[Bogie Shooter]

APP store has lots of app’s on “How to make friends”.

[Taltarzac725]

Find Villages clubs that have members with similar outlooks as you have. There are many clubs in the Villages.

Most of my friends I made here in the Villages were at the various local dog parks and/or while out walking with the different pooches we have had here. Unfortunately many of the dog park friends have moved or passed away or their dogs crossed over the Rainbow Bridge.

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by Taltarzac725

Find Villages clubs that have members with similar outlooks as you have. There are many clubs in the Villages.

Most of my friends I made here in the Villages were at the various local dog parks and/or while out walking with the different pooches we have had here. Unfortunately many of the dog park friends have moved or passed away or their dogs crossed over the Rainbow Bridge.

You mean they walked across to the Canadian side of Niagra Falls to be with Barefoot????? Can you ask them to fetch my lobsters from her????

[Michaellinda]

Just be decent to everyone you meet and pick a few like minded persons to be your friends.

The Villages is pretty large, your friends will likely not be your neighbors.

[JMintzer]

Originally Posted by La lamy

I think making friends is very easy here. In a retirement community people have lots of extra time on their hands and willing to get to know and spend time with you. I like the suggestion of inviting neighbours to a cocktail party (it can be outside if needed). If you have a dog, that's always an easy way to get to know people in dog parks or just walking around the neighbourhood. Enjoy "Florida's friendliest hometown"!

Yup. My wife wants to schedule an open house/cocktail party now that we're coming down more often. It's a great way to meet the neighbors. We'll probably do it later this winter...

Sadly, we missed the last "block party" on out street by a week this past summer...

We -were- able to see/hear some of it thru our video doorbell... Looked like fun!

[jimbomaybe]

Finding friendship is as natural as the sunshine , not just the similar like minded but the different add much spice, liberal friends tell me I am just to the left of Attila the Hun, I take it in good graces but I do wish they would tell me how many transfusions they get every week to make up for their bleeding hearts

[GypsyRN]

Originally Posted by AbbyPye

After a number of months of carefully planning, I am finally progressing to find a spot to move to The Villages on a more permanent basis along with the person that will be a spouse-type figure. (No, I am not legally married to the other person, but that is all besides the point!)

I keep reading various written posts as well as viewing imagery that stress the fact that once a couple (even a single person as well, through I can’t voice myself regarding that fact) moves to The Villages community, they will be making friends that they have never experienced first hand before, comparing to what it was like when they lived within the communities they came from. This notion presents an illusion that within a short period of time from the start of their official residency, these new residents will have a number of personal contacts that they can consider as their “friends”.

So I will ask this inquiry as I have yet to discover these facts myself. Once somebody does relocate to this Villages community, can a person and/or a couple really make these kinds of friends this quickly? I understand that if one engages is some form of activity be it playing a sport, becoming a participant is a organized group, or some other factor that requires social activity, one can make friends. But what would happen if this person/couple spends little time in such social activities, but one lives in the area just as a standard resident?

Both I as well as my domestic partner are working full time. (*gasp!*) We are employed outside of the community, meaning that we are away from home during the weekday hours, with an occasional weekend stance on the job. So while everyone is doing something during the weekday daylight hours such as playing golf or participating in a ceramics class, I, along with my “spouse” will be engaged in working at some facility that is far off from all of these forms of play and leisure.

I will state that having all of this leisure on hand is far from being unsettling or nothing to be desired. (In fact, it’s great!!) But let’s face it! I may not have the time to engage in all of these activities as I do have those personal responsibilities I must tend to that hold a first priority for my household.

The reason why I and my partner is moving to this Villages community is for various purposes, mostly because of financial elements. But those specific reasons can and will be discussed not here, but on another discussion thread that will be posted in the near future.

So if anyone can honestly speak up on this inquiry, I would deeply appreciate it as I know I am not the only person or persons that might want to know what they may be facing upon their arrival. So call this inquiry as one that can be considered as a public service.

Thank you to all!

-Abby and domestic partner Terry

Just don't be a prick (like entitled, know-it-all, etc,) and you should be OkeyDokey!!

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

I've been living here for a little over two years. My next door neighbor and I became "instant pals" even before I signed the down payment check for the house. I'm pretty young for our area (60 living in the "historic" section), so most of my neighbors are old enough to be my moms and dads. We have a very close-knit neighborhood - we watch out for each other, some of us have keys to the others' homes "just in case," we'll stop literally in the middle of the road to yap with each other if we're out there at the same time, and so on.

For me, they're not the same kind of "friendship" as I had with the kids in the neighborhood when I was growing up. But - I don't see any of those folks anymore, I occasionally check in with them on their facebook pages to say Happy Birthday or congrats or condolences, but that's it.

The friendships we have now, here in the Villages, are still fairly new. We've only known each other for 2 years (or less with some of the newer homeowners). But the friendships are still neighborhood friendships. We're like family. It's very nice.

[Hifred]

I think it depends on where you are moving to. In newer neighborhoods there is a sense of building a community and people are more open to friendships. Typically people all tend to be new to the neighborhood and so everyone is new. We made the mistake of moving into an area we liked but most of our neighbors are 8-10 years older. We retired in 2019 before Covid and still found that the people in our neighborhood all had their golf groups and friends. I had heard about driveway parties but where I live there wasn't events that we were invited to and I didn't see neighborhood functions even before Covid. As such although we live between 466 A and 44 all of our friends are mostly in Fenny, Marsh Bend, Linden, and the newer areas. This is because these people were more our age and more open to forming friendships. I have tried to be a good neighbor and talk to those who live close. I have invited neighbors over for dinner and game nights but no one has reciprocated in the 2 and a half years we have lived in our home. I have brought meals to those who live nearby when they were sick, baked holiday goodies and brought them to neighbors. People in my neighborhood are friendly but not that social I think because they are very comfortable with the social groups they have established. If I had it to do over again I would move into a newly established area so we could be part of the making of the community from the ground up.

[midiwiz]

Originally Posted by AbbyPye

So I will ask this inquiry as I have yet to discover these facts myself. Once somebody does relocate to this Villages community, can a person and/or a couple really make these kinds of friends this quickly? I understand that if one engages is some form of activity be it playing a sport, becoming a participant is a organized group, or some other factor that requires social activity, one can make friends. But what would happen if this person/couple spends little time in such social activities, but one lives in the area just as a standard resident?


-Abby and domestic partner Terry

As you see, rather than reply with their experiences you get the 1000 opinions on "how to make friends" - Welcome to the Villages. LOL

[VApeople]

Originally Posted by AbbyPye

I understand that if one engages is some form of activity be it playing a sport, becoming a participant is a organized group, or some other factor that requires social activity, one can make friends.

Yes, that is correct.

Originally Posted by AbbyPye

But what would happen if this person/couple spends little time in such social activities, but one lives in the area just as a standard resident?

Then you probably will not make any friends.

The way to have a good friend is to be one.

[Ele201]

Originally Posted by Hifred

I think it depends on where you are moving to. In newer neighborhoods there is a sense of building a community and people are more open to friendships. Typically people all tend to be new to the neighborhood and so everyone is new. We made the mistake of moving into an area we liked but most of our neighbors are 8-10 years older. We retired in 2019 before Covid and still found that the people in our neighborhood all had their golf groups and friends. I had heard about driveway parties but where I live there wasn't events that we were invited to and I didn't see neighborhood functions even before Covid. As such although we live between 466 A and 44 all of our friends are mostly in Fenny, Marsh Bend, Linden, and the newer areas. This is because these people were more our age and more open to forming friendships. I have tried to be a good neighbor and talk to those who live close. I have invited neighbors over for dinner and game nights but no one has reciprocated in the 2 and a half years we have lived in our home. I have brought meals to those who live nearby when they were sick, baked holiday goodies and brought them to neighbors. People in my neighborhood are friendly but not that social I think because they are very comfortable with the social groups they have established. If I had it to do over again I would move into a newly established area so we could be part of the making of the community from the ground up.

I admire you for putting in the effort of getting to know your own neighbors. Inviting them over to your house, offering care and concern if someone was sick, etc. That’s proactive! Sorry they haven’t reciprocated. Sometimes people are “in their own world,” and as you mentioned, they have established social groups already. But you did the right thing by extending yourself.

[Laker14]

Originally Posted by GypsyRN

Just don't be a prick (like entitled, know-it-all, etc,) and you should be OkeyDokey!!

I know lots of pricks who have friends. But they're all pricks.

[KMGraham]

We will be moving to TV in June! Cannot wait as we have been visiting there, 4 or 5 times a year now, for 3 years for long weekends. 🙂
However, I too am concerned as we will still need to work full time (somewhere). I'm imagining that most 'socializing' will be on the weekends. But, I am hopeful that in time we will make a handful of what we will consider good friends as opposed to acquaintances that we just run into now and again. Fingers crossed!

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by KMGraham

We will be moving to TV in June! Cannot wait as we have been visiting there, 4 or 5 times a year now, for 3 years for long weekends. 🙂
However, I too am concerned as we will still need to work full time (somewhere). I'm imagining that most 'socializing' will be on the weekends. But, I am hopeful that in time we will make a handful of what we will consider good friends as opposed to acquaintances that we just run into now and again. Fingers crossed!

Depending on where you work, it is likely that you make some friends there.