[RoyCooper]

Originally Posted by Rainger99

There should not be a paywall to read it.

I wish there had been a paywall - and I had never wasted my time.

No sense of humor, no new insights and just the same rehashing of the stereotypical Villager. Boring.

[maistocars]

Vanity Fair is one step below the WaPo.

[MandoMan]

Originally Posted by Rainger99

There should not be a paywall to read it.

The Villages Is a Boomer’s Utopia—And Demographic Time Bomb | Vanity Fair

Philip Bumpitybump is trying to make money on a book about aging Baby Boomer “dangers” we’ve been warned about for years. (Yesterday the news came out that for the first time in decades, more people died in China than were born. This caused great wringing of hands. Who will support these old Chinese people? When I worked in China forty years ago there were 800,000 people. Now, what, 1.4 billion? It was too crowded then. Now? Yes, a decrease in the population of younger people will cause some problems, but it will be survivable.) Bumpo has a multi-part thesis that is not novel, and he’s hoping a few hundred thousand people will buy his book. His agent managed to place part of one chapter with “Vanity Fair.” The editors chose a section they thought would lead to people reading it.

At least the chapter doesn’t mention the lies about huge numbers of STDs and swingers. (We have wildly more skin cancer and joint replacements than STDs, right?) Apart from that, Bumpy got all his information, as best I can tell, from reading Ryan Erisman’s error-ridden book about The Villages (I offered to proof-read it for free, but he didn’t respond), talking once with him, watching that denigrating movie about some uncommon residents of The Villages, and spending one day here with a rented golf cart. If that is the level of his research throughout the book, I don’t want to read it. Well, actually, I don’t want to read it anyway.

There is nothing in the article that we don’t know, but the difference is that we are here because we love it, while he mentions these things as if they are embarrassing or sad or abnormal. (I’m a frog—here until I croak.) Yes, we’ve heard that The Villages is 97% white. Well, a lot of us have spent our lives in neighborhoods like that, and it seems normal, not wrong. So what? Yes, we are old and getting older. We know that. It can’t be helped. So it goes. Two people I did activities with have died already this year. It’s a shock, but it’s life. Or death. Yes, 70% of villagers are said to be registered Republicans. Most of us have the good manners to not talk about politics or religion or money in public. (We are more likely to discuss our bowel habits and doctor appointments.)

This is my Paradise. I assume it is also yours. Is this the most scenic place in America? No. But it is beautiful here, and safe, and familiar. It is filled with people who understand where we are coming from (literally and figuratively) and share our likes and dislikes. There is loneliness and sadness and pain for thousands, but there would be elsewhere, too, and there is happiness if we look and try a little. Honestly, for me, even though I’m an introvert, The Villages is a wonderful place to live. I’m very happy to be here, whatever Mr. Bump-in-the-Night may insinuate.

[MX rider]

Originally Posted by MandoMan

Philip Bumpitybump is trying to make money on a book about aging Baby Boomer “dangers” we’ve been warned about for years. (Yesterday the news came out that for the first time in decades, more people died in China than were born. This caused great wringing of hands. Who will support these old Chinese people? When I worked in China forty years ago there were 800,000 people. Now, what, 1.4 billion? It was too crowded then. Now? Yes, a decrease in the population of younger people will cause some problems, but it will be survivable.) Bumpo has a multi-part thesis that is not novel, and he’s hoping a few hundred thousand people will buy his book. His agent managed to place part of one chapter with “Vanity Fair.” The editors chose a section they thought would lead to people reading it.

At least the chapter doesn’t mention the lies about huge numbers of STDs and swingers. (We have wildly more skin cancer and joint replacements than STDs, right?) Apart from that, Bumpy got all his information, as best I can tell, from reading Ryan Erisman’s error-ridden book about The Villages (I offered to proof-read it for free, but he didn’t respond), talking once with him, watching that denigrating movie about some uncommon residents of The Villages, and spending one day here with a rented golf cart. If that is the level of his research throughout the book, I don’t want to read it. Well, actually, I don’t want to read it anyway.

There is nothing in the article that we don’t know, but the difference is that we are here because we love it, while he mentions these things as if they are embarrassing or sad or abnormal. (I’m a frog—here until I croak.) Yes, we’ve heard that The Villages is 97% white. Well, a lot of us have spent our lives in neighborhoods like that, and it seems normal, not wrong. So what? Yes, we are old and getting older. We know that. It can’t be helped. So it goes. Two people I did activities with have died already this year. It’s a shock, but it’s life. Or death. Yes, 70% of villagers are said to be registered Republicans. Most of us have the good manners to not talk about politics or religion or money in public. (We are more likely to discuss our bowel habits and doctor appointments.)

This is my Paradise. I assume it is also yours. Is this the most scenic place in America? No. But it is beautiful here, and safe, and familiar. It is filled with people who understand where we are coming from (literally and figuratively) and share our likes and dislikes. There is loneliness and sadness and pain for thousands, but there would be elsewhere, too, and there is happiness if we look and try a little. Honestly, for me, even though I’m an introvert, The Villages is a wonderful place to live. I’m very happy to be here, whatever Mr. Bump-in-the-Night may insinuate.

Well said!

[defrey12]

Originally Posted by Aces4

I thought it lacked substance, felt like a page filler article to me.

Basically a long advertisement for his book is what we got out of it.

[Remembergoldenrule]

He is trying to make money from his new book. What better way to boost book sells than to create controversy. He is Washington Post writer that is trying to make people upset that the American dream works - if you work hard and instill a work ethic in your children so they are self sufficient, then you can retire and have some fun for 10-20 years before you have to be put in the “old folks” home. As far as jab at like people wanting to be together. That starts in 3/4 grade. This is why there are hundreds of clubs including the villages democrats and the villages African Americans.

Typical hypocrite as he is trying to make money to live his own retirement dream through selling half truth journalism.

[midiwiz]

Originally Posted by Dusty_Star

I think the author Philip Bump is just bashing the Villages for profit. He completely neglects to mention the larger population groups coming up behind the Boomers. But I think it is worthwhile for some of us to read in case there are questions from friends or family.

That's pretty narrow focused, our kids have all visited and not one of them has any care to move here. Our oldest is 40 and all they care about it buying a few to rent. So I'd have to say that looking at the next generations as "they will just come" is over-reach at best. They should cap the growth as that will drive the home prices higher rather than keep on building....but that's all about immediate greed and nothing more.

[Romad]

Another terrible writer desperate for clicks. He would get more of them if the article wasn’t full of half truths and outright lies. When all else fails, write a hit piece on The Villages. Too lazy to even talk to actual residents to get the inside scoop.

P.S. I wish the roads were that free of traffic.

[Jillbugg]

Pretty cynical. This author seems to be a very unhappy person. He should move to The Villages and find some happiness!

[GATORBILL66]

Maybe if enough people read the article and believe it, The Villages won't grow so fast. He should have told them about he love bugs, the terrible traffic, the no see ems and the man eating alligators!

[JWGifford]

Originally Posted by JMintzer

Yup. The very first sentence in his hit piece sets the tone...

Plus, he fails to mention that Gen X has now reached the "age 55 threshold" to buy in TV... And they are already buying homes...

You're talking about almost 66 Million people vs a tad over 70 Million Boomers...

Exactly. My wife and I are Gen X and looking forward to moving to The Villages someday (hopefully sooner vs. later).

[Dlbonivich]

Maybe some people’s children would not be interested in The Villages, but more than likely they would not be interested in moving to Florida at all. My kids live in Florida and yeah right now neither want to move here. But they love coming here and I think it maybe a place they would consider. My kids are in their mid thirties and are not married nor have they started a family yet. I imagine they will not move here at 50 like me, but your priorities change, your politics change and your needs change. I have lived all over the country. I moved 19 times. I have lived in large cities in downtowns, and I have lived in small backwater towns , this is the right place for me now. I have been here 5 years. It is not perfect, but I like it!

[MX rider]

Originally Posted by midiwiz

That's pretty narrow focused, our kids have all visited and not one of them has any care to move here. Our oldest is 40 and all they care about it buying a few to rent. So I'd have to say that looking at the next generations as "they will just come" is over-reach at best. They should cap the growth as that will drive the home prices higher rather than keep on building....but that's all about immediate greed and nothing more.

Thats painting with a broad brush.
We have 4 kids, 37 to 45.
Atlhough they're not even talking about retirement, someday they will. Attitudes change drastically as you get older and closer to retirement.

We looked into TV about 12 years ago, we were early 50's. We both said no way, not for us. Fast forward to last January.
We took a lifestyle visit to give it another look, since we're retiring this summer.

We fell in love and bought a home there in March.

My point is, saying Gen X isn't going to be interested in TV is premature.

I looked at life totally different in my 40's and early 50's.

[Mrfriendly]

Disappointed in the article. I actually read it hoping to find out where the good happy hours are in The Villages

[LuvNH]

I did not have a problem with this article. I read it through thoroughly and thought it was a very honest picture of TV. I think some of you feel that any article written about TV is a slight to your beloved TV and you overact much as a parent would if the neighbor criticizes your first born.

I saw this article as geared towards the need for retirement living and is this the only way to do it. One of my sons is a developer in the Northeast and the growing trend in his area is for multi-generational living. Whether we understand it or not, many people do not want to leave their home, their friends, their roots to move to live in the sun belt and there has to be a way to do this which will help all ages. It is a very interesting concept. When we grew up it was not unusual to find an elderly grandparent living with their children and helping with the children and other easy chores.