Although residents of The Villages often say, "You name it, they have a club for it, and if they don’t, you can start one," moving to the city frequently necessitates quitting or reducing involvement in existing activities. Additionally, aging presents various challenges to participation, such as declining health and lack of companionship. Based on the ecological model of leisure constraints, this chapter explores how residents navigate these conditions, why some choose not to negotiate them, and how the vast array of activities in The Villages both supports and hinders successful negotiation.

The opening chapter sets the stage for the book. It starts with a recount of the author’s first day at The Villages and her motivation to explore the aging experience in this "city for seniors." The second part details the study that forms the book’s foundation, including the research questions, methods, and participant descriptions. The third part outlines the book’s structure, providing a brief overview of each chapter.

After outlining the history of The Villages from its origins as a trailer park in the late 1960s to its present status, this chapter examines the factors behind its success. This discussion covers the unique master planning of the community, the extensive variety of leisure activities available to residents, and the population’s relative homogeneity. By distinguishing between the place and its residents, the chapter also reviews previous research on The Villages and identifies the gaps in the existing knowledge that this book aims to fill.

The final chapter compares The Villages to other retirement communities, aging in place, and aging in community. Drawing on the study’s findings and the perceptions of interviewed individuals, it highlights how The Villages’ unique characteristics – including its size, innovation culture, bubble communication, opportunities for meaningful involvement, social networks, and communal coping – generally enhance residents’ well-being. The chapter also summarizes The Villages’ weaknesses and presents key takeaways about the societal meanings of its success.

With 115 recreation centers, 3,000 clubs, numerous activities, and media content that encourages residents to “Try something new!” The Villages actively promotes innovation in later life. Drawing on innovation theory, this chapter examines the continuity and change in residents’ leisure activities upon moving to The Villages and over time. It describes what can be termed an "innovation culture" while also noting that innovation tends to decline with age and pointing to a greater tendency towards self-preservation rather than self-reinvention innovation.

For The Villagers, "fun" is a serious matter. This chapter highlights the remarkable volunteering patterns among residents and analyzes them through the lens of the serious leisure perspective. It differentiates between volunteering in leisure and volunteering as leisure, describes the populations served by the volunteers, and examines whether the residents’ involvement in volunteering is truly optimal.

The Villages provides its residents with a wide array of formal and informal media, most of which are digital. This chapter examines the content and usage of these media, delving into the attitudes of the residents towards them. Despite frequent criticism from residents about the media’s heavy emphasis on local "happy news," this chapter suggests that such a focus fosters a sense of a "bubble," which contributes positively to their well-being.

Living in a city for older adults inevitably involves facing and coping with the frequent deaths of neighbors, friends, and acquaintances, serving as a constant reminder of one’s mortality. Through the stories of three individuals, this chapter offers a glimpse into the experiences of dying, caregiving for the dying, and grieving in The Villages. It also contrasts the pervasive presence of death with the relative invisibility of the "fourth age."

This chapter addresses the challenge of socially "starting from scratch" when moving into a community of approximately 150,000 older adults. It suggests that most residents integrate into overlapping place-, leisure-, and faith-based communities, and experience varying levels of psychological sense of community (PSOC). The chapter also explores the few instances where no PSOC was reported and examines the multiple tensions between different groups based on age, type of residency, and political orientation.

By examining the “push” and “pull” factors influencing the decision to move to The Villages and the residents’ perceptions of the community’s rapid growth, this chapter highlights the pros and cons of living in a city for older adults. Distinguishing between veterans and newcomers, permanent residents and snowbirds, and individuals from urban versus rural backgrounds, the chapter also suggests that, overall, the community’s size fosters a collective place identity and pride.