by Ryan Erisman | Updated:
If video is your preferred way to consume content and you are trying to learn more about The Villages, you are in luck!
There are a handful of YouTubers that call The Villages home who are putting out great content on a regular basis.
Here are some of my favorites YouTube channels about The Villages.
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Skip Smith
Skip Smith a.k.a “Mr. Grumpy” has racked up quite a following the last few years on YouTube talking about The Villages.
His video updates range from him grabbing beers with the guys after a round of golf, driving through various neighborhoods on his golf cart, to longer weekly videos giving you his take on the latest Villages news.
If you prefer to get your information in a dry, university lecture type format, you might not enjoy Skip's channel.
But if you want to be entertained and learn from a down to earth guy who seems like he'd be great to grab a beer and chat with, Skip's channel is definitely for you.
I like the fact that Skip covers some things that a lot of people might not think about, like Pickleball noise that he talks about in this video:
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Rusty Nelson
Rusty Nelson has been documenting his experiences in learning what The Villages is all about, from his very first phone call to the sales office, to multiple lifestyle visits, renting a home for a month, and more.
His channel not only documents his journey but he also introduces you to some of the great people he's meeting along the way.
Here's one of his most watched videos:
The Villages Florida Newcomers
Husband and wife team Jerry and Linda moved to The Villages in late 2018, and as the name describes, their channel covers a lot of things that new residents of The Villages will likely encounter.
You'll see them talk about finding new doctors, checking out local restaurants and attractions for the first time, remodeling their kitchen, and more.
Here is one of their most watched videos where they talk about things they don't like after living one year in The Villages:
Darryl Kenyon
Darryl is a longtime reader who bought my book way back in 2012 (!!!) but ultimately ended up moving to On Top of the World in Ocala.
Even so, he makes it to The Villages quite a bit and has more than 100 videos in his channel's playlist for The Villages which I've linked to above.
Check out this video from a car show at Spanish Springs:
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Gold Wingnut
If you're scared of heights, you might not enjoy checking out this channel.
Gold Wingnut's channel has a variety of videos, but by far his most popular ones are those in which he flies his drone over construction progress going on in The Villages.
He can spend as much as 10 hours out in the field to capture what boils down to 10 minutes of video, and I think you'll find that his videos are very well produced.
Here's a recent video with a look at some of the bridges under construction, a few of the commercial properties coming up, as well as some new residential work going on:
Sonofmabarker
Sonofmabarker does not seem to be as widely known as some of the other channels on this list, but some of his video have racked up hundreds of thousands of views over the years.
Not all of his videos are even remotely about The Villages, so you have to scan through the list a little bit, but some of the ones on there like what it costs to live in The Villages (with more than 400k views!!!) are pure gold.
Here's a more recent video taking a look inside The Villages Grown Airstream Market:
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The Villages Polo Club
One of The Villages more unique entertainment attractions is The Villages Polo Club.
While there's nothing like catching a match in person, if you want to just see what it might be like, check out their YouTube channel where they post replays of several matches that take place each season.
The Villages Developer
Last but not least, The Villages own YouTube channel is where they post all of their monthly Vmail videos, as well as other interesting tidbits throughout the month.
I like that they provide a look behind the curtain so to speak of some of the things most residents might not see. For example, this video tour of Fire Station #44 from back when it opened in 2011:
Over To You…
Know of another great YouTube channel covering The Villages? Let us know in the comments below!
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