[KathieI]

From Trader Joe's website, these are the new stores being planned to open soon. No mention of The Villages or Wildwood...

Coming Soon:

• Dallas (Lower Greenville), TX - Aug. 9th
• Amherst, NY
• Asheville, NC
• Austin, TX
• Austin (Rollingwood), TX
• Baton Rouge, LA
• Boulder, CO
• Dallas (North), TX
• Denver, CO
• Evanston, IL
• Hingham, MA
• Libertyville, IL
• Stamford, CT

[al & jane]

Now when the rumor comes to your town, It grows and grows, where it started no one knows. Some of your neighbors will invite it right in or maybe it's a lie, even if it's a sin they'll repeat the rumor again

The BAND - THE RUMOR LYRICS 1983

[AriaGrandparents2013]

Lets all "wait & see". As I am new to The Villages....spent the day yesterday in Orlando purchasing essentials for the home and realized that Orlando is not very far and convenient for those type of "big box" stores mentioned.

[JP]

Originally Posted by KathieI

From Trader Joe's website, these are the new stores being planned to open soon. No mention of The Villages or Wildwood...

Coming Soon:

• Dallas (Lower Greenville), TX - Aug. 9th
• Amherst, NY
• Asheville, NC
• Austin, TX
• Austin (Rollingwood), TX
• Baton Rouge, LA
• Boulder, CO
• Dallas (North), TX
• Denver, CO
• Evanston, IL
• Hingham, MA
• Libertyville, IL
• Stamford, CT

Could depend on your definition of soon

[asianthree]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

I have never been in a Trader Joe's and am curious to see how it could be better than Publix which I love. I am a person who really enjoys food shopping and cooking.

When I ask people what they love about Trader Joes I am stuck with an image like the blind man describing the elephant.

People talk about ethnic food and already prepared food cheaper than Fresh Market, not very big place, unusual items, two dollar wine, and not very big store ...most repeat that twice, it isn't very big and has hard to find stuff. I am totally curious but am looking forward to the experience since I have not yet heard any bad comments.

I am from Cincinnati, birthplace of Barney Kroger. You gotta work hard to beat a Kroger superstore, but I have grown to love Publix.

i agree i am a kroger shopper also but TJ has kosher. They carry Meat and cold cuts are nitrite, antibotic and phosphate free. Organic fruits and veggies at a good price compared to Whole Foods. Always friendly service, products are from big companies under the TJs name..Good dairy and and juice products..as for the wine they at holiday carry high end wines at good price.as far as 2 buck chuck which is 3 buck chuck out side of CA..i don't drink or cook with cheep wine,,so that's not why i dont but that wine

[Penguin]

Originally Posted by golf2140

Doug,

Well said. People move here then want what they moved from. Were retired, don't need all that crap. But were guy's !!!

I'm with you guys on that one.

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by asianthree

i agree i am a kroger shopper also but TJ has kosher. They carry Meat and cold cuts are nitrite, antibotic and phosphate free. Organic fruits and veggies at a good price compared to Whole Foods. Always friendly service, products are from big companies under the TJs name..Good dairy and and juice products..as for the wine they at holiday carry high end wines at good price.as far as 2 buck chuck which is 3 buck chuck out side of CA..i don't drink or cook with cheep wine,,so that's not why i dont but that wine

I always thought Trader Joe's was a restaurant, and wondered what all the fuss was about. Now I hear it is a marvelous grocery store with lots of healthy choices. I love shopping at Fresh Market. TJs sounds even better. Just the thing for a health-conscious retirement community! Two thumbs up.

[casita37]

As for Trader Joe's, I agree it is a wonderful store, with lots of healthy items. I have driven to Gainesville a couple of times since they have been here and actually am planning a visit this Monday.

However, just so there is not a mis-understanding, not everything in TJ's is organic and not everything in TJ's is healthy. Even if you are an "everything in moderation" type who doesn't mind sugar, heavy cream, white bread, potato chips (and the list goes on), you will find plenty of packaged, processed foods in TJ that you might not want to consume. They even have a cereal that is a take off of Fruit Loops and their own version of Pop Tarts. I actually bought the Pop Tarts take off, since they WERE "healthier", but really I should not have.

Having said, I do agree the ingredients are generally better for us than the junk on the shelves in a larger, more traditional, supermarket. I just looked at a TJ's chicken pot pie I have in the freezer. I could pronouce all the ingredients, but a couple were close.

Point being, you still have to shop wisely and read the labels. You can't just start grabbing everything that catches your eye. Even in the produce section, it's definitely not all organic. Last time I was there, the conventional produce way out-numbered the organic.

The prices are outstanding!!! So, overall, if you eat a traditional diet, and just try to not over-do the sugar, dairy, etc., then Trader Joe's is an outstanding grocery store for you. Hard to go wrong. If you are a true health food consumer, shop carefully.

I finally opened my $2 (3) buck Chuck last evening. It was pretty .....OK. I might buy more on Sunday.

@Gracie...You really should go check it out. I would invite you along on Monday, but I will be coming from Jacksonville, not TV.

[cquick]

I agree that you can find so much at Fresh Market that you can get at Trader Joe's just not the same brand names.

[jbdlfan]

Originally Posted by billethkid

We have been her almost 10 years. We probably know as many non residents from the surrounded area as we do residents of TV.
I have never ever heard of any such disenchantment with what TV has brought to the area or caused......until this thread!

I personally think there may be pockets of that, just like anywhere else on the planet. I think isolated or minority incidents are too often extrapolated to represent a general condition......which of course do not represent the reality.
And then the extrapolation is intellectualized to a point of trying to have others believe the extrapolation!

The reality is Sumter county as well as the other counties that house TV are much better off as a result of TV and it's residents.....that is the general reality that truly exists.

btk

Sorry, but have been here six years and spend more time outside of here than in and I have to disagree with you on a few points. First, try and tell me that southern Marion County is better off because of The Villages and you would be VERY wrong. Very poor area and TV has done nothing to change that. Second, two of my children have marraied "native" Sumter countians and yes, they have problems with many of us. In most cases, we are the butts of many of their jokes. But, many feel that everything that has been done, or as many of you say, developed for the good, has actually done very little for the other residents of the county. Don't start throwing out your tax numbers. I"ve been through this before on here. Sumter County schools do well, outside of The Charter school. As a matter of fact, South Sumter, Bushnell and Webster are some of the top achieving public schools in Florida. Yes, some local business will raise prices on people they percieve as "Villagers." Seen it happen a couple times in person. Doesn't mean The Villages or Villagers are bad people, just means some don't like us. Oops, thats negative isn't it? Let me rephrase that, some people just don't appreciate us enough....There, that's somewhat positive.

[Polar Bear]

Development happens. People near it are rarely (ever?) unanimously happy about it, no matter where it is. Both the long-timers and the newbies simply have to live with it and adjust as needed.

[SALYBOW]

Originally Posted by golf2140

Doug,

Well said. People move here then want what they moved from. Were retired, don't need all that crap. But were guy's !!!

Most of us left home to get rid of weather, traffic, stress of jobs and crime, etc. We did not move here to leave behind cheap prices on groceries and gas or to have to drive to Ocala or Orlando to go to a dept store.

I wonder how much of the shopping, cooking, or gift purchasing you are responsible for the household. Some people still like to cook and they need access to certain food stuff at less than Fresh Market prices. I can't even imagine why you would negatively post on this thread if it does not effect you. Criticizing the desire many have to lure a Trader Joe's here seems a bit self-serving. It is not rumored to be coming to LSL or Spanish Springs, it is coming to Brownwood which we know is going to be a heavier retail area.

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by SALYBOW

Most of us left home to get rid of weather, traffic, stress of jobs and crime, etc. We did not move here to leave behind cheap prices on groceries and gas or to have to drive to Ocala or Orlando to go to a dept store.

I wonder how much of the shopping, cooking, or gift purchasing you are responsible for the household. Some people still like to cook and they need access to certain food stuff at less than Fresh Market prices. I can't even imagine why you would negatively post on this thread if it does not effect you. Criticizing the desire many have to lure a Trader Joe's here seems a bit self-serving. It is not rumored to be coming to LSL or Spanish Springs, it is coming to Brownwood which we know is going to be a heavier retail area.

Sallybow, I agree with you about the reason for moving, and why it's not a crime to wish for a better variety of shopping opportunities. We have every right to hope for expanded retail. Narrow shopping opportunities certainly aren't the case in other retirement sections of Florida. Why should we not expect the same?

Hopefully, as TV grows n population, the stores will come.

[perrjojo]

Originally Posted by Mack184

No..I don't. Because since they don't know that I'm "one of those" I'm going to take advantage of it. It's not a matter of posting negative information, it's just saying that many of people who live in Sumter and the surrounding country areas outside of TV don't think we're such swell people, and in the largest sense, I can agree with them. The arrival of TV turned their quiet county upside down, and they didn't ask for it.

Also..we live here for other reasons than retirement. Neither my wife or I are retired. I've said it before that even though we live here we are not especially TV fans. We would not choose to retire here.

I worked in Indianapolis for a couple of years and lived outside of the city in a town called Avon in Hendricks county Indiana. At the time, Avon and Hendricks were the fast-growing county in Indiana, and those locals HATED everybody who wasn't a local. Why? Same reason as Sumter. They had a very quiet county with low taxes and minimal costs for services. Then came the "outsiders" mostly well-off who quadrupled their school district size overnight, required massive amounts of municipal services and shot their property taxes through the roof. While Sumter doesn't have the school district problems because of TV, they have all the other problems, and many of them resent it. And..I don't blame them.

You are correct...people hate change. Just ask a Native American!

[asianthree]

just because they build a TJs does not mean you have to shop there..