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Leisureville: Adventures in America's Retirement Utopias
When his next-door neighbors in a quaint New England town suddenly pick up and move to a gated retirement community in Florida, Andrew D. Blechman is astonished by their stories. Larger than Manhattan, with a golf course for every day of the month, two downtowns, its own newspaper, radio, and TV stations, The Villages is a city of nearly one hundred thousand (and growing),
...moreHardcover, 320 pages
Published
May 13th 2008
by Grove/Atlantic, Inc.
(first published December 31st 2007)
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Patrick Gibson
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Recommends it for:
people who like social commentary road trips
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I won't hold it against you! You know who you are!
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Once upon a time in a far off land where senior citizens are required to drive like turtles in the passing lane and early bird specials begin at 3:30 in the afternoon, a mythical kingdom of glossy painted false-fronted shops, inestimable golf courses and cookie-cutter screened-in homes grew out of marshy swamps at a furious rate in order to create a mass market theme park for post war baby boomers riding golf carts in their imminent march towards old age, a whippy little thirty year old author d...more
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Misses a good opportunity to explore the subject from a more scholarly approach by throwing in entertaining but pointless stories of wacky old people. Also, as should be evident by the sub-title, the author makes a huge assumption that a world without children is the most undesirable world imaginable. I'm sure His kid is smarter/cuter/funnier/more amazing than any child I have ever met, so I will let that slide. Oh, if only I had children then perhaps my life wouldn't feel so empty. I'm goin...more
Fairly readable diatribe against age-segregated retirement communities, centering mostly on The Villages, a huge complex in Florida. The author is front-and-center in the proceedings as he tags along with seniors -- drag racing a rental golf cart, going out drinking every night, etc. The book seemed proximally motivated by his neighbors moving to The Villages, but he also acknolwedges near the end that his parents have moved to an age-segregated place in New York.
There's a good poi...more
There's a good poi...more
I don’t know what prompted me to pick up “Leisureville” by Andrew D. Blechman. I’m far away from retirement (assuming I will even be able to retire). Even so, there has always been something about these Stepford-like developments that has fascinated, and scared, me.
I tore through it in one afternoon. As a piece of literary journalism, it shines: there were places where I laughed out loud (such as when the author tries to make contact with closeted lesbians in The Villages), but a lot of th...more
I tore through it in one afternoon. As a piece of literary journalism, it shines: there were places where I laughed out loud (such as when the author tries to make contact with closeted lesbians in The Villages), but a lot of th...more
I picked this up because I will be visiting The Villages in a few weeks. And wouldn't you know, the Heart of Darkness is in central Florida. And the price of admission is steep.
This book is well-written and well-organized, and generally does an admirable job of tempering its critiques of this and other geritopias with empathy for and insight into what in the world would spur folks to move there in the first place. The author is a new father, which undoubtedly goes a long way toward ...more
This book is well-written and well-organized, and generally does an admirable job of tempering its critiques of this and other geritopias with empathy for and insight into what in the world would spur folks to move there in the first place. The author is a new father, which undoubtedly goes a long way toward ...more
Leisureville is an exposée of The Villages, one of America's growing age-segregated retirement communities. When Blechman's neighbors leave their New England town for sunny Florida to spend their retirement basking in the sun and playing golf, Blechman engineers an invite to stay for a month and report on what he sees.
The results aren't quite what you'd expect. Most residents of The Villages are happy to be there, even blissfully happy. And why not? They're treated to non-stop entertai...more
The results aren't quite what you'd expect. Most residents of The Villages are happy to be there, even blissfully happy. And why not? They're treated to non-stop entertai...more
I just returned a couple of weeks ago from the Villages. It was my first visit there. I visited my sister and her husband in their new retirement home...I have to say, that I was impressed with how beautiful, and nearly "perfect" everything was.... but somehow, my wife and I felt a little uneasy with the place. I couldn't quite put my finger on what seemed wrong. My sister was almost evangelical in her zeal about the Villages, and thought that I should want what she has.....
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Where do I begin? I found that Blechman started with the premise that all retirees buying into age-restricted communities were selfish seniors who didn't want to be around children. He then set out to support that premise.
His experience of the Villages is a clear example. Instead of using the weekly activity guide to visit lots of different venues, clubs and happenings, Blechman chose to hang out with Mr. Midnight and his crew at Katie Belles, the Bistro and even Mr. Midnight's ho...more
His experience of the Villages is a clear example. Instead of using the weekly activity guide to visit lots of different venues, clubs and happenings, Blechman chose to hang out with Mr. Midnight and his crew at Katie Belles, the Bistro and even Mr. Midnight's ho...more
I was feeling a bit bummed when I read the last bit of this book, so I was in downer-city when I finished. Instead of rallying with the author to find real communities in your own neighbourhood, I found the whole thought of developers creating faux communities pretty disheartening & downright sickening. People - and not just seniors - wanting to escape from reality and live without a care for the outside world in planned communities makes me want to gag. While the author was pretty clear with hi...more
This book revolves around Blechman's stay in The Villages, the world's largest retirement community (it's in Florida, of course). There's far too much in here about the quirks of The Villages and its residents, and not enough of the rest. He tries to look what effect isolating the elderly from everyone else has on both sides, and what generational turnover means for political participation, community cohesion, and so on, but I felt like he never got to the heart of the matter. My favorite parts ...more
Interesting info about what goes on in an adult 55+ community. On one hand it sounds great, on the other downright creepy....not sure if we would be happy in one.
The Bingo game is held in one of the larger rooms at the recreation center. The parking lot is filled with cars and golf carts. Inside, nobody shows the slightest interest in helping me find a seat. Bingo, I learn, attracts a tough crowd. Social niceties quickly give way to acerbic moodiness as soon as the bingo balls start bouncing...
With a slow, soft target like this one, I had the impression that Leisureville would prove to be what is today called a 'hit piece', f...more
Jukka
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Leisureville - Andrew Blechman
This is about the failure and exploitation of the American political and economic system, by developers who sell age-segregated 'communities' to an elite of retired citizens. It also examines the goals and wishes of 'seniors' who are attracted by these developments. It looks specifically at 'Sun City' in Arizona and 'The Villages' in Florida, looking at what life there is like. I found the details of political and economic abuses by Gary Morse of 'The Villages...more
This is about the failure and exploitation of the American political and economic system, by developers who sell age-segregated 'communities' to an elite of retired citizens. It also examines the goals and wishes of 'seniors' who are attracted by these developments. It looks specifically at 'Sun City' in Arizona and 'The Villages' in Florida, looking at what life there is like. I found the details of political and economic abuses by Gary Morse of 'The Villages...more
This was on my list because my parents now live in The Villages, the main focus of the book. I felt the author spent too many pages on the party crowd, which I don't think is representative of the the majority community. And I felt the author could have spent more time explaining the financial and political environment of this type of planned community. Overall, the portrayal of the regular folks who bought in to the villages seems on the mark, as does the emphasis on golf carts.
I first heard of this book when I heard the author interviewed on NPR. Blechman, in his 30s, researched the book by spending a month living with retired friends in Florida's The Villages. It was really interesting reading about life in these "Utopias," though the residents' constant "everything's great" assessment of their lives reminded me constantly of The Stepford Wives." Blechman also spends a good deal of time talking about the uncomfortable parallels between age-...more
really fasincating. i'd had this book reccommended to me when i was working in florida by one of the locals. it's pretty amazing. though some of the opinions get a little repetitive, the author keeps it well balanced and really humanizes the people he's interviewed. i liked his point at the end also. these communities are based on age-segregation and though i certainly understand not wanting to live around kids, the book really opened my eyes to what a really bad idea this is on a large sca...more
This was a fascinating book. I had never heard of The Villages but I was familiar with Sun City and Ave Maria. I enjoyed learning the backstory for these communities and imagining myself in a world without children. We live in a "covenant protected" community so I was also interested in the local politics that he encountered in researching his book.
This is a very eye-opening account of how some retirement communities across America are being developed, and the potential negative effects that are being felt in their surrounding cities. Full of facts, it is also entertaining with the stories of some of the more lively seniors and the live they lead in their own paradise !
A wearisome tale of golf, sex and bridge. Ostensibly, this book shows what life in a retirement community is really like; apparently all the stereotypes are true. The lifestyles of rich white people aren't all that interesting to me, no matter how old they are- and WASPs don't change as they age, if this book is telling half the truth.
An exploration of the concept of age-restricted living within a planned community-- there were definitely characters and examples of "lifestyle" gallivanting among the retired set. The writer did tend to repeat himself and over-killed on the point that utopia is a bubble waiting to be burst.
Author gives an interesting background on planned senior communities. Seems well researched with a good dose of humor. If you are thinking of selling it all and moving to one of these places, this is a must read. His point - is age segregation really in the best interest of our nation/democracy.
Excellent! If you are considering an age-restricted community for retirement - this is a must read. WOW - I have friends who have lived in Sun City and this book is a must have information about the property developer's "kingdom".
Goes too heavy on the "ewww...old people doing it" aspects, but otherwise an interesting look at retirement communities. Section on politics of and around the Villages is worth the read.
Read my review on http://holy-terrors.blogspot.com/2010/08...
OMG! The retirement community nightmare! This one really hit me and scared me and made my laugh.
This book takes a look at age segregated retirement communities in the United States, concentrating on the community of over 100,000 at The Villages in central Florida where my in-laws have been considering moving. This senior playground full of activities and golf carts has its downside too. The author gives the history of this housing movement (including Sun City) and the likely trends for the aging baby boomers. While I was interested in learning about The Villages, I found the book dull, ...more
Author focuses on life in Florida's "The Villages" retirement zone, with side trips to Phoenix-area sites, such as Sun City, for contrast. Management control of The Villages seemed reminiscient of the television series The Prisoner to me; some residents agreed that they have no meaningful "rights", but feel the advantages are worth it. At times Blechman tries a bit too hard (crashing the quasi-lesbian softball scene - such as it is - with "My brother's gay!" made me...more
Very funny, My Aunt Violet lives in The Villages
Terrifying, on so many levels.
I had been anxious to read this, to see whether these places are as much like "Stepford" as I imagine they are ... and it sounds like I was pretty much right. On the surface these kinds of communities sound like a good idea, although in the end maybe not so much. Still, I don't think they deserve the vehement bad review given by the author at the end of the book. Nonetheless, a lot of interesting, thought-provoking points are made, which caused me to consider the issue from more view...more
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