Downsides,

first, I love TV,
traffic can be rough in the cool season, facilities can get crowded, you have to plan.
that's about it

Having been here the first two times in April and hearing of the crowded resturaunts, streets, squares, etc in Jan - Mar, we were very aprehensive and curious when we came in February this year. However, we were amazed at the ease of getting seats in resturaunts, parking for the squares, traffic, and even golf tee times. In my opinion, the crowded conditions in the winter are overstated by many. Now if you are here June through September, I am sure you feel it is congested by comparison, but for someone who is a part timer it is easier than most large cities by far.

This is good to hear. We will spend our first winter in TV this year and were concerned about how crowded it would be. :pepper2:

I've had the privilege of living in different areas of Florida for many years and I have to chuckle when people say it's crowded here in TV in Winter. Any half way decent town in Florida is busy in the Winter; it's the climate that brings everyone South. I'm willing to pay the price which isn't much of a problem for me, I plan my day knowing that things will be crowded and enjoy the Summer when it's less crowded all the while thanking God for the beauty all around me. Regarding mail stations, we are rapidly moving toward digital mail so in the not to distant future the shrinking US Postal Service will be a thing of the past.:laugh:

The heat and humidity in the beautiful Hudson Valley in NY could be brutal; the difference here in Florida is the most fantastic light each and every day. In NY we frequently had heat coupled with a haze that was depressing. Just my humble opinion.

Here in the Hudson Valley it pretty hot last week but it's beautiful this week. The hot spells are measured in days not weeks or months. Humidity is never as high in the summer as in central Florida and it's never depressing, in my opinion. There's no nicer place during spring, summer and fall. Winter is another story. That's why we're in Florida for the cold season.

Anyone feeling better now?
 

Thank you both. We have only been down once in the peak season, this past February. But it was only for 3 days to buy a house (which didn't happen).

We didn't feel it was all that crowded, but your two posts make me feel better prepared to deal with next year, since we will be permanent residents in a couple of months. Anyone else considering moving to TV feeling better now?

To you both I say, "SALUTE"!! :ho: :highfive: :thumbup:

The one drawback that I see is that most of us will not be here as long as we would like to be.

Amen

Excellent point about the digital mail. We've noticed less and less and less paper mail last year as well as this year..........

Everyone uses Blue Mountain e-cards nowadays , so that cuts down the gift card sending.........(they are musical and quite clever; improved from the early days).........many people pay their bills online or for the year in advance........even catalogues have shrunken or become non existent as many folks shop online....

I agree about the U.S. Postal Service.

What has increased though, are the FEDEX and UPS deliveries.......
Do they deliver to the home?????? What if a signature is needed?
Not usually, but if it's a valuable item, it might be. Just wondering.

What about folks who get gifts from places like Shari's Berries (choc. dipped strawberries which are perishable) or Kansas City Steak Co.???? Omaha Steaks????
That wouldn't be delivered to the mail area, correct??? So, UPS and FEDEX does deliver to the door????

At holiday time I receive canoli's and tira misu cakes from Ferrara's Bakery in New York City...........all perishable , whipped cream, etc.
They do send it via the U.S. MAIL.........I'm pretty sure of that. I don't think UPS delivers the packages.

Thanks in advance..........

UPS packages are delivered to your door.
Things that have to be signed for are delivered to your door.
The mail kiosks are air conditioned.

You can take you golf cart to the mail kiosk.

It's all good, Senior.

That book yoo are reading is fiction. I am betting that the author must have been here once and decided it was a good backdrop for a book.

"Unforseen" is always possible.......and does occur.....sorry for your loss.
Losing one's mom is very difficult, to say the least.

Aging is a fact of life. Visit a skilled nursing facility as we did every day for 18 months at the end of my own 91 year old mom's long journey with Alzheimers. Like your mom, she was also super active; in great shape as told to me by our neighbor, friend and her internist.......that she had the heart, lungs, bones, etc., etc. of a much younger person........illness free except for the "brain"........at the end. I still remember when her doctor called me with that "news"; I recall exactly where I was sitting when the phone rang........she had been taken to the hospital when she became "dizzy" momentarily from the new drug Aricept that her other doctor, a gerontologist (?) had prescribed for her.....as a test.....so they did some brain scans, etc.etc., etc............the doc said that for her age, all of her organs, etc. were that of a much younger woman.

Alzheimers is for sure "The Long Goodbye". She lived with us for six years until I could not bathe her anymore............and if you want to see aging up close and personal, visit a nursing home. Not assisted living........but the Alzheimer's wing.

Many of our elderly friends and neighbors were all there at the same time as my mom.........many of my friend's parents as well.......the end of an era...........no, they didn't play tennis and golf, but they were active in their community and church, etc........and PHYSICALLY HEALTHY and very mobile until the dementia hit........so one really never knows, does one?

Everyone ages. We don't have our heads in the sand as we've seen it up close and personal............it kind of just sneaks up on one.

Some things that one never imagined would happen, do happen.

My mom was always "young at heart" as well as in great shape physically. Who would have figured she'd end up that way?

She had never had a single surgery in her 91 years, never broken a bone; had all her original "parts"..........and had never been on prescription meds until the Aricept, which didn't help at all......just made her light headed. He took her off of it. Dizziness can cause falls and broken bones.

Again, we saw all of our peers / friends / neighbors' parents take the same trip..........I "inherited" my mom when I was 49........she moved in with us for 6 years.....then assisted living for 2 years, followed by skilled nursing care facility for 18 months.........it truly is the "long goodbye".

My mom was one of the most positive thinking ladies I knew.
I'm sure she never thought she'd end up that way. It's very sad, to say the least.

bump

Thanks Gracie.......we did go to the mailboxes.....

I finished the book. At the ending page, on my Kindle, was his photo plus a statement that his winter home was in central Florida. He knew an awful lot about The Villages.......even mentioning Harmeswood near the end of the "story"............

Only one fact I wondered about........in the beginning of the book, he had the house in Bridgeport at Lake Miona having a SECOND FLOOR.

Other than that, his descriptions seemed pretty much on target......

daryll40: The first downside to living in The Villages is not being able to ask what is the downside in living in The Villages.

So true.....that the heat is measured in days, not weeks or months.

Many Floridians drive up to Vermont during the summer months and say, "Why is it so hot up here?" That's when there is a "rare" 95 degree day or two and most folks and many restaurants /stores / shops / galleries DO NOT have airconditioning. But the heat soon breaks and it's back to great weather.

We've had a wonderful summer up here while other states are quite hot.

We are "dry" though .....and in need of rain.........but lately it's been very cool in the mornings and might rise to 80 by late late afternoon and then dip again for evening and overnight.........however, the humidity will return........but our sun is not as INTENSE......as Florida.

We've driven up the middle of our state 4 times recently and got to see the extreme damage done by tropical storm IRENE last August......N.Y. State's farmlands were also badly flooded.

In Vermont we saw houses tilted over........still.
Bridges washed out and just now being repaired.
Roads cut in half. Water is powerful.
Barns were washed away........down river.......

Every state has "something"..........however, in all of our 42 years up here, this is the WORST damage we've ever seen.........Vermont even made the national news last August and September, which is quite unusual.