The Villages® retirement community in Central Florida is home to 700+ holes of golf, 200+ pickleball courts, 100 recreation centers, 100+ swimming pools, 3,000+ resident clubs and organizations, 100+ restaurants, a wide range of shops, grocery stores, and medical offices, free live entertainment nightly, and to top it off, nearly everything is golf cart accessible. With all of that in mind, it's no wonder why 130,000 retirees call it home.Yes, it's an incredible place, but it's not for everyone. Thousands of people buy and move here every year, but thousands more take a close look and decide it's not for them. This book was written to help you decide if it's the right place for you.
Join thousands of current and future "Villagers" who have learned from The Villages Florida Book.If you have big dreams of one day retiring to The Villages, but you just don't know where to start gathering the best information - you are not alone. The Villages Florida Book is designed to help you separate the fact from fiction about America's most popular retirement community, and begin your new life in The Villages with confidence.The Villages is one of the most popular Central Florida retirement communities. Ask anyone who lives there and they'll probably tell you there were things they wish they'd known more about before buying in The Villages. The Villages is a great place to live. But there are several important things that you need to know.The book's author, Ryan Erisman, runs the popular website TheVillagesFloridaBook.com and is the editor of The Villages Monthly, the only unbiased monthly newsletter published today about The Villages. The founder of For Boomers Media, he is also a contributing writer to several publications focused on retirement community living including 2nd Home Journal, Boomers On The Move, and others. Ryan's books have been featured in publications such as Where to Retire Magazine, Florida Home Builder, Florida Realtor Magazine, Top Retirements, and more.The Villages Florida Book was written to help people like you because there was no other complete resource on this popular retirement community. This is the most comprehensive book of its kind about The Villages available anywhere.
This revealing profile “disappears down the rabbit hole [into] the largest gated retirement community in the world” and what it discovers is “fascinating” (The New York Times). When his next-door neighbors pick up and move from New England to an age-restricted “active adult” development in Florida called The Villages, Andrew D. Blechman is astonished by their stories—and determined to investigate. Sprawling across two zip codes, with a golf course for every day of the month, two downtowns, its own newspaper, radio, and TV station, The Villages is a prefab paradise for retired Baby Boomers, where “not having children around seems to free [them] to act like adolescents” (The New York Times). In the critically acclaimed Leisureville, Blechman delves into this senior utopia, offering a hilarious firsthand report on everything from ersatz nostalgia to the residents’ surprisingly active sex life. Blechman also traces the history of this phenomenon, travelling to Arizona to find out what pioneering developments like Sun City and Youngtown have become after decades of segregation. Blending incisive social commentary and colorful reportage, “Blechman describes this brave new world with determined good humor and considerable bemusement” (Katherine A. Powers, The Boston Globe).
This book brings together technical expertise, best practices, case studies and ground-level application of the ideas for empowering the rural population of the world to live economically prosperous, environmentally sustainable, and socially progressive lives, on par or comparable with the quality of life enjoyed by the global urban population. The idea of Smart Villages takes on greater urgency in light of the investments made in this millennium on “Smart Cities”, taking advantage of the technological advances, particularly in digital connectivity. These investments have and will continue to expand the urban-rural divide, unless similar investments are made in the villages as well. The book provides a much-needed guide for a holistic development of a Smart Village, by defining the need, developing the framework, and describing the delivery, complete with successful case studies. Contributors to the book, from Canada, USA, Africa and India bring years of academic, industry and governmental experience, including organization of several Smart Village conferences. The knowledge base in the book will be of great value to anyone interested in or active in rural planning, including governmental and non-governmental organizations, industrial solution providers, public healthcare professionals, public policy professionals and students, as well as rural communities around the world. Consolidates all the aspects of creating/developing a Smart Village; Delivers an effective tool-kit for practitioners in the area of Smart Villages; Provides a policy-based framework for the development of an ideal Smart Village; Illustrates, through case studies, the fulfillment of key requirements of a Smart Village; Brings together experts from around the world to share their vision of a Smart Village; Highlights the importance of balancing development with social/gender equity and cultural traditions.
The uniqueness, complexity, and beauty of the cultures and landscapes of India's southwestern state are depicted in the pages of Lonely Planet's Kerala. A language guide rounds out information on yoga, elephants, tea plantations, and more. This book also includes 25 practical maps to help travellers plan a memorable trip.
"The Complete Travel Guide Series" offers a comprehensive exploration of diverse destinations worldwide. Each book provides detailed insights into local culture, history, attractions, and practical travel tips, ensuring travellers are well-prepared to embark on memorable journeys. With vibrant illustrations, beautiful pictures and up to date information, this series is an essential companion for any type of traveller seeking enriching experiences.
In business under a variety of names since the mid-nineteenth century, the George Wade pottery in Burslem, England has produced many forms of ceramic items but is perhaps best known for their delightful series of tiny porcelain animals known as WhimsiesR*. Highly collectible, the Whimsies have been joined over the years by many equally charming miniatures, some sold by the company directly and others distributed as premiums. With over 380 full color photographs, this revised and expanded book showcases the endearing miniatures produced by Wade from the 1950s to the present, including Red Rose Tea and Tom Smith premiums, Whoppas and Whimsie-Land figurines, Nursery Favourites, Happy Families, Disney's Hat Box series, the diminutive Minikins, and many more. Also featured are Wade's highly detailed miniature villages--from England's Whimsey-on-Why to Ireland's Bally-Whim--original Wade boxes and displays, information on color and size variations, company marks, and updated values for all items. A treat for Wade lovers everywhere!Wade Miniatures
Discover the hidden treasures of the 153 most picturesque villages to visit in France with this fully illustrated comprehensive travel guide. From the half-timbered Alsatian houses of Eguisheim to the lavender fields of Montclus in the Languedoc-Roussillon, this fully illustrated guide unveils the beauty of rural France, providing visitor’s information for these exceptionally preserved destinations. Carefully chosen each year through a rigorous selection process, the French villages featured in this official guide are replete with historical, architectural, and natural riches. An introductory paragraph presents the location and history of each village and is accompanied by recommendations for monuments, museums, and other notable places to visit. Practical information includes accommodation options ranging from hotels to campsites, restaurants and markets, and artisanal produce and local specialties. Details on leisure activities encompass festivals and events, sports, golf, and other excursions that encourage visitors to explore the surrounding area on walks and hikes, by canoe, or on horseback. The book includes an overview map of France, and each village is featured on an easy-to-read road map, accompanied by the best way to arrive by road, train, and airplane. Suggestions for neighboring villages and sites that should not be missed, along with their proximity, simplifies itinerary planning. Cross-references and an index by region complete this practical, authoritative, and accessible guide.
This Village to Village Guide to Hiking the Camino de Santiago is a comprehensive guidebook to walking the Way of Saint James, from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago de Compostela (the Camino Frances), and also the Camino Finisterre to Muxia and Finisterre. Now fully updated in 2016, and lighter than ever! This Camino guidebook includes full-colour detailed topographical stage maps of each day's walk with free GPS files online; 135 detailed stage, city and town maps; essential practical information on transport, accommodations and services. It includes detailed listings of pilgrim hostels (albergues) and private accommodations in each town, including prices, amenities, number of beds, contact information, open seasons, and more. There are regional introductions to the different areas along the Camino including information about traditional foods, flora and fauna, and local culture plus overviews of dozens of medieval pilgrim sites, with information about the historical context of the pilgrimage.
