This is so true. When we first moved here, one of our first visitors was a woman who lived behind us. She told us that this was a very unfriendly neighborhood, and that we shouldn't be upset if nobody spoke to us. By the end of the week our house was filled with chocolates and baked goods, and we had already begun friendships that continue to this day. Same neighborhood, completely different experiences. Our dissatisfied neighbor has moved, and I hope she is happier wherever she ended up. As for us - my husband's only complaint is that people he doesn't know keep waving at him [emoji3]

:coolsmiley:

Not Unhappy at all-
 

My Friends are way too busy to stand back and moan unfavorable changes, less desireable folk etc. They are busy performing, volunteering, creating etc. Can't think of another place filled with stimulation, entertainment and activity quite the same. The "senior seniors" 80+ pretty much agree The Villages has given them quality additional years and they are looking to more. Some are here for 18 + years, owned different size homes north & south and feel pretty much the same as in the begining...though with better live theatre offerings now.

Wondering or pot stirring? HHHHHMMMMMMMMM!!!!

BTW - I see this thread is reaching 200 posts. I predict another 300 posts.

I'm going with the pot stirring. :D

Pot stirring. Habitual. Check out Cecil.

I think this one of those "tongue-in-cheek" posts meant to be funny. :confused:
If so, good first post Flora. :ho: If not, I apologize.

I didn't get the "tongue-in-cheek" post feeling. I kind of got a stir the pot feeling. Of course, that could just be me. :icon_wink:

I cannot even imagine how anyone could not be at their happiest here in The Villages.

In snowbird season, things are more crowded but all you have to do is adapt and ajust. No problem!

Of course, anyone terribly unhappy - and we hope there aren't any - can make a nice profit on their house as they wave goodbye.

I so agree with you! We bought and moved in in January this year. We aren't quite full timers yet and we are back in our original state for a couple of months. All I know is that we so miss TV but what we miss the most are the absolutely wonderful people who have become our best friends ever! We so love all the Villages have to offer but it is the great people who live there that are absolutely the greatest selling point!

Am moving to the Villages in Sept. Thanks for all who posted. Can't wait

The ever increasing population of older folks & the limited resources to keep up except fast food places & scam businesses tend to erode the quality of life most expected & did not get. Like Disney, it has lost it's direction & mission. "The Villages is a census-designated place (CDP) in Sumter County, Florida, United States. It shares its name with a broader master-planned age-restricted community that spreads into portions of Lake and Marion counties. The Villages consistently ranks as a very high growth area. The US Census ranked The Villages as the fastest-growing U.S. city for the second year in a row (during the 12 months ended July 2014);[4] The Villages has more than doubled in size since 2010: about 114,350 people now live in the community.[5]"
I doubt this ever gets posted but it's on Wikipedia & more.

Name the scam businesses. I don't think that gets posted.

I've read all the posts and I want to say "thank you" to everyone. You might not agree with each other, but your posts are informative to those of us who haven't moved yet. I can only speak of my own experiences, both in my current hometown and in The Villages. I live on "Main Street" in a medium-sized city in Ohio. We are on a 50 foot wide lot, with neighbors who leave nasty notes on each others porches when someone doesn't live up to others expectations. Average wait at many downtown restaurants are one hour, and that's not during a high season--because we don't have one. People don't wave--or speak--to most of their neighbors, despite the fact that we created a neighborhood organization. Cold shoulders? Come visit my town. Now, when we last visited The Villages, a man got out of his golf cart to ask us if we were lost when he saw we were looking at a map. Another kind gentleman explained the rules of the dog park. No wait for a table at a restaurant, but quite frankly, if you hand me a drink I don't mind waiting. Will I mind houses close by? Nope. I'm used to it. And neighbors can ONLY be friendlier in The Villages. So, it may not be perfect, but I've seen, and lived in, worse.