanish Springs. That is Oktoberfest - parade and all. And, for the second time (first time at Spanish Springs) there is only one parade and that will be at SS. Italianfest had only one parade but that was at LSL, and the weather was less than totally cooperative. Anyway, 8 AM or so on the 27th and I'll bet you dollars to donut holes you can go to the town square as SS and you will already find some "reserved" places on the square and maybe at the eating tables in the streets. The real "fun" (make that "Confrontations") will start later in the day, say around 2 to 3 PM and increase in frequency until the parade actually starts at 4 PM. In the past, I have seen near fist fights over "reserved seating" (the Entertainment Department will tell you there is no such thing at either square but they do nothing to enforce that). This year, I predict it will be more than "near" fist fights, especially if we have beautiful weather and large crowds.

[Dirigo]

Originally Posted by pooh

I've lived here for 5 years this week as a matter of fact, and I, too still am thrilled when I am out and about. I wave. Sometimes people don't wave back, but what the heck, maybe they will the next time someone waves at them. Did people wave at others in the communities they came from? Maybe, but then again, maybe not. Is it more crowded? Yes it is, but I've lived in areas that were terribly crowded in the summer and other areas that were crowded in the winter. Guess one just gets used to it and makes adjustments. It's a large community and over time, things do change and either we make adjustments of some sort, or ......


I don't attend some of the classes that are crowded so I don't have that frustration. Even though there's lots of traffic, it's not at all like traffic in cities many of us worked in and lived in. We can always use a golf cart as an alternative to our cars.

TV is a beautiful community, well laid out. Traffic has increased in our community, but as our community grows, so do the surrounding communities. Not all of the traffic is necessarily our own. Restaurants are crowded seasonally...heck, it was the same in communities everyone came from. Trying to eat out on the weekends wasn't easy...restaurants were crowded!

Things are always changing, here and where we lived. Everyone wants peace, quiet, the good old days. Here we have a chance for peace and quiet, but sometimes the good old days were better in our memories than they were in reality.

Everyone wants something different in their retirement years. Here I've found exactly what I want. A beautiful community with many opportunities for fun, learning, physical activity, making friends, enjoying wonderful neighbors who are like family....that's a special blessing when so many of us are so far away from our own families. I'm happy to be a member of TV community.

Well said Pooh...great attitude!

[pooh]

Originally Posted by Dirigo

Well said Pooh...great attitude!

Thank you.

It isn't my intention to get into a p*****g contest with those who are experiencing less than friendly situations because I realize they really are seeing a change in attitude more than in the past, but I must say that crowded classes seasonally isn't new. I've experienced it, also. We arrived early for class and found it was full so I decided that some other activity could be undertaken. The town squares were filled to capacity when certain events took place or when certain performers were playing. In all honesty, after you've been to parades and events in the square, you might not need to experience them as often. It is crowded, as it would be in any other city. Is it fun? Obviously it is for many because they still come, community members and those who live in the surrounding areas.
One thing to consider is that all the shops and restaurants in our town squares and in the areas immediately surrounding the community need more than Villagers to survive. While we as a community do eat out quite often, we aren't enough alone. Shops need customers and after a while, we might not need what a particular shop is selling...and the same will hold true for others. So the larger the customer base, the more chance a shop will continue to stay in an area.

New Villagers are arriving daily .... many are just new to this experience of having their time as their own...no work deadlines, no rush hour traffic, no business travel, airport delays, smog, extreme cold, freezing pipes in their houses, etc. and they maintain older attitudes still. Give them a chance. Continue to be friendly, who knows, you might just touch someone's icy attitude with a warm ray of sunshine.

Is the place perfect? Heck no, it isn't, but it's pretty close. It's what we make it and I prefer not to let those few that are nasty to mess with my head.

Cripes, I sound like a cheering squad... Didn't mean to, it's just that personally, I find more pluses than negatives around here

[swimdawg]

Originally Posted by Posh 08

I appreciate what you and Kathy are saying. We are weighing all this. Thank you.

And the purpose of sharing and focusing on the negatives is......
..........so we "newbies" know both sides of the story? Should I thank you?

I live in an area close to Niagara Falls. Back in the "olden days" ...several years ago...it used to be a piece of cake to get around in my area. Now the Canadians are coming in droves.....especially on weekends. It can be bumper-to-bumper for me to get anywhere. The shopping is wonderful here for Canadians.....we have great restaurants. It's reasonable to shop and eat here. Now........I could rant and rave about how the Canadians are taking over our area....but the bottom line is....hey........they are really nice people...and they are helping our economy.

In fact, every once in awhile, I meet up with a couple from Canada for a bite to eat. It turned out their daughter was in the LPGA. They invited me to go to two LPGA's...one here and one in Canada. I went to both.....met a lot of the famous LPGA golfers.....had a great time!

So........either your glass is half full or half empty. And I almost forgot....I will probably be one of those snowbirds. Yikes!

[angiefox10]

Regardless of all this talk of the way things have changed.... I still can't wait to get there!

Originally Posted by pooh

I've lived here for 5 years this week as a matter of fact, and I, too still am thrilled when I am out and about. I wave. Sometimes people don't wave back, but what the heck, maybe they will the next time someone waves at them. Did people wave at others in the communities they came from? Maybe, but then again, maybe not. Is it more crowded? Yes it is, but I've lived in areas that were terribly crowded in the summer and other areas that were crowded in the winter. Guess one just gets used to it and makes adjustments. It's a large community and over time, things do change and either we make adjustments of some sort, or ......


I don't attend some of the classes that are crowded so I don't have that frustration. Even though there's lots of traffic, it's not at all like traffic in cities many of us worked in and lived in. We can always use a golf cart as an alternative to our cars.

TV is a beautiful community, well laid out. Traffic has increased in our community, but as our community grows, so do the surrounding communities. Not all of the traffic is necessarily our own. Restaurants are crowded seasonally...heck, it was the same in communities everyone came from. Trying to eat out on the weekends wasn't easy...restaurants were crowded!

Things are always changing, here and where we lived. Everyone wants peace, quiet, the good old days. Here we have a chance for peace and quiet, but sometimes the good old days were better in our memories than they were in reality.

Everyone wants something different in their retirement years. Here I've found exactly what I want. A beautiful community with many opportunities for fun, learning, physical activity, making friends, enjoying wonderful neighbors who are like family....that's a special blessing when so many of us are so far away from our own families. I'm happy to be a member of TV community.

[Bill-n-Brillo]

Bill

[Trish Crocker]

Maybe I'm naive but it seems to me that if I don't want to wait in line at a restaurant, I can always eat at home or go outside of the villages. What about eating at different times? Are the restaurants always lined up or can I go for lunch at 2:00? It's been my experience that most people react to how others treat them, is it possible that some of the people in TV that have lived there a while are projecting their attitude and resentment to others? When you first move into an area, everyone is a stranger and the tendency is to try to make friends...once you have been there a while, you no longer have the need to accumulate more friends, you are quite content with the status quo..therefore you may not make the friendship efforts that you have in the past. When this occurs, you subconsciously miss the 'friendliness' that was there originally, when in all actuality you are partially responsible for it happening. If you want to test this theory, next time you are out and about, pretend you are new there...greet people you don't know with the same enthusiasm you used in the beginning...see if there is a difference. I can't wait to get down there...I will be a grinning, waving fool!

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by Trish Crocker

Maybe I'm naive but it seems to me that if I don't want to wait in line at a restaurant, I can always eat at home or go outside of the villages. What about eating at different times? Are the restaurants always lined up or can I go for lunch at 2:00? It's been my experience that most people react to how others treat them, is it possible that some of the people in TV that have lived there a while are projecting their attitude and resentment to others? When you first move into an area, everyone is a stranger and the tendency is to try to make friends...once you have been there a while, you no longer have the need to accumulate more friends, you are quite content with the status quo..therefore you may not make the friendship efforts that you have in the past. When this occurs, you subconsciously miss the 'friendliness' that was there originally, when in all actuality you are partially responsible for it happening. If you want to test this theory, next time you are out and about, pretend you are new there...greet people you don't know with the same enthusiasm you used in the beginning...see if there is a difference. I can't wait to get down there...I will be a grinning, waving fool!

I think you have made a very good point and I agree...as I usually do.

I cannot WAIT until you get down here.

[pooh]

Originally Posted by Trish Crocker

Maybe I'm naive but it seems to me that if I don't want to wait in line at a restaurant, I can always eat at home or go outside of the villages. What about eating at different times? Are the restaurants always lined up or can I go for lunch at 2:00? It's been my experience that most people react to how others treat them, is it possible that some of the people in TV that have lived there a while are projecting their attitude and resentment to others? When you first move into an area, everyone is a stranger and the tendency is to try to make friends...once you have been there a while, you no longer have the need to accumulate more friends, you are quite content with the status quo..therefore you may not make the friendship efforts that you have in the past. When this occurs, you subconsciously miss the 'friendliness' that was there originally, when in all actuality you are partially responsible for it happening. If you want to test this theory, next time you are out and about, pretend you are new there...greet people you don't know with the same enthusiasm you used in the beginning...see if there is a difference. I can't wait to get down there...I will be a grinning, waving fool!

You bring up a valid point. When we are here for a while, or anywhere as a matter of fact, we tend to develop a drawbridge mentality. Draw up the gates, we have enough people here. Think it's just part of the human being experience. In some cases, the drawbridge feeling is justified...some areas aren't built to support quite as many people. Is that true here? I'm not sure yet. The place is still a work in progress.

And to answer your question, yes you can take lunch at "off peak" times and not find you're waiting for a table or waiting for a server. In season, I can't deny, it's crowded, but how many times does one have to eat out? After you've been here for a while, and you've gained some extra poundage from all that eating out, it seems to lack the appeal it initially had.... So many things one does when they are newly retired and new to The Villages might just not happen as often as it did when everything was bright, new, fun and you were feeling like a kid in a candy store. Oh, the place still has that wonderful appeal, but you might just be a bit more selective in how and where you decide to spend your time....time, the most precious gift we have. Use it wisely, it's not something easily replaced.

[pooh]

And what cartoon just happened to appear today.....

[Larry Wilson]

LOL. Topic was saving a spot in an exercise class....When I moved here there was plenty of spots for everybody in everything. No one was saving. No numbers, lines, or turning people away. I have many friends who have moved from here- so they don't have to fight for a spot or worry about parking, car accidents, golf cart accidents, getting play time, etc. etc. etc. I do visit other places.

I get pms all the time from people less than enchanted living here because a pm is the only way they dare tell me their stories. The everything is perfect crowd would beat them to death if they posted here.


I am going to channel my energy in to trying to make this place better. I choose to still live here and I see a lot of positive but I see the huge impact of overpopulation.

Yes I do want people who are thinking about moving here to know both sides.
The Villages puts a ton of money into controlling everything to sell more houses.
One of the reasons that they never let TOTV run an ad in the Sun is they couldn't control what would be said on this board. You rarely ever get to see anything wrong until it happens to you. They don't need any help in marketing this place. I and everyone who lives here has paid for that high marketing budget. Like every place which puts a ton into telling you how great it is...there is always another side.

For you people who like to try to psycho anyone who doesn't say what you want.... I'm a very very happy person with a great life. I know of no one who has it better than me. I'm off to have some fun!!!