The Villages, Florida (Central)

I will never understand the appeal of retirement communities.

Assisted-living and more advanced care that many elderly people may require at some point seems an entirely different and sometimes necessary matter.

Buying a tacky one-level house on an artificial lake surrounded by shops and franchise-style restaurants abuzz with golf carts and no one under 55 except the landscape maintenance and restaurant workers...what's the fucking appeal?

Being removed from life to live amidst retirees aged 55+ who have only themselves (and Democrats) to botch about is a picture of hell.

One of my parents moved to the Villages a few years ago. I could never ever live there—it’s like being on a cruise ship that never puts into port—but for people who are extremely social, extroverted, and who love constant organized activities, it can be a pretty great place to live. There’s quite a bit of fucking that goes on too, lots of STD outbreaks; there are always an excess of rich widows, so one assumes it’s a prime hunting ground for fortune hunting straight men.

If there was a gay version I'd be all over it.

There’s a Margaritaville version of the Vilages…sounds like much more fun.

Jimmy Buffet is insanely wealthy... I was recently on Hilton Head Island and there's a Margaritaville village being constructed... I'm sure it will be sold out shortly.

[quote] If there was a gay version I'd be all over it.

It’s called Wilton Manors.

I had a former work associate who moved there with his wife after retirement. They hated it. He died before they could sell their house and move elsewhere. She eventually moved back up north and said she never wanted to see The Villages or Florida again.

There are a few Villages documentaries out there. One touched on many of the points made by R2. There was an introvert who was pretty miserable going from social club to another to try to find something, and it never clicked. There was an older guy living in a van trying to find a rich widow, but I think this is a common enough con, most old ladies are clued in. In another doc, it focused on the displacement of long-standing rural and farming communities by the expansion of the Villages. These rural properties have an Old South feel with hanging moss, and they get bulldozed over for endless retirement subdivisions. I’d love to see a giant sinkhole swallow the entire monstrosity. I’m on a FB group about where gays should retire, and the Villages (and now Florida in general) are contentious topics. Honestly, I don’t think I’d fare well in any kind of controlled ‘community’. I don’t even want to be in an HOA.

I would never live in Florida for many reasons:

Reasons -- heat & humidity, hurricanes, and horrible politicians.

Secondary reasons -- alligators, pythons, global warming w/ sea level rise, and now malaria.

And the hypochondriac narcissist has entered the room.

If I was forced to live in Florida, I'd live as far south as I can to escape the Hillbilly Riviera vibe and find the nearest latino neighborhood that would have me. White people Florida is mostly shit.

My Mom lives in a 55+ community, but it has no social activities. It is just a grouping of 150 or so duplexes for older adults (all 2-3BR). The HOA maintains the exteriors (mowing, pruning trees, provides weekly garbage pickup, shovels driveways/walkways, fixes roofs/gutters/decks). Homeowners own the actual residences and maintain all interior stuff. The HOA service fee is around $200/month.

As her son, I like it that someone else does the mowing, yardwork and snow removal (as well as gutter cleaning, painting, deck maintenance, etc).

I'd hate the social hive nature of the Villages. But I imagine when I am 70+ I would welcome someone else to do all the landscaping and snow removal.

R1 you won't see any gay couples. This is very much DeSantis-ville, inhabited by entitled Karens and Kevins who constantly try to one-up their neighbors. Very white, very republican. My dad lives in Ft Myers and has friends who live in the Villages whom he has visited. He couldn't stand the Stepford, predatory nature of the place

Eldergays love the Villages R3.

I've been there. It's frightening. And I had already lived in Northern Florida which was extremely conservative, and religious, and Republican.

It was worse. Way worse. Nauseatingly worse.

Beginning with the piped in music on every commercial corner, it's like Disneyland for white Republicans, and as R13 perfectly described - there's a scary Stepford element.

And while all the horrible people in Northern Florida were spread out and there was some breathing room. The Villages are truly an immersive experience. .

[quote]I don’t think I’d fare well in any kind of controlled ‘community’.

Me neither; aside from just the horror of living in FL, self-righteous, fundy right wingers up in your shit all the time over their love of Dump, intense hatred of Biden & Nancy Pelosi and just generally being nosy old bitches. I live in a red bubble now in a blue state with a lot of military people and that's bad enough. I can't imagine living in some little hive where there was no one with diverse opinions, tastes or thoughts. Plus, because they have so much time on their hands, they're forever getting in everyone else's shit over every little thing.

Don't believe R14, who is an idiot. Don't even THINK about moving there if you're gay or lesbian.

Those I know that blindly went, left ASAP. There may be a small percentage, but think if you'd like to spend time with anyone that found The Villages acceptable, never mind home.

Truly, if you are thinking about it, you best visit first to see and feel what you'd be getting yourself into.

Why did you start this thread, OP? Just curious.

I live about 35 minutes north of the Villages, and it is a horrible place chock full of snobbish, clannish Republicans who've always lived a privileged life and live there mostly to be among their own kind and escape the hoi polloi.

They have a group called "Tri-County Women Veterans" and I went to a few meetings back in 2017. The meetings were held at a Villages country club. I would guess about half the women were lesbians, but if any of them were out, I sure didn't know about it. I mentioned something about one of my "ex-girlfriends" and couldn't believe the looks I got. But the nadir of my experience was when I told the woman sitting next to me that I didn't live in The Villages -- I lived in the Forest, which has a (deservedly) bad reputation as a haven for (what I call) gypsies, tramps, and thieves. She never spoke to me again.

I asked the president if I had to be a Village resident to be a member of their group, and she said no -- but the frosty looks and snubs I got after that told me all I needed to know. After buying the expensive and specially embroidered shirt which a member is required to wear, I ended up never going back. No great loss, believe me.

And I know I already told you guys about the "scrunchie code," where the Villagers looking for sex roam the local WalMart weekend nights with a colored scrunchie on their shopping carts indicating what sexual activity they're seeking. I was told about this by a WalMart cashier. You could've knocked me over with a feather.

Don't go there unless you love Trump, the military-industrial complex, golf, tennis, and pickleball, and playing at being ultra wealthy. I mean, they even have a polo field, ffs!

R12 That sounds very reasonable. I can see how it would suit some people.

R18 I was just wondering if there would be a cruising area…

For anyone who wants facts about the Villages, this couple (and yes they are STR8, sorry, but that's what's available on youtube) has put out a good series of videos. I've been subscribed to their channel for some time now.

Being LGB is accepted in the The Villages. But I'm not sure about the T.

However if you are an outspoken Democrat you may not like it there:

And now this:

My liberal northeastern parents moved there a few years ago. The rest of the family was horrified and assumed they'd be miserable. But to our shock, they've been totally happy. While they are certainly outnumbered in terms of their political beliefs, they've made a group of like minded friends and have kept busy with golf, bocce, croquet, and lots of social clubs (including the Democrats club). They just know that it's best to avoid political conversations with strangers--although it hasn't stopped my dad from talking shit about Trump whenever the opportunity presents itself.

Wilton Manors = Gay Villages

How does the cost of living in Wilton Manors compare to living in The Villages?

R26 you are more exposed to hurricanes in WM, so cost will be higher there.

The operative word in those responses is "tolerant." Which is different than "accepted", or "Huh? Who cares?" Even "accepted" is fraught.

I've lived in enough "tolerant" neighborhoods. And being a curiosity for heterosexual neighbors gets tiring.

Our straight friends were surprised - and appalled - that we had to consider seriously where we would live when we retired; they're used to doing whatever they want and going wherever they please without having to worry about the people next door. Our straight friends are not particularly naive. but had never thought about what we might face, and that we had to consider it. I guess it's hetero privilege to put some name to it, even though the privilege thing is overdone.

It's more complicated than just upping and going to live wherever you'd like. Even in 2023. Be aware of the backlash we are experiencing, and where all those people live that are now coming out of the woodwork.

Living in large cities isn't always representative of the rest of the country.

So the villages is not on your short list, R28?

So live in a larger larger city. I would never allow some other perception dictate where I want to be. 🤷🏻‍♂️

That’s no way to live.

If you want a gay scene, Wilton Manors is the better choice. But space is at a premium in Broward County. You'll get more space for your money in the Villages.

But the best deal to be found will be living outside of either of these communities. Unless you feel you must live in a pre-packaged community.

Two things I can never read enough about, bad shit happening to people in the villages and stories about Alice Evans. I could read shit about them all day. Sometimes when I am bored I read the crazy shit the people on the villages complain about in their paper. There is a constant outing and shaming of people with DUIs, many in golf carts. (And yes I realize this says a lot about me but sometimes life needs an escape and I don’t drink, do drugs, overeat or gamble so I take my flaws)

The problem with buying specifically to be in a gay neighborhood is the neighborhood can change. What if all the gays leave like they did in Chelsea and the West Village?

Wasn't there a documentary about all the swingers? I can't, nor want, to envision that. This place is all magaty from what I've heard.

I don't have the stats for the The Villages in front of me (HOA fees, etc) but I'm guessing Wilton Manors is significantly more expensive because of where it is located in the state, and the homeowner's insurance premiums there will be higher than in the Villages.

R33 well, since all the gays haven’t left Chelsea or the WV, it’s not really a valid point.

Well I'm not there, R36, yet I was told it's all straights pushing double strollers in those neighborhoods now.

I am still there. Lots of kids yes. Lots of gays also yes.

If you are into older, bi-married closeted, the Villages could be heaven for you. It depends of what kind of Trade your into.

Go down for a week, and stay logged into Scruff and Bbrt for the entire time…that will give an excellent sense of the lay of the land.

The woman in the video at OP said the HOA fee was about $300 per month. She said you can buy a “used” unit starting at low $200K, IIRC.

We were told that straights started coming into the gay shops in Chelsea. They pushed a stroller into the store and blocked the aisles but didn't buy anything. The gay stores lost customers and had to shut down because of this.

Wilton Manors home prices:

[QUOTE] She said you can buy a “used” unit starting at low $200K, IIRC.

Huh? I would assume most The Villages housing for sale is "used". Or is it mostly new builds there?

R42 were you taking to yourself when “we” (you) heard this. You sound off your meds. Does that story make any sense whatsoever—no, it does not.

*talking

Wilton Manors: where the Welcome Wagon gift basket includes meth. No thanks.

The real obstacle for DLers in The Villages is not the right wing politics. It's too many fraus.

Is Wilton Manors an eldergay place or just a gay neighborhood?

[QUOTE] [R42] were you taking to yourself when “we” (you) heard this.

No. Our pronouns of choices are we/ours.

It’s downscale overpriced suburban housing stock repopulated by northern gays. Not pretty.

What the pronoun, the story is bunk! Capisce?

Whatever the pro…

I always feel like Wilton Manors looks like the Inland Empire but in Florida.

^ Corona or Cucamonga by-the-Sea

[quote] Huh? I would assume most The Villages housing for sale is "used". Or is it mostly new builds there?

Lots of new builds, according to the lady in the video at OP. Lady in video is maybe 58, married (to a man), still working.

Part of the draw is clearly the location, amenities, that kind of thing, but I think it also speaks to an unwillingness/inability for some people - particularly old people - who can't handle living around everyone that doesn't watch Fox News 24/7, worship Trump, etc. My elderly dad wouldn't live at a place like that due to the $$, but he barely stand more than a day or two away from his steady diet of Fox News, ATN or whatever loony shit he's watching these days.

The California versions, like Rossmoor in Walnut Creek (Bay Area) or Laguna Woods Village in the OC, seem more upscale and nicer.

[quote]Jimmy Buffet is insanely wealthy

His surname, along with Warren's, is BUFFETT.

He's not a Golden Corral.

Another draw is being able to get around by golf cart, only.

[QUOTE] The California versions, like Rossmoor in Walnut Creek (Bay Area) or Laguna Woods Village in the OC, seem more upscale and nicer.

Those are for the 1%ers though.

[QUOTE] Jimmy Buffet is insanely wealthy

I can't stand Parrotheads. Saw a bunch of them down in Key West, wasted in the middle of the day.

Hopefully the MAGA seniors drop dead soon

MAGA politics + tons of emboldened fraus. It does sound like DL's special version of hell.

Frankly, it seems like that lifestyle at the Villages is prolonging those people's lives.

Sounds awful. Not just magat paradise but overly social and, yes, Stepford like and packaged.

Having the following will increase the likelihood of you fitting in at the Villages:

-- You grew up in the Midwest

--Silver Daddies app installed on your phone

-- Republican politics, or can at least tolerate those political views

--open to Friday night games of Mahjonng with fraus.

^^^omg, what about bunko? My mother mentioned above has been approached by all the older neighbor ladies about her church affiliation, "you're more than welcome to come to ours church social" and inviting her to play Bunko. She's like me. Not a joiner and she likes to enjoy her wine and paint and garden. Plus, she's in Magaville and she loathes Trump.

I live and work in south florida. The problem with wilton manors is the surrounding areas. Wilton manors is mayority white and a few hispanics, but the surrounding areas are mainly black and these gays are not happy with that even more do now that it is been flooded with haitians coming thanks to biden”s humanitarian parole in the thousands every single day. This is spooking the wilton manors residents and i suspect that in the future these gays will abandon in mass wilton manors.

The highest % of post-40 STD infections in the United States. Even more than an Atlantis cruise.

Same with West Palm Beach, R69. I knew some people (lesbians raising a kid together) who lived there in a nice, all new development. But the surrounding neighborhood outside the HOA gate was not so great. People from that neighborhood started coming into the community and breaking into cars, and doing other crimes.

The mother of a friend lives in the Villages, and she loves it. She is social, Mormon, and conservative.

The grandkids also love to visit -- multiple pools and they can drive the golf cart too.

Is this guy a right winger?

R73, Peter, the guy in the video? I really don't think so. He does videos on all kinds of people from all walks of life and seems pretty respectful. Is he the most incisive commentator on what's going on in a community? No, I don't think so. But I've learned a lot from watching his videos, esp. the ones about people living on Indian reservations, different native tribes.

Here's a Villages fact I've read about: there is no mail delivery as such. It's all one dump by USPS with Villages staff sorting, so you pick it up from them.

Where can you get a rainbow loofah? Asking for a friend

Sorry, but anyone who wants to live in a place like that has zero imagination.

R77 and they likely are swingers.

[QUOTE] Two things I can never read enough about, bad shit happening to people in the villages and stories about Alice Evans. I could read shit about them all day. Sometimes when I am bored I read the crazy shit the people on the villages complain about in their paper. There is a constant outing and shaming of people with DUIs, many in golf carts. (And yes I realize this says a lot about me but sometimes life needs an escape and I don’t drink, do drugs, overeat or gamble so I take my flaws)

Well maybe you should take up drinking and drugs.

r57 it's so depressing how many older people are addicted to Fox News and are just constantly angry.

r59 nobody could really give a flying fuck if Jimmy Fucking Buffett's name wasn't spelled right. JFC.

Am I the only person who never liked Jimmy Buffett's music?

r82 I've never liked his music either.

The Villages just seems like conformist hell to me.

If the Villages isn't for you, there's always Latitude Margaritaville, where you can live out your golden years surrounded by Parrotheads and assorted drunks.

From what I've seen of Parrotheads, they're all a bunch of alkies.

Horror documentary on Hulu

It sounds like hell.

That preview was frightening.

R87 Well that looks like a fun way to see out your years…

R82 I am not a Jimmy Buffett fan either.

I was in The Villages Hospital once when I got pneumonia while visiting relatives who leave near there but not in The Villages itself.

I don't recommend it.

r75 Non-USPS personnel sorting out mail? I'll take a pass.

That trailer is dystopian... it really came across as filmmakers with a grudge, who were going to show The Villages as a dangerous place, no. matter. what. I'll pass.

Bitch stole my act.

That trailer shows one drugged out man. I'm not sure it's fair to blame The Villages for one person being a basket case. I don't even see the connection.

Is the woman showing him around in the video an employee? She looks too young to be a resident unless she's married to some old man.

I'm sure Sugar Babies gets a lot of business from the Villages, R97. Unless the men who live there are too cheap to support a young companion.

Nevermind. I got a better look at her.

What is this thread -- some shill for The Villages trying to land some rich gay men in her social circle?

I still don't understand why this thread was started in the first place.

Buy a place there -- I dare you. But don't come crying to me later.

There's a gay neighborhood near the Villages and even the cop looks gay! Drugs for all, too!

No one wants to buy a place there R100 but it's a curiosity like the Duggar family.

This is a needed service, for sure.

This one made me laugh out loud.

Good Lord in heaven. All the worst of MAGA rolled into one.

I used to live in a golf cart community. Not old people but a mix. It was a small island and I loved my golf cart and like the fact that I didn't have to use a car to run errands but, yes, lots of drunk driving and people ending up in the water.

OMG the obituaries. Someone with a penchant for sugary romantic fiction is writing them.

"Monika Arrington Sunrise Feb. 18, 1953 – Sunset Dec. 28, 2022.

The Villages, Florida — When Monika walked into a room, she made it shine. Her vivacious, generous and thoughtful way was infectious and touched so many hearts. If you knew Monika, you know how deeply she loved with a loyalty that went beyond measure. She made you feel special, loved and taken care of … these were just a few of her extraordinary gifts.

Monika received her angel wings at home surrounded by her loving family and lots of love.

She is survived by her husband, Jim Arrington. Jim always said Monika was his “Reason.” He will always be the love of her life. Their love was like a fairy tale."

I don't understand the Connecticut woman in R22's video. She bought a house in the Villages and now complains she didn't know what the politics of the place was. Has she been living under a rock?

Are Blacks or other minorities allowed there?

Obit - deceased person not to be named to save the family embarrassment.

From the Villages obits, "We are sad to announce the passing of our beloved mother (Antonymous) on June 10, 2023 at the age of 87.

She enjoyed life in The Villages after moving from South Florida in 2004.

Mom loved shopping, playing cards, Bingo, Bunco and talking on the phone. She was known for consuming a lot of Diet Pepsi. Her favorite pass time was visiting with family and friends. . . . ."

This delightful song comes to mind.

That woman in R22's video is not helping her cause by acting like a screaming lunatic. Far better to work behind the scenes and get stuff done.

The BLM lady claims "she did not know there was no diversity in the Villages before she moved there".

Did she buy her house sight unseen then? It seems like if she had visited the place to look at houses she would have picked up on the fact that there is no diversity there very quickly.

Friend of mine retired with his partner to a modest house just outside the Villages. He liked the weather (which is awful in summer) and gay days at Disney. But the environment is really, really conservative. The Villages -- those fake town squares -- have chain restaurants at best. Dancing in the town square is of course all white, all str8. Huge Catholic population. The Episcopal church in The Villages, St. George's, appears not to be affiliated with the national (liberal, welcoming) Episcopal church. The lovely little Episcopal church in Fruitland Park is....

Stay away. You're not welcome there. It's a bucket list stop for every MAGA Republican running for office.

The Villages seem love-hate. I think the people who thrive there know what it is going in and they're "all in" types. I've read many reviews by people who hate it, saying that it's status-y, clique-y, and like a huge high school. But that can happen far beyond The Villages - it's an unfortunate aspect of adult life. I'm sure there's residents of The Villages that are just there and it's "fine" and they're not super into it or super against it. But those voices are never really heard. My parents live in Sun Lakes in Chandler, Arizona, a Phoenix suburb. It's decidedly NOT the Villages. I mean there's a broader and more intense social scene if you want it, but it's super easy to avoid. Plus, it's not a "village." There's clubhouses and recreation facilities, but there's no commerce inside the development except for the restaurants and the bars at the club houses. You have to leave the development for groceries, hardware store, medical care, and everything else. It's not diverse at all, but it is slightly more than before. I saw a black couple one year who apparently moved on to somewhere else. And there's an Indian guy who I always see walking when I'm visiting. But these are tiny instances. Only noteworthy because I never saw them before. I've never run across gay seniors, but then again I haven't interacted with a ton of people - only the ones I see when walking the dog or my parents' neighbors.

The gays there probably dress like spumoni and provide entertainment for the straights at bingo.

Yeah R114 it seems like you need to be a joiner, very social and into group activities to get the most out of The Villages.

But 150K people live there, so there must be all types.

R116 Exactly, a conformist or an introvert would jump off one of those bungalows within the first hour.

Nonconformist*

The gay neighborhood is called Fruitland Park! JFC!

There tons of 55+/active senior communities going up around me. I could actually move into one now but they always look depressingly lifeless to me. For supposedly active senior communities there's little activity. No one's grilling or having wine on their patios or balconies or walking. Maybe they are all inside watching game shows and Fox? I know all they love Wheel of Fortune at 6:30.

Old people are addicted to Wheel of Fortune

My partner's late mother lived in a lovely assisted living facility (nice grounds but still depressing). Many of the elderly residents were still fit and sharp, there were lots of activities and happy hour. She laughed about all the romances going on with the hoards of single ladies chasing after the very few available men.

I had an aunt (dead now a long time) who lived in Rossmoor, Walnut Creak (mentioned above), years ago. She was a well-to-do widow who married a single man while she was there. Booted him out after just a few months because she figured out he married her to be lazy on her dime.

R92 I would have assumed they would have good healthcare, although I guess doctors could move anywhere. But they certainly have the demand. Why was it bad?

R104 it is just endlessly entertaining.

R109 in one of the documentaries (I think the youtube one posted above) they explore that a bit. There are two black women interviewed who said there are black people but it's rare and when they see each other they make note of it. Although being MAGA would keep me out if I was a person of color (I mean, it's keeping me out and I'm white) but I would be money that the KKK is one of the strongest social groups there. Going out on a limb on that one, I know.

There's one my mother looked into when she retired called Eagle's Trace. She said it was nice but too expensive and got really alarmed when they told her they needed power of attorney over her bank accounts.

There is constant smoking there too, everywhere. I couldn't do that.

Planned communities a big yuck

You would think there wouldn't be that many smokers amongst elderly people.

R129

Wouldn't it be just. the opposite? Young people rarely smoke nowadays. Older people that have smoked for a long time may not have given it up?

R129

Only about 11% of tobacco smokers in the US today. And smoking among the elderly will be way less than 11%.

r130 what I meant was that there aren't that many elderly smokers, for obvious reasons.

Lots still smoke weed though.

Younger 18- 24 yo in the US do have a very low smoking rate. About 5% or so. Then it jumps much higher. At 65+ it drops back down but only to about 8%.

So below the national average but above the real youngsters.

At one time not all that long ago almost 50% of adults in the US were daily tobacco smokers. Now right about 11%.

I'm Gen X and back in the 90s there was a lot of smoking amongst my generation. Many of us have since quit.

Smoking has decreased drastically since I was a young adult in the 1990s. But, has there been a slight uptick maybe over the past five years. I feel like I see it more than I did when the no smoking trend hit it's peak. And not just because I have a few friends that smoke socially. I'm talking tobacco, not weed.

I know a few people who are occasional smokers, i.e. they'll have a cigarette if they have a couple drinks, but I don't know anyone who smokes on a daily, habitual basis anymore.

Cigs are expensive now.

Might not be that many people who smoke- but they all seem to live in the villages (according to the village news- great debates about whether it should be allowed to smoke in restaurants in outdoor seating

Themed villages sound creepy like Westworld. As far as Margaritaville being more "laidback", every parrothead I've met is a huge Maga type. No different than the Villages.

R136

No uptick seen in the national data. It’s all been heading in one direction down.

The dramatic drop in smoking rates in the US , for a serious addiction , shows what can be done when you raise prices, raise taxes, restrict smoking areas, and treat a segment of society like unwanted lepers.

You see an amazing drop in rates of addiction. People can change dangerous behavior if you just punish them enough

R122

[quote]...She was a well-to-do widow who married a single man while she was there. Booted him out after just a few months because she figured out he married her to be lazy on her dime.

An older, single lady, a neighbor, in referring to older "available" men, claimed they were after "...a nurse, or your purse.".

I knew a woman who lived there, she had a hot pink golf cart with eyelashes painted on it she would even ride into town. She died from Covid, she was a Trumpster as are many others there. Ugh.

It would be interesting to see the Covid stats there.

I just went down a rabbit hole of YT videos by Villages residents. All white though a few pro comments claimed to be Black or Hispanic residents happy there. I wonder what they thought of the "white power" shouts and pro Trump rallies.

I’d rather live in a college town where I don’t have to look at monied hillbillies who want me to die.

Those fatassed MAGATs singing Happy Birthday to Trump in r22's video made me want to fucking vomit. I'd rather live in a shack in the woods than be around those types.

[QUOTE]An older, single lady, a neighbor, in referring to older "available" men, claimed they were after "...a nurse, or your purse.".

This is true for most widowed or single women of a certain age.

Men want a cook and a nursemaid on the cheap who will eventually wipe their asses and try to carry their bodies from bed to recliner where they will reside for the day and watch TV as they smugly love having it over on yet another woman.

If not on a bedpan, they will need to remind new wifey/slave he needs shuffling to the bathroom multiple times daily if they refuse a catheter or Depends. Oh, and, fuck, getting some men to wear Depends? They prefer their thin underwear so it goes down legs and seeps into the furniture. I've seen this more than once with my (now deceased) elderly parents' friends. The formerly coddled men become either taskmaster to a new one or just pathetic.

Who wouldn't like to leave such a selfish fucker in Depends-full-o-shit for at least a day or two? Nevermind. Sociopaths can't be taught lessons. He'd never appreciate the "help" under any circumstances.

My grandmother lived in a senior apartment complex for her final decade. It wasn't a nursing home - just cheap apartments for old buzzards. She hated it, but told me enough stories to write a Netflix drama about it.

- It was income-restricted, so many retirees transferred their wealth to trusts or heirs prior to the look-back period, so they'd appear poor enough to get in and pay $400/month in rent

- Racism wasn't even concealed. One Black woman moved in, and people would very loudly get up and leave the room anytime she walked in. She moved out in under a year.

- People STOLE! They'd enter an unlocked apartment and steal your pills or groceries while you napped. They'd steal the casserole dish you brought downstairs to the potluck.

- People scammed. The building had a kitchen and dining hall, and they hired a string of caterers to cook meals that sold for $1. People were on the honor system to leave a dollar on their tray when they were done eating. Almost no one did, and after five or six catering companies got tired of being fleeced, they closed the dining hall entirely. Old fucks blamed it on Obama.

- Sexual favors were common. If an old slut needed a ride to Walgreen's, but Tuna Can Jerry was still in the hospital, she'd sidle her way over to Marvin or Otis or Fat Glenn and trade companionship for transportation.

- Old men selectively forgot their marital status. When a new broad came on the scene, or even just a lady mail carrier, several happily married old farts would get after her like she had Coumadin capsules in her hair. Their wives were usually upstairs asleep or out back playing Wii Tennis, so the tigers were free to play.

True, r147. The older generation of men need a live-in maid because they were never taught to be self-sufficient in regards to basic living skills. All of my Boomer uncles are like this, as are their friends.

I'm a man, btw.

Sounds awful R148.

R150 Nah, it was okay. She was actually one of the old sluts who always needed a ride.

Place smelled like cabbage year-round, though.

R147 I've met a couple of bi-married (or gay whatever you want to call them) men who keep getting re-married to women after they get divorced (two or three times). They have affairs with men but want some woman at home to cook for them and wait on them.

The family I grew up living next door to, the dad doesn't even know how to make a cup of coffee or do laundry, etc. When his wife dies he will have another one shortly just to have a live in maid as said above. My dad lets my mom wait on him but he could do things himself if he wanted (we went the the cottage alone with dad before and he could do household stuff when mom wasn't there), they just had the agreement that my mom never worked so her job was my dad and us kids. Silent generation. I am 50 and single but I think I would rather be single than stuck with somebody sick, although I guess as they say if you really love somebody you would do it.

R148 why has no one created that sitcom? That would be hysterical

I did meet an eldergay who lived in the Villages. He said he enjoyed the lifestyle there -- the golfing in particular. But he was unpartnered so maybe went under the radar and that's why the other Villagers didn't come with pitchforks to his doorstep.

It saddens me to realize I qualify for that community age wise.

It kinda makes me want to croak in MY HOUSE and on MY TERMS, fuckers.

A lot of people in the Villages act entitled because they were overpaid at unionized jobs in the Midwest for years (auto industry).

R101 It’s a cookie-sniffing dog on the photo!

R107 That was beautiful, thank you for posting. I honestly didn’t know that upon dying we receive angel wings. I no longer fear death.

This thread is an unexpected delight. Thank you all who have posted, I’d never heard of these places before.

If Florida isn't your thing:

I would not live in Palm Springs. I was told about all the tweakers there. Plus it's too hot.

R162 It’s where medium-brow gays with money look to retire. It has mid century modern furniture shops, gluten-free artisanal pizza, and easy access to affordable trade who won’t steal your TV. A nice place to be a tasteful old queen.

Of course, high-brow homosexuals stick to their pre-retirement haunts. The Upper East Side, Hancock Park, Palm Beach, and the like.

[quote]and easy access to affordable trade who won’t steal your TV.

Well, good luck stealing this!

Hancock Park? 🧐

My favorite story from the local The Villages newspaper when my mother lived there years ago:

60-something woman goes to visit her husband in The Villages Hospital and finds his 60-something girlfriend visiting him. Wife chases girlfriend to parking lot, girlfriend locks herself in her car. Wife turns into some kind of Kung Fu Ninja and kicks sideview mirrors off her car and blocks her from leaving. Girlfriend calls police, police arrive and Kung Fu Ninja wife proceeds to kick officers in the groin. Several police cars later and with crazy wife still kicking at their private parts, a bunch of officers manage to wrestle her to the ground and HOG TIE her to get her in the police car. They HOG TIED her, LMAO.

Sidenote: Unless you have a death wish, don't ever go to The Villages Hospital. That place should be designated a Medically Assisted Death Facility.

R161 Did anyone drown in the Palm Springs area here in August 2023?

Wilton Manors is a Dump. Humid and sweltering. There is nothing there. Elderly fat drunks are the “gay scene”. Tiny dump bars. If you go to Wilton, you will not be happy.

Off ramp to..