We Aren't Ready to Be Old People Yet

La Buona Vita

It's lovely here, and although we heard rumors to the effect that last week was cold and the orange crop was threatened, we woke up this morning to Florida warmth and sunshine. This little over-55 community is made up of about 180 small manufactured homes in the 25-year-old range on a half dozen streets. A lot of the units are for sale at bargain prices; Florida real estate is a tough market right now.

Roomy and Comfy and Reasonable

For example, you can buy a house like this one, with 1400 square feet of living area, a corner lot and lovely sun room for about $80,000. Others in this very pleasant little neighborhood are available in the $60,000 range, including land. About that "including land" bit, that's one of the strange little aspects of these manufactured home communities in Florida. You can buy the home on top of the land, or the land underneath the home, or both. Buying less than both can lead to complications later, but it happens.

Holiday Out at St Lucie

From the quiet and relative spaciousness of the La Buona Vita development, we drove to Hutchinson Island to the close-quartered and frenzied Holiday Out at St. Lucie, a labyrinth of mobile and non-mobile homes with 1800 seasonal residents and about a tenth as many out of season. By means of a tunnel under South Ocean Drive, the members have access to a pretty section of beach:

A Pretty Beach Accessible from Holiday Out at St Lucie

"This is what you pay for," Anne told us, and she's right, but we wonder if just having a beach nearby that we'll probably ignore 90% of the time makes it worth living cheek by jowl when a short drive inland offers lots more elbow room for a lot less money.

Joanne, Kent and our hostess Anne

Seeing this old gent (probably my age) wheeling by on his tricycle might be the first inkling for me that if this is what being old is, I want no part of it:

On the Codgermobile

Anne Reardon and her husband Marty were kind enough to drive us the length of Hutchinson Island for a complete tour in their Kia Sedona:

Anne and Joanne in Front.

Mary Frances in the Middle.

The Marina at Holiday Out at St Lucie

At dusk we stopped for a fine New Year's Eve meal with outstanding and enjoyable service at the Floating Submarine Restaurant in Jensen Beach:

Your Blogster, Marty and Anne Reardon, Joanne and Kent Dumas, Adventurous Mary at the Floating Submarine

After returning to La Buono Vita full of good food and salt air, we were in bed an hour before the ball dropped on Times Square. OK, so maybe we are getting old.