What's with all the gated communities?? Warren / VB counties (appointed, fit in)

[mrs1885]

Anyone else notice this? I know most of my neighbors have lived in this area for generations. They never needed nor wanted gated communities. Then there are people like me. I grew up in an awesome area, no gated communities. But when they started sprouting up around me like toadstools, it was time to get out of Dodge.

We found Van Buren county and fell in love. No gated communitites!!! Yay!!! At least none that we saw at the time. But for crying out loud, since we moved a year and a half ago, it's like we're being invaded.

Why in the world do people insist on moving to a place that's the total opposite of what they want, just to destroy it and turn it into what they do want? If you want to live in a gated community, stay in Florida!! That's why it's there. Rural Tennessee is farm land and small town area. It sickens me to see all these amazing old farms with the gorgeous 100+ year old farmhouses being torn down just to put up a stupid gated community. Is this what the entire country is going to be destined to become? And so help me, if I see another freaking Navigator or Escalade with spinners coming down the road I just may lose my mind.

It's really sad. We moved here thinking we'd found Nirvana. And now every day we see it slipping away and becoming what we thought we'd escaped.

[2mares]

Lordy, yes I've noticed it. Its going on everywhere.

[mrs1885]

It's so depressing. I don't get it. Why do people like that move to areas that they don't fit in at? And they are the ones that will wind up complaining that it's impossible to live here because there's no Macy's or 5 star restaurants.

And the driving!! Holy smoke! What happened to courtesy of the road? I've never seen so many people cutting each other off, switching lanes like their tail lights are on fire without a signal, and speeding up because they think the person next to them is going to get in their lane and get some place 2.5 seconds faster than they will. Arrrgggh!!!! Might as well be back in Florida again. Ok, well, it's not that bad yet. But man, it's getting there scary fast............

[2mares]

I've never seen so many people cutting each other off, switching lanes like their tail lights are on fire without a signal, and speeding up because they think the person next to them is going to get in their lane and get some place 2.5 seconds faster than they will. Arrrgggh!!!!

I had to laugh. Not that its funny, but I know just what you mean. I get a chuckle when ppl do this, then get behind a garbage truck or slow moving vehicle and cant go anyway.

My neighbors, blesss thiei heart, bought a beautiful cabin with beautiful natural landscaping, the woods were open with leaf litter and mulch, no greenbrier or scrub, there was a nice small barn where the previous woman had sheep. One day I drove by they were raking up all the leaf litter and mulch, they put a fence around the front and a big gate across the driveway, paid someone to remove the sheep poop (fertilizer) then I saw them planting shrubs and had bags of fertilizer from wal-mart, then they poured a concrete floor in the barn, cut holes in the roof and covered them with plastic and put a hot tub in the barn. Guess what, the property is up for sale a year later, twice the price they paid for it. They are nice folks, but not happy here.

[mrs1885]

I see that all the time. Love it!!! It's funny. I've had people fly up behind me and act like total idiots, lights flashing, hands waving, obviously screaming. My first thought is, 'where are you from - Florida?'. And probably 80% of the time, they pass, and there's a Florida tag on the back of the car. How come all the rude drivers are from there? And what's with everyone thinking they are driving a phone booth? Talk or drive, but not both at the same time. Sorry folks, but there's a ton of people just not talented enough to do both. I'm one of them, but at least I know it and pull over!!

I don't get people like that. We moved from Florida, but we knew liked living in a small town. We don't like froo-froo restaurants and WalMart is just fine with us. And we like the smell of cow poo in the morning!! LOL!!

[mbmouse]

So sorry you are having to deal with this in you nice little town Mrs, 1885, I feel for you. It would drive me crazy too, but this article might answer your questions:
Last of the Red-Hot Markets - Yahoo! Real Estate

[Lucky Eddy]

Ummm, I am guessing that the rude FL drivers don't include you, mrs1885, since you left FL? I have been in FL for about 5 years now and am from OH originally. I think you would have to admit that a lot of Floridians are not "from" Florida, but in fact transplants from other areas of the US. In different threads on this site I have read that the rude ones are from OH and & MI, from a NY person I think. And having lived in NY & NJ for more than a year, thanks to the US Army and another employer, I put NY & NJ folks high on my list. I remember shopping in Boca Raton during a business trip back in the 90's and finding some of the rudest shoppers in the stores there, and although they lived in the area, their roots were NY. But I also have met a lot of nice people from FL and from NY & NJ too. I'm sure those from other areas have different ideas and stories about "rude" people. Maybe if all the rude ones leave FL, I can stay! Like mbmouse showed, certain areas become hot spots and draw a crowd. I see on this site a lot of people not from FL like the idea of moving to TN too. I hope their auto tags don't annoy you as much!

[RiverView]

Originally Posted by mrs1885

Why in the world do people insist on moving to a place that's the total opposite of what they want, just to destroy it and turn it into what they do want? If you want to live in a gated community, stay in Florida!! That's why it's there. Rural Tennessee is farm land and small town area. It sickens me to see all these amazing old farms with the gorgeous 100+ year old farmhouses being torn down just to put up a stupid gated community. Is this what the entire country is going to be destined to become? And so help me, if I see another freaking Navigator or Escalade with spinners coming down the road I just may lose my mind.

It's really sad. We moved here thinking we'd found Nirvana. And now every day we see it slipping away and becoming what we thought we'd escaped.

Wow, do you feel the need to bust on people if they live in downtown condos, a trailer park, a neighborhood more / less affluent than the one you live in? Maybe you should call you state rep and lobby for your way and your way only. Obviously you make all the right decisions and the rest don't. Better go ahead and call the your state rep about the kind of car they will let in you community as well. No Escalades or Navigators! Only allow what Mrs1885 drives and don't allow any to personalize their vehicles either.

I don't live in a gated community but I sure don't mind if people do. I also don't care what someone drives. There is a butt for every seat. Last I checked America is about freedom and we see less and less of that every year. I don't drive the above vehicles and I sure wouldn't have spinners on my vehicle but I'm not going to get bent if someone does.

Sounds like you don't like gated communities. Great, don't buy in one. Isn't that enough? I don't like zucchini but I'm not going to bust on those that do.

I see lots of crappy, rude drivers and they don't all have FL plates on their cars. Rude drivers come from every state and walk of life. I drive 30 miles to work everyday and trust me there are plenty of rude drivers that live in TN, GA and AL.

Good luck with your search for Nirvana. I hear it's a nice place with nice people. They have probably let go of their anger and jealousy.

Sorry for the rant but I am so tired of all the haters.

[gemkeeper]

Mrs1885, I think maybe your beef should be with the society we live in today, not people from FL who are probably from someplace else - maybe even your hometown.

We live in an impatient world with an instant gratification button installed when we are born. No one has to wait for anything anymore. I don't care where you were born, raised, got married, or your second cousin twice-removed lives, we all have quirks, special "needs", and ideas of just how things should be. That is what makes us individuals.

The difficult part of living in this kind of society is learning to be tolerant of all of these differences in personalities, oddities, likes and dislikes. It is so much easier to be happy with our own lot in life if we don't dwell and stew over someone else's intrusion on our life.

Today will pass. You will never see that rude driver again. If he didn't run into the back of your car, no harm done. He may harm himself, but not you.

We all feel disappointed when we see another superstar gated community chew up some beautiful pasture land, or worse, tear down some virgin timber. But, the reality is that as we drive by only seconds tick by on the clock and then, aren't we blessed, we see our own special house waiting warmly for us to enter. We can close the door and forget all of those unhappy, rude people who owe others lots of money for all of their "things", and enjoy our lives in peace.

The world is going to continue to evolve, always has, always will. We all hate to see what we loved pass on, even if it is just those penny licrorice whips we used to be able to buy. Our only salvation is to keep plugging away following our own conscience and hope that the majority of others are doing the same.

I am truly sorry that you feel so bad about this intrusion that you see, but residents in every state of the Union have the same sad story to tell - even in FL and NY and OH. We just have to love our fellow man, excuse them, tolerate them, and boy oh boy, will we ever have a super place to live!!

[mrs1885]

Lucky Eddy - the reason I mentioned FL tags, is every single time I've had a psycho driver flying up behind me like an idiot - they have a FL tag. You are very correct though and I should have thought of that before posting. Many FL people are transplants from somewhere else. And when I was in FL I had severe road rage. Maybe it's the sun - I don't know. But I found that after coming here I relaxed so much and became a much better driver. I'm more calm and always let people out from side streets when traffic is backed up, slow down and flash my lights to flag someone in front of me on the interstate when they have their blinker on, etc. It just seemed odd to me that the only encounters I've had in the last 18 months (that I can remember) had FL tags. It's quite possible however that I just happened to notice them because of the combo of FL tag and rudeness. Perhaps I notice rudeness but when it's accompanied by a tag from another state it doesn't phase me. Don't know.

RiverView - I honestly don't care if people live in condos or gated communities or anything else. What does bother me is when the move to rural TN and talk about how gorgeous is it - how truly tranquil and pure - and then tear down the old farmhouse, chop up the farm and start selling it off in little blocks of land for gated communities. That's the point I was trying to make. If they like gated communities, why don't they move to gated communitites??

Sounds like you don't like gated communities. Great, don't buy in one. Isn't that enough?

^ That's my point. I didn't buy in a gated community because I've found the people that do live in them tend to be snobs and have snotty brats for kids. I bought in a very rural area because that's where I like to live and the people around me are the type of people I like to socialize with. However, since buying I've been seeing farms bought and chopped up and low and behold, here come all the Navigators and Escalades right along with them. Hmmm........... They want to drive an overpriced SUV with spinners and live in a gated community, fine by me. But when I see my town being hacked up, or being on the verge of being hacked up, then it bothers me.

You will never see that rude driver again.

Unfortunately I will. That vehicle bought into the nice little gated community up the mountain. And they've found that if they cut down our residential street, which if one of only about 5 roads in the town, that they can make it to their destination - whatever it is - a few seconds earlier by driving like a madman. So, they fly down my road, over hills and around blind corners like a moron. So, yeh, unfortunately, I'll see them again and again and again. And no, we can't report it to the SO. We don't have a police department and we're so far away from the sheriff's office that they'd never catch them. And setting up a 'sting'? That's not going to happen with our department out here.

But, the reality is that as we drive by only seconds tick by on the clock and then, aren't we blessed, we see our own special house waiting warmly for us to enter.

Yep. Until the farm across the street is the next to go and the gated community goes in there. That's my problem I guess. I don't want my little slice of heaven that I worked so hard for be destroyed. And I see it everywhere here lately. It's very sad. What can you do? Vent I suppose. There are plenty on here going through exactly what we are right now. I know they're frustrated with it too. And you're right - it's so sad to see these amazing old places torn up so they can crush tons of people in their little cookie-cutter houses in a small little community. Very sad. That was the point of the post.

I apologize to all those who took this personally. This wasn't an attack on a single person. It was more a vent of the mentality of some people. Those that want one thing and are willing to destroy such a peaceful, pure way of life to achieve it. I just don't understand why in the world people would move to such a rural area when what they truly want is to live in a gated community with neighbors so close you can hear their toilet flush. It's just beyond me.