[Velvet]

If you can’t get used to the outside restaurant food - and I have tried and tried, over the years, then learn to make your own. It takes time and effort but it is so worth it if you are a foodie. And just watch your popularity soar! Start with perfecting one meal. Let that be your signature dish. Prepare it at least 30 times before you decide that it is perfect.

[UpNorth]

Nice down here for the winter months, but can't wait to go back to CT in May. Great weather, home with a basement, gardens, plenty of property and the beautiful blooming of Springtime. Did I mention free country club golf on two fantastic courses? CT politics suck, but you can't have everything. I am lucky to be able to afford two homes.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by Marmaduke

I sometimes miss the "era" of things we loved back then, but they are only heartfelt memories now.
Gone, but not forgotten. Sadly, no generation will experience anything as wonderful as we had.

Many of the Depression and Post-War Institutions that made the City of Pittsburgh great are no longer.

Of the bygone days, those of us who enjoyed them KNEW they we're really special. We didn't take them for granted.
It was a big city, small town atmosphere where everyone was friendly, quite like TV.
(Of course, there's always Some!)

Tailgaiting before the Steeler games at Three Rivers Stadium, the Boys of Summer Pirate Games on a warm Spring nights and the Penguins at The Civic Arena.

The Pgh. MARATHON and the Great Race.
The 3 Rivers at Point State Park, visited as often, as North and South Parks.

HOT Mancini's Bread, Sunseri and Primanti Brothers in the Strip, Donahues on 5th Avenue. The Original Oyster House in Market Square (est. 1933) FOR THE BEST Chowder and Fish Sandwiches.

Shopping in Downtown Pittsburgh during Christmas Season and marveling at their mechanical window displays.

Carnegie Libraries, Museums and the Duquesne Incline all visited at least once a year, as a tradition.

The Original HotDog Shoppe near Pitt.
The Pittsburgh Press. (My Dad set Page One as a Printer and brought home a Free Paper every single day for 30 years.)

My Testimony-
It was the Best Of Times....
And
You Can't go home again, but if you were from there, may your Pittsburgese stays with yens forever!

Go Bucs.
Go Steelers.
MARIO, Franco, and Willie.

Yens guys............

[manaboutown]

Oh I go back to NM for the food. New Mexican Restaurant Albuquerque | Sadie's of New Mexico

But I no longer live there on account of the crime, poor medical and other factors. It is not at all like it was when I grew up there; not even close. The public schools which I attended were pretty good and most of my friends went into science, engineering, medicine and the law. Now less than 75% of high school students graduate and the state legislature is working on again lowering graduate credit requirements which had previously been lowered since my time. Physicians are leaving the state. In the last four years 30% of the primary care physicians have left the state which was already low on doctors. Judges let murderers awaiting trial out. Pretty scary stuff. Double murder suspect is released on ankle monitor by New Mexico judge using woke bail reform tool | Daily Mail Online

"Albuquerque tops the list as the most crime-ridden metropolitan area in the western states." Is Albuquerque Safe to Visit in 2023? | Safety Concerns | Travellers

It is a shame.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by Velvet

Yes, but that doesn’t really work. The last thing you want to do is when you are old and no longer very able is to move and on top of that, lose all your friends and support in your OLD age.

I think the model suggested is good for business but in some ways, quite inhuman to the residents. Perhaps it’s time to do something about it.

Getting old is difficult no matter where you live.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by Shimpy

You didn't mention chipped ham sandwichses. My favorite on a Balsomeo bun in McKeesport

My fav was the menu at Brick Alley!

[Velvet]

Originally Posted by jimjamuser

Getting old is difficult no matter where you live.

Yes, but I think to make people move not because they are incapable of looking after themselves, like bathing, dressing or dementia etc but because they can’t get to places in a retirement community? I guess I’m grumbling because that is what happened to my aunt. They lived in TV for over 30 years. After my uncle died my aunt tried to stay by herself in her home. It became too difficult, district 1 had no sidewalks and no public transportation of any kind. She booked herself, a fully able lady, into independent living and gave up the home she loved for so many years.

[Professor]

Cold cold water from the tap...

[Rwirish]

Absolutely nothing. We have 4 seasons here as we are not far enough south.

Never go back north, all is good here.

[Ele201]

Originally Posted by La lamy

Who says "you can never go back"? Having a northern home is the way to go for many of us here. It's more expensive to run 2 homes, but for me who hates extreme weather, it's part of retirement 'heaven'.

You’re one of the lucky ones.

[Ele201]

Originally Posted by chicksinger

I'm also a former native New Yorker and I miss everything you said as well as being able to walk everywhere, not need a car to worry about with all those expenses and of course, all the department stores....I don't like having to go to Ocala or Orlando/Clermont to get to a Macy's.

Interesting that you mentioned Macys, as I was just at Macys Herald Square last night. First time back there since the start of the pandemic. Looked pretty much the same, spoke with the same employees as years ago. But it definitely wasn’t as crowded as before. Still such a great feeling to be there!!

[bark4me]

Originally Posted by Taltarzac725

We have been in Florida since 1996 and here in the Villages since June or so of 2005. So, Florida is home.

Rohnert Park, CA; Reno, NV; Scottsdale, AZ; Itasca, IL; Belmont, CA; Minneapolis, MN; Denver, CO; Menomonee Falls, WI; and Provo, UT would all seem quite different now.

And I have run into people here in the Villages from every one of those places. Or, at least, while in Palm Harbor, FL.

Wow. That's alot of places to have lived. We're you running from the law or in witness protection? 😆

[ThirdOfFive]

Originally Posted by jimjamuser

Getting old is difficult no matter where you live.

It is, as I believe most of us are finding out.

However growing old is harder in some places than others. When we moved to TV, we left snow, icy sidewalks, large house that needed (as all homes do) routine maintenance, stairs just about everywhere, winter temps that could dive to and often below -40 f., ruinously high taxes (we pay less than 1/2 the property taxes here than we paid up there, on a property here that is valued at approximately 140% of that of our home in Minnesota), a state income tax that is ranked somewhere in the top five of all the states (haven't checked recently so can't say for sure), steadily growing crime, etc. etc. All that and more made our situation up there a far harder place to grow old, than here.

A lot of people don't realize it but much of TV is designed with we older folks in mind. We read articles about Community Watch finding and helping people who, because of declining mental capacities, may have wandered off. We have "Silver Alerts" (like an Amber Alert but for old folks). Most of us have pets; the local radio station has a service called "Pet Patrol" that tries to match up pets that have wandered off with their owners. Homes, if not expressly designed for people with ambulation handicaps, still have extra-wide doorways, open floor plans, grab bars in showers and tubs, walk-in closets, etc. Clubs for varied interests abound. Most everything is a short golf cart ride away: we've actually considered selling the Rav4 because most of the time it just sits in the garage taking up space. Food is cheaper here, and most places deliver. Taxes are less, by a significant amount. Even the businesses and the areas in which they are found are designed with we older folks in mind. Very few steps; the lakewalk at Lake Sumter Landing being the only significant exception to that. Giving the devil his due, a couple of disadvantages here as compared to where we came from is that the quality of medical care here is significantly lower (though we did our doctoring at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota and anything, anywhere, is probably going to suffer in comparison), and the drivers, though equally crazy in Minnesota, are far fewer in number than the crazies down here.

Oh--and I don't have to continually be aware of my surroundings. In Minnesota, I carried a pistol most of the time. Not here, yet. Not even once.

MUCH rather grow old here.

[Dusty_Star]

Originally Posted by Vermilion Villager

There have been several documentaries about the villages and even I have to admit most of them are way off base. However, I do remember what they said in one of those documentaries.
"The villages is a place you live… The villages is not your home. Look around… There are no cemeteries here. When you can no longer participate in the lifestyle… You will go someplace else."

I suspect all of the "frogs" would disagree.

[meme5x]

Originally Posted by Worldseries27

me either

I can’t beat the convenience of being here.. so love the food, esp. the fresh fish at the Lighthouse on 466.. I love my Midwest home but love it here too! Especially the Daily Sun… St. Louis paper is awful plus it costs $2.50… and so biased…