# The Villages in Central Florida vs active adult communities in South Florida



## LulyR (Jul 30, 2019)

Hi, I'm new to the forum, I was excited to learn there is a place where I can converse with others in my age group.  

I'm 62 years old.  My husband and I have been living full time in our RV traveling the country for the past 4 years with our two Bichons (this is important).  I have gotten tired of the lifestyle and we are looking for active adult communities in Florida.  We are originally from Miami but lived in Miramar (Broward County) for the last 20 years.  Our family is still in Miami except for our son and grandson who live in Pembroke Pines, our daughter lives in S. Korea and my father, who is 84, lives in Century Village in Pembroke Pines.

It would probably be wise to stay in the S. Florida area (although my son is planning on moving his family to South Carolina), but I have fallen in love with The Villages near Orlando FL.

What I'm hoping for is input from anyone who lives in either location.  Are The Villages as much fun as they seem?  Are any places in S. Florida active or are they just a place to wait for death (if you get what I mean).  I'm very interested in the community, clubs and amenities.

Thanks for any help 

Luly


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## Liberty (Jul 30, 2019)

Welcome to the forum Luly... glad you are here! Got a good friend that lives in Pembroke Pines.  We spent extended time in the Ft. Myers Beach/Naples area for years.  Don't live in the Villages, but have heard a lot from those who have lived there in the past.   Good luck on your "destination" plans. This forum has direct response from residents of the Villages if you'd like to check it out: https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/welcome-to-the-forum/the-villages-in-florida/


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## Uptosnuff (Jul 30, 2019)

Welcome LulyR, from Nebraska!  I can't really help you with your question since I have never traveled extensively in FL, but you have come to the right place.  I'm sure someone on here will be able to.


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## LulyR (Jul 30, 2019)

Liberty said:


> Welcome to the forum Luly... glad you are here! Got a good friend that lives in Pembroke Pines.  We spent extended time in the Ft. Myers Beach/Naples area for years.  Don't live in the Villages, but have heard a lot from those who have lived there in the past.   Good luck on your "destination" plans. This forum has direct response from residents of the Villages if you'd like to check it out: https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/welcome-to-the-forum/the-villages-in-florida/


Thanks for the link, it gave me a lot to think about.


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## 911 (Jul 30, 2019)

I don't know. I drove through there just last year and although I was impressed with a lot of things, the closeness of the neighbors and the number of people in that area kind of turned me off. One of the best things that I really liked was the fact that everything is right there for you. I mean everything that I would need to sustain my life without going and driving anywhere to the store, post office or bank. Very convenient. 

But, the crowds. I'm not sold on that. And, they were still building.


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## hollydolly (Jul 30, 2019)




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## Sunny (Jul 30, 2019)

My son-in-law has an aunt and uncle living in The Villages. They love it, and my daughter and SIL visit them every chance they get. They say there are tons of activities, and the people are very friendly.

To me, the only down side I know of is that if I were to live in Florida, I'd want to be near the ocean.


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## Manatee (Jul 30, 2019)

It will be more chilly in the winter in the Villages than you are used to in Broward of Dade counties.  We lived in Boca Raton for 5 years and returned to Pinellas county at the first opportunity.


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## LulyR (Jul 30, 2019)

hollydolly said:


>


Thank you.


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## LulyR (Jul 30, 2019)

Manatee said:


> It will be more chilly in the winter in the Villages than you are used to in Broward of Dade counties.  We lived in Boca Raton for 5 years and returned to Pinellas county at the first opportunity.


That's one of the things I've worried about.  I'm a S. Florida girl, love the heat!


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## Ken N Tx (Jul 30, 2019)




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## LulyR (Jul 30, 2019)

Sunny said:


> My son-in-law has an aunt and uncle living in The Villages. They love it, and my daughter and SIL visit them every chance they get. They say there are tons of activities, and the people are very friendly.
> 
> To me, the only down side I know of is that if I were to live in Florida, I'd want to be near the ocean.


We looked into that....very expensive!  On the east coast of the state we could only find Condos near the water and most of them don't allow dogs.  Also the HOA fee is crazy high in all of them. The HO insurance and real estate taxes are also ridiculous.


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## RadishRose (Jul 30, 2019)

Hi LulyR


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## Liberty (Jul 30, 2019)

LulyR said:


> We looked into that....very expensive!  On the east coast of the state we could only find Condos near the water and most of them don't allow dogs.  Also the HOA fee is crazy high in all of them. The HO insurance and real estate taxes are also ridiculous.


You got that ritht LulyR...in the years we had the beachfront condo, we learned a lot.  Its not just the basic HOA fees but the yearly "assessments" and the condo board "good old boys".  Each time a hurricane hits, it  can be a major obstacle.  Way too much money vs what you get.  Now don't get me wrong...we don't live in a "northern state".  We live on lotsa land in the Gulf Coast area of Texas, and our winters are not too cold. We came to get a break from our business in the month of January (which is our coldest month, but nothing like up north).  It was quite an education. Tiny condos on the beach with great views but unbelievable prices and "HOA/assessments".  Got deep pockets, go there.  Hey, you can go to South Padre Island and get way more for the money than there, but hey, its "location, location and location", right?  Especially for a northerner that lives east of the Mississippi. It is what it is.


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## Pappy (Jul 30, 2019)

We were quite impressed with the Villages. The problem is, it’s like living right smack in the middle of a small city. If you like lots of noise and parties, it’s right for you.


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## mathjak107 (Aug 1, 2019)

Way way to crowded ....waits for everything in season.... they have a 200 bed hospital and 130,000  seniors . You do the math .... if you can’t drive public transportation sucks.... we could not get a cab  to pick us up at the savannah center after a show so we couldn’t go ...the cabs and Uber stop by 9pm


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## Liberty (Aug 2, 2019)

mathjak...have heard that from others, and you'd better get a golf kart, many of which are really "tricked out" by the owners...lol.
Also heard those "parades" and festivals they keep having get real old after a while.  Know one couple that sold out, because of too many people moving in too  close to them and, well, it just got overall too "too", and moved into a mixed age community in Tampa area - they like where they live now.  Guess you have to look ahead 10 years and say "what  could this place be like and will I be tired of living this lifestyle or not".


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## mathjak107 (Aug 2, 2019)

that was the problem we had golf carts . but it was much to far , dark and the roads go through all kinds of roundabouts .. not a trip i would want to do in a golf cart at night


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## Liberty (Aug 2, 2019)

mathjak...would think that kind of lifestyle would get "old" after a while, like living in a Disneyland make believe "village" world.  Also heard there's a lot of infidelity...lol!  

The most famous of these type of "concept" towns for oldsters is Leisure World in California.  Now they are all over I think.


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## mathjak107 (Aug 2, 2019)

there seems to be a lot of websites that cater to swingers at the villages ....  so it does go on


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## Liberty (Aug 2, 2019)

Yeah, we would drive right by it for years on our way around the "swamp" to get to Ft. Myer's Beach...heard a lot of talk. Think its just grown so much that the "value received" probably isn't what it used to be for those that like that kind of "lifestyle".  Personally, we've preferred a "life"...lol.  To each his or her own.  It would be tough to move into a place you really enjoy at the time, only to see it get so crowded in the next few years.  Think its way harder to move as you get older. For most of us.  My husband says "way too many people in the world".


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## mathjak107 (Aug 2, 2019)

mathjak107 said:


> there seems to be a lot of websites that cater to swingers at the villages ....  so it does go on


the only reason i would want two women is so they have someone to talk to while i nap ....


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## Liberty (Aug 2, 2019)

mathjak107 said:


> the only reason i would want two women is so they have someone to talk to while i nap ....


Yeah, I always said every woman should have two men, one to do the cleaning and the other to do every other "chore" around the house (except cooking I love to cook)...lol.


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## MeAgain (Aug 2, 2019)

They are still trying to cover up the VD epidemic going around about The Villages.
  Going as far as calling a certain doctor a liar to hide the what some say is the truth.
   News article,

"
That urban legend dates to 2006, when a gynecologist in The Villages told a reporter she treats more cases of herpes and human papillomavirus than she did while practicing in Miami. Her remarks went national. Ever since, The Villages has had two reputations — a Disney World for adults … and an after-hours, no-rules playpen.
That second, scintillating reputation picked up steam recently when a resident of The Villages and an almost senior were arrested for allegedly having sex in the most public of places, the gazebo in the middle of Lake Sumter Landing Market Square. That story went international."






One of the grannys there got 6 months in jail for having sex in the open.


Do your homework is my advice.


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## mathjak107 (Aug 2, 2019)

Glad I missed seeing that ...... oh man not a great visual. Ha ha ha


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## Liberty (Aug 2, 2019)

mathjak107 said:


> Glad I missed seeing that ...... oh man not a great visual. Ha ha ha


Yeah, taking a walk in that town square after dark could certainly be "hazardous to your health". Its like the old joke about the Jewish lady walking in NYC and an old man comes up in a raincoat and flips it open to his naked body.  She says "and you call that a lining already?!"


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## MeAgain (Aug 2, 2019)

mathjak107 said:


> Glad I missed seeing that ...... oh man not a great visual. Ha ha ha




No but then the older the vision gets the less you care I guess. 10 women to every man I may have to kill hubby,he is a woman magnet to begin with and not sure his temptation could stand it.


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## LulyR (Aug 2, 2019)

You've all given me a lot to think about.  I realized it was crowded when we stopped by for a day in April, buy hadn't thought about it getting worse.


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## LulyR (Aug 2, 2019)

LulyR said:


> You've all given me a lot to think about.  I realized it was crowded when we stopped by for a day in April, buy hadn't thought about it getting worse.


*but, for goodness sake!


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## Liberty (Aug 2, 2019)

LulyR said:


> You've all given me a lot to think about.  I realized it was crowded when we stopped by for a day in April, buy hadn't thought about it getting worse.


Yes, that's how it goes with developers...they just keep sticking up "stick houses" wherever they have the land...cram them together and get more houses per acre.  That's where its at for the bucks for them. Privacy also goes south on you.


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## mathjak107 (Aug 2, 2019)

MeAgain said:


> No but then the older the vision gets the less you care I guess. 10 women to every man I may have to kill hubby,he is a woman magnet to begin with and not sure his temptation could stand it.


Ha ha ha .. wow just imagine getting to disappoint 10 women.


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## mathjak107 (Aug 2, 2019)

I  would never swap my wife for another woman ...I would take something I could really use like a new drum set or new deep sea fishing rod


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## MeAgain (Aug 2, 2019)

mathjak107 said:


> I  would never swap my wife for another woman ...I would take something I could really use like a new drum set or new deep sea fishing rod


Is she reading your post here,lol.


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## Liberty (Aug 2, 2019)

mathjak107 said:


> I  would never swap my wife for another woman ...I would take something I could really use like a new drum set or new deep sea fishing rod


Hey math, you better be doing the "math" better on that trade!  If she sees this just remember, you gotta sleep sometime.


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## mathjak107 (Aug 2, 2019)

Liberty said:


> Hey math, you better be doing the "math" better on that trade!  If she sees this just remember, you gotta sleep sometime.


Ha ha ha .....but The main thing is I said I wouldn’t swap her for another woman ...that should at least get me a star


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## LulyR (Aug 3, 2019)

Liberty said:


> mathjak...have heard that from others, and you'd better get a golf kart, many of which are really "tricked out" by the owners...lol.
> Also heard those "parades" and festivals they keep having get real old after a while.  Know one couple that sold out, because of too many people moving in too  close to them and, well, it just got overall too "too", and moved into a mixed age community in Tampa area - they like where they live now.  Guess you have to look ahead 10 years and say "what  could this place be like and will I be tired of living this lifestyle or not".


My problem with "mixed age" communities is that I am very shy and have a hard time making friends.  I feel that a 55+ community would have enough planned activities that I could meet and get to know people without scaring myself silly.  We lived in several houses and apartments (my husband was in the Navy) during our marriage and I would know the next door neighbors (sometimes) and that's about it.  I'm thinking 55+ communities would be like high school; there was DRAMA and cliques , but it was where I had the most friends.


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## Liberty (Aug 3, 2019)

LulyR said:


> My problem with "mixed age" communities is that I am very shy and have a hard time making friends.  I feel that a 55+ community would have enough planned activities that I could meet and get to know people without scaring myself silly.  We lived in several houses and apartments (my husband was in the Navy) during our marriage and I would know the next door neighbors (sometimes) and that's about it.  I'm thinking 55+ communities would be like high school; there was DRAMA and cliques , but it was where I had the most friends.


The cliques turn me off...think those we associate with and become friends with are normally people we share "interests" in common with. That can span the generations, of course.  Like now, share interests with grand daughter, son, friend's kids, etc. Never been a big "coffee clatcher".  You are so right about it being like high school though!


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## LulyR (Aug 3, 2019)

Liberty said:


> The cliques turn me off...think those we associate with and become friends with are normally people we share "interests" in common with. That can span the generations, of course.  Like now, share interests with grand daughter, son, friend's kids, etc. Never been a big "coffee clatcher".  You are so right about it being like high school though!


That's what I mean, the 55 communities have different clubs for different interest.  I could join the clubs that interest me and immediately meet like minded people, whereas in open communities I would have to travel to the towns community center or senior center to do the same and anyone I meet could live miles away making it more difficult to get together.  In mixed communities the young adults work and children are in school during the day and the communities become ghost towns.  Then on weekends they are busy catching up on errands, we all remember what it's like, it makes it very hard to meet people or hang out.


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## Liberty (Aug 3, 2019)

LulyR said:


> That's what I mean, the 55 communities have different clubs for different interest.  I could join the clubs that interest me and immediately meet like minded people, whereas in open communities I would have to travel to the towns community center or senior center to do the same and anyone I meet could live miles away making it more difficult to get together.  In mixed communities the young adults work and children are in school during the day and the communities become ghost towns.  Then on weekends they are busy catching up on errands, we all remember what it's like, it makes it very hard to meet people or hang out.


Well, sometimes its different these days.  For instance there are a lot of different clubs - like I belong to the local Garden Club. There seem to be clubs for whatever interests you...unless you are in a very small/rural area of course.  If you are thinking about moving someplace, it might be a good idea to check out the local groups. Colleges nearby offer great senior programs. Normally if you share interests its easy, like you say to have that commonality with each other - it breaks the ice so to speak, and permits "sharing".  One of my friends is studying to be a "docent" for the local museum.  There are so many baby boomers these days its kind of hard to find someplace where there aren't any folks you own age...especially in Florida, huh.


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## Lc jones (Aug 6, 2019)

I would have a hard time living in one of those communities. My in-laws live in one of those communities and when I was visiting there was an ambulance going by almost every night! It was very depressing.


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## Islandgypsy (Jan 2, 2020)

Gee, a place where seniors enjoy themselves, date and even have the nerve to enjoy sex. Why can’t they be content with living a boring, lonely life obsessed with the past like normal retirees ?


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## mathjak107 (Jan 2, 2020)

We checked it out ...far to crowded for my taste ...no thanks


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## gennie (Jan 2, 2020)

In your search, if you even consider waterfront property or property in a flood zone, factor in cost of flood insurance.  It's already expensive and is scheduled to increase - even the federal plan.  If you have a mortgage, it is required, and a really good idea even if you don't.  Unless, of course, you're  independently wealthy.  Just a little FYI


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