Pros and cons to them all. It is nice to feel a certain peace and security in your neighborhood. My folks lived in a gated high-rise after DB & I were gone - it was interesting when I moved back in with them. But, the building is very much downtown (in the opening of Miami Vice, and sometimes on the CSI Miami), and it did help with that feeling of oasis in the city.
My house in Albuquerque was in a gated community - and I resisted - but once there - we were really happy. ABQ has different issues, and it was truly nice to feel very safe going for a walk at night - and the limited auto traffic added to that. My DB lives in a gated community in Boca - but as Lucille knows - so much is gated in south Fl, well, that's how it is. Our house is not in a gated community, but it has entrances, etc and seems like one. DH and I have discussed this - our bet as to when there will be a move for such. However, in the greater DC area, gated communities are very rare. There's 1 a bit further out than us, and a few in the closer Northern VA 'burbs -multi-million dollar homes, with just a few inside a gate. More likely people will have a gate on their own home. There's only 1 gated country club that I can think of - it's in Bethesda/Potomac. It's just not common around here. I think it just depends on the region, area, etc.
Ellice