[DaleDivine]

Originally Posted by Nucky

Living in The Villages is much better than I had ever expected. I investigated the weather, as far as Hurricanes were involved. However, the one thing I did miss was that it gets cold here in winter. Colder than I expected. When we go to visit family down around Miami I literally get on the driveway and kiss the Tarmac when we get back home safely. I love it here. For us, there is no other place to be in Florida. If we ever had to leave it would be back to N.J. God Forbid!!!!

I'm a golfer so, there is no other place for golfing like The Villages.

[davem4616]

Originally Posted by manaboutown

A long time friend in her 70s who has lived in Miami and The Keys all her life told me that not only is it colder in the winter in Central Florida than in South Florida it is hotter in the summer. That surprised me. She told me they get cooling breezes off the Atlantic which help in the summer.

I concur

Our first Florida home was on a canal in Ft Lauderdale beautiful weather 365 days a year...always a breeze, palm trees galore

the traffic is horrible down there though, and once the iguana's started eating my tomato plants I said, "let's go a little further north."

The Village's lifestyle what made central Florida livable for us

[sdm1222]

Originally Posted by rustyp

A tough decision for most - after moving to Florida did it meet your expectations ?

PLEASE ONLY POSITIVE RESPONSES ALLOWED.

"pollyannaish"

[mkjelenbaas]

Originally Posted by rustyp

A tough decision for most - after moving to Florida did it meet your expectations ?

PLEASE ONLY POSITIVE RESPONSES ALLOWED.

Does that mean if we don’t like the move we can say so? In other words you only want one side of the conversation! That is rather ODD!

[airstreamingypsy]

Oooooh, you're not going to like this answer. I used to love it, but seeing all these crazy new laws, and watching Florida turn into Alabama.... am thinking not so much.

[airstreamingypsy]

Originally Posted by davem4616

I concur

Our first Florida home was on a canal in Ft Lauderdale beautiful weather 365 days a year...always a breeze, palm trees galore

the traffic is horrible down there though, and once the iguana's started eating my tomato plants I said, "let's go a little further north."

The Village's lifestyle what made central Florida livable for us

.....and now the traffic is horrible here.

[Petersweeney]

Op …. Are you the one who works at the internet and took away the dislike buttons?

[merrymini]

Do you get paid for posting questions like this?

[PersonOfInterest]

Originally Posted by rustyp

A tough decision for most - after moving to Florida did it meet your expectations ?

PLEASE ONLY POSITIVE RESPONSES ALLOWED.

Why ask the question if you only want Positive Response?

[TravisandAngie]

Absolutely YES. We love it here and feel so blessed to be in Florida.

[MiniCooper]

Love being in Florida. Very few surprises and fun no longer visiting as a tourist.

[sallyg]

What's your favorite color? Only answer if it's blue.

[sallyg]

Originally Posted by PersonOfInterest

Why ask the question if you only want Positive Response?

Exactly.

[ThirdOfFive]

Originally Posted by rustyp

A tough decision for most - after moving to Florida did it meet your expectations ?

PLEASE ONLY POSITIVE RESPONSES ALLOWED.

It is more complicated than that. Florida is not one comprehensive thing...the Panhandle for example is as different from West Palm Beach or Jupiter as night is from day. Likewise the difference between Miami and The Villages. They could be in two different countries insofar as their differences go. I realize that can be said, to a degree anyway, for most states: when you're in Minnesota for example no matter which part you are in, you KNOW you are in Minnesota. Here, you can be in Havana in the morning and NYC in the afternoon. The only (relative) constant is the weather.

We had been to Florida quite often before our move here so the reality pretty much jived with our expectations, and in a nutshell we couldn't be happier. The Villages lifestyle is in my opinion ideal for people in our situation (no maintenance demands, lots of free time and the money to enjoy it) and there's just something about palm trees and blooming azalea plants that is conducive to a feeling of overall well-being. And those differences, in my opinion, are a tremendous positive as well. You don't have to drive far to experience the REAL Florida (at least what it was before all the geezers flooded in). We have some friends about 20 miles out of town in a VERY rural part of the state, and the laid-back lifestyle and friendly people is something to be valued when we experience it.

Of course there are negatives. For instance the medical care is overall not the best when compared to that which I believe many if not most of us enjoyed before moving here. But rather than fret about that I make it a point to live as healthy as I can, and in nearly two years now I haven't had so much as a sniffle.

Yeah. My expectations have been met. Exceeded, actually.

[PugMom]

coming from a small state, the size of fl overwhelmed me @ 1st. other than that we should've moved here years ago.