The Villages Daily Sun

THE VILLAGES — Tom and Doreen Finn can’t resist bragging to their children up north about the warm January days in The Villages.

“The best part of being here is the weather,” said Doreen, as she and her husband of 30 years are experiencing a first in their lives — renting a house in the Village of Belvedere, after they fell for The Villages during a brief visit last year.

The Stamford, Conn., residents knew they had to come back and stay longer.

“We’re more relaxed here,” Tom said. “We really figured this was our time.”

The Finns were among hundreds of people at the Renter Social/Expo at Lake Miona Recreation Center, an event that is hosted on the first and second Monday and Tuesday of each January, February and March so renters can learn more about Villages activities.

The couple felt renting for a month was the best way to experience the lifestyle before relocating here. So far, they’re impressed with the plethora of activities, the nightly dancing and music on the town squares, the shops and restaurants, and with The Villages being a dog-friendly community.

“This really is like a Disneyland for adults, and I want to do everything,” said Tom, a retired railroad engineer. “I want us to get involved in as many activities as we can.”

Charlene Sasto of Long Island, N.Y., feels the same way. She came for her first visit in July on the Lifestyle preview package, and chose to come back to spend the winter in the Village of El Cortez.

“I loved it and decided to come back for three months to see if this is the lifestyle for me. It is!” she said, smiling. “It’s just so beautiful, so gorgeous, so clean and people are so friendly. I just love everything.”

A widow, Sasto also wanted to see if she felt comfortable here as a single woman.

“I’ve found it’s for everybody — couples and individuals,” Sasto said. “I’ve never seen so many healthy, happy people in my life. It’s just incredible.”

She enjoyed a singles’ club gathering Monday night.

“I met a lot of nice people,” Sasto said. “I felt very comfortable right away, like these were friends for years, which was lovely. Several women and I exchanged phone numbers, and the guys were very helpful. Everybody was just lovely.”

Sasto envisions making a move to The Villages and already has her Long Island house for sale.

Don and Kim Anderson are renting in the Village of Santiago and are planning to say goodbye to living in St. Louis.

“To escape from the cold weather, that’s our motivation for being here,” Don said. “We left with snow on the ground the first day of December, and it wasn’t hard to leave that four-letter word: snow.”

“I love that it’s January, and being able to sit outside and listen to the music,” Kim added. “Everything is so beautiful here.”

The Andersons are looking forward to attending concerts at Church on the Square and seeing theatrical shows at Savannah Center, and they came to the expo to learn about upcoming shows and classes offered at The Villages Wellness Center.

The Andersons have been making trips to The Villages for six years.

“We have friends that have retired here, so it’s kind of like a little reunion when we come down, and that is one of the great things,” Don said. He notes that his friends have always encouraged them to make the move from Missouri.

The Andersons believe this may be the year.

“This is a good year if you want to buy,” Don said. “We’re going to put up our house for sale when we go back to St. Louis in March, and once we sell it, we’ll be down here permanently.”

Barb Wakefield of the Village of Santo Domingo shared information about golf classes during the expo.

“We’re seeing a lot of new people who want to learn how to play golf; they absolutely want to play,” Wakefield said. “They want to do everything, and they’re saying they’re glad to be here, away from snow.”

Theresa Campbell is a senior features writer with the Daily Sun. She can be reached at 753-1119, ext. 9260, or theresa.campbell@thevillagesmedia.com.