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It's good that there are different kinds of communities to correspond to people's different preferences for what sort of community they want to live in.
However, I cannot resist commenting on those who do not want any children around. I have read of communities where people resent the visiting grandkids playing and splashing in the pool. Imagine going down to the pool and getting some water on you! Oh my god! What a terrible thing! Those damn kids! Let's make a rule that visiting grandchildren cannot use the pool!
I have this mental image of a bunch of old biddies who get upset about a few drops of water in their hair, and I would want to run full speed to flee such a place. And I will be 71 next month).
Like I said, there are all kinds of places for all kinds of people.
It's good that there are different kinds of communities to correspond to people's different preferences for what sort of community they want to live in.
However, I cannot resist commenting on those who do not want any children around. I have read of communities where people resent the visiting grandkids playing and splashing in the pool. Imagine going down to the pool and getting some water on you! Oh my god! What a terrible thing! Those damn kids! Let's make a rule that visiting grandchildren cannot use the pool!
I have this mental image of a bunch of old biddies who get upset about a few drops of water in their hair, and I would want to run full speed to flee such a place. And I will be 71 next month).
Like I said, there are all kinds of places for all kinds of people.
My in-laws lived in an over 55 housing complex. Apparently, for years, they never needed any rules for visiting grandchildren using the pool because so few grandchildren actually visited. Then "the word" went out about their relaxed rules and more and more people moved in with grandchildren staying with them on a daily basis (sort of like mini day care centers). Some even allowed their grandchildren to invite friends along to swim, too. Or did not supervise their young grandchildren.
It got so bad that the actual homeowners, especially the older ones, were often afraid to use the pool, especially after a child running on the deck ran into a resident, who fell and broke her hip (a lot more dangerous than some water in your hair). My MIL said occasionally there were twice as many preschool children running around the pool area than residents and that they stayed for hours and hours each day
They now have very reasonable rules, any visitor under age 18, may use the pool from 10 AM to 11 AM and from 4 PM until 5 PM every day. And, of course, absolutely no running near the pool area and appropriate supervision by responsible adults.
Last edited by germaine2626; 03-26-2015 at 09:40 PM..
My in-laws lived in an over 55 housing complex. Apparently, for years, they never needed any rules for visiting grandchildren using the pool because so few grandchildren actually visited. Then "the word" went out about their relaxed rules and more and more people moved in with grandchildren staying with them on a daily basis (sort of like mini day care centers). Some even allowed their grandchildren to invite friends along to swim, too. Or did not supervise their young grandchildren.
It got so bad that the actual homeowners, especially the older ones, were often afraid to use the pool, especially after a child running on the deck ran into a resident, who fell and broke her hip (a lot more dangerous than some water in your hair). My MIL said occasionally there were twice as many preschool children running around the pool area than residents and that they stayed for hours and hours each day
They now have very reasonable rules, any visitor under age 18, may use the pool from 10 AM to 11 AM and from 4 PM until 5 PM every day. And, of course, absolutely no running near the pool area and appropriate supervision by responsible adults.
Reasonable approach, I admit. You did a good job of summarizing the other side of the coin from the one I espoused in my post. All public and semi-public pools have to have some rules. In our HOA, which is not an age-graded community, we do not allow glass or alcohol at the pool, for example.
Still, I maintain that there is a certain underlying anti-child attitude in which the very exuberance of young people is resented. Not wanting to be around children and teenagers is simply a preference, and we are all entitled to our preferences; mine is not to be around old people who are such sticks in the mud.
I wish I could remember Khalil Gibran's exact words about the old snake who could no longer shed its skin and who chastised the younger snakes as naked and shameless. I looked for my copy of The Prophet before writing this post but did not find it.
WE have "children hours" at our indoor pool (which is wonderful because it allows for 365 use for visiting grandchildren) but restrict anyone under the age of 18 from using our 2 outdoor pools (no lifeguard/liability issues). Works well for our community. We also enjoy "paid per day" access to a local outdoor pool in the non age restricted sister community 2 blocks away from our front gate for when the grandkids come and visit.
We all enjoy our grandchildren visiting and I would venture to say seem a lot more involved in our grandkids lives than lots of folks living outside of 55+ communities, so the no residents under 18 yrs of age does not seem to be a "I hate kids" attitude where we live at least.
The only "bone of contention" I have seen addressed regarding the grandkids are the views on them enjoying driving the golf cart's since we are in a gated community....and that is all getting hammered out as we grow from brand new community several years ago to a about 1/2 built out community now. A few growing pains for a LOT of pleasure for sure!!!!
Still, I maintain that there is a certain underlying anti-child attitude in which the very exuberance of young people is resented. Not wanting to be around children and teenagers is simply a preference, and we are all entitled to our preferences; mine is not to be around old people who are such sticks in the mud.
Folks who enjoy being around loud, sticky, ill-behaved, noisy children aren't chastised for their preferences. Why should I be chastised because I do NOT like to be around them? To assume that folks who don't like children are "sticks in the mud" is a pretty broad brush.
You don't know me, but I'm a party in a can and a lot of fun. I just don't like being around noisy, unkempt, boisterous kids.
HOAs are not all the same. A major problem is that some people move in expecting to live like they were on a large piece of land in the country. The purpose of HOAs is to keep the neighborhood looking respectable.
And that's a HUGE motivation for me right now. I'm a big fan of "clean" and I'm tired of living around people who don't share my interest in keeping litter out of the yards and lake.
Folks who enjoy being around loud, sticky, ill-behaved, noisy children aren't chastised for their preferences. Why should I be chastised because I do NOT like to be around them? To assume that folks who don't like children are "sticks in the mud" is a pretty broad brush.
You don't know me, but I'm a party in a can and a lot of fun. I just don't like being around noisy, unkempt, boisterous kids.
Different people like different things.
The irony of your "broad brush" statement apparently eludes you. Look at your own description of children. ("Sticky"?) As for your final sentence, that is at least something we can agree on; that's what I've been repeating in my posts.
I monitor the county sheriff's Facebook page here and invariably when someone is busted for property theft, they are not over the age of 55. So, I have to assume that, if I lived in a gated 55+ community, I could probably feel a little safer for my stuff. I might still have to worry about the little old lady next door beating me senseless with her cane, but those type of reports are yet to be seen.
The only way for you to find out is to rent in one for a bit. We currently live in one in SC and are moving to one in DE in 2 weeks. We wouldn't even consider anything else.
When we bought DH was 56 and I was 55. I never, ever felt as though I was surrounded by old people. In fact most of the people moving here are in their late 50s or early 60s. There are to be about 3200 houses here and the final lots are selling as fast as they are released. We just sold ours in 3 weeks for 99% of asking. The people who live here are so active that you would never be able to guess their ages. Believe me no one sits in a rocking chair all day. Well except me as I'm going through some problems from a hip surgery. But once I get better I will be in our new home and doing all the things that they do.
55 and over near me is more like 75 and over. They have a rule in most no kids under a certain age. Folks are getting married later and later and very common for the Dad to be around 45 when last one is born. By the time the youngest kids hits the age rule they are way past 55.
My realtor told me a funny fact about 55 plus HOAs/Condos. He said show me the youngest hippest newest development in a town and then show me the oldest, sadest development in town full of folks in walkers and wheelchairs. Time travel 20 years into the future and they will trade places.
All the folks in the brand new condo where folks are 55-65 will be a bunch of old folks. The condo where it is full of folks are between 70-80 will be full of young folk. A condo cant stay full of old young forever.
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