The Best Independent Living Communities in Contra Costa County, CA

"I visited Carlton Senior Living Concord. They only have independent living care. For me, it was centrally located, and easy to get to if a family member was going to live there. The facility was beautiful and clean. The staff that I met with, and even the receptionist at the front door, were very friendly and immediately asked me if I needed a glass of water, because it was about 95 degrees that day. They brought me some water while I waited for the tour guide to come and take me around, so I was very impressed with them. The person who gave the tour was very friendly and very informative. She showed me a room that was used as a demo room, and took me around the outdoors and was not hurried at all. She took her time and answered all my questions. She was a lovely lady. When you go into the building where the reception desk is, and you're looking ahead of you, they had bingo going on there, and people were there having fun. The apartments were in the back and on the sides, away from the main road out front. I thought that was a nice privacy feature. All I saw was the reception down the hall and the demo apartment where nobody lived, so it was limited. There was nothing that stood out for me, and nothing looked worn or not taken care of. Out in the garden that we walked through, and around the building, it was lovely. It was all well-kept and very inviting. That's where they hold outdoor happy hours."

"I don't think there was anything we didn't like about Oakmont of Montecito. We were very impressed with the facilities and very impressed with the staff. We have a friend who lives there, and we happened to look at it and see her at lunchtime. She was telling us that she enjoyed living there and that it was a great place. Mikayla was the senior marketing director who gave us the tour. She did a wonderful job. I love listening to her talk. The staff was very nice. Everybody was engaged, including the waiters in the dining room and the reception area. Then Mikayla showed us around. It's a very wonderful facility. The food was great. Everybody had already gone away because it was like 1:30, but they prepared a nice lunch for us in very generous portions. They tasted very good. My husband had a cheeseburger and I had some avocado tacos and iced tea. They offered us dessert, and we said no, thank you, but it was very well prepared, just the way we liked it. Everything was immaculate. We know they offer different exercise classes and they have a lot of game rooms. They play bingo, poker, bridge, and all kinds of different activities for the residents. We saw a poker game as we were walking by the room where they were playing."

"I toured Atria Park of Lafayette. It's a very attractive and well-maintained facility. It looked very colorful and was not as tightly laid out as other facilities. It was spread out and easy to tour. It's a very warm environment. They have a beauty salon, haircutting facilities, and a small exercise facility. It was not a very large area, but sometimes, they brought in assistance to help people work out in the facility if they wished. The staff was very nice, and they took their time and told me how everything was handled, including whether you could do your laundry yourself or have it done for you and how often the housekeeping came, so that was all explained to me. It was a clean place, and there was a nice dining area as well. They also have a small dining area you could bring your family to if you want to invite them."

"I have an application to Carlton Senior Living Pleasant Hill. I saw the assisted living, and it was a very good experience. They're so friendly, I like the layout of the apartment, all the services, the laundry, and the meals in the rooms. They have very nice one-bedroom apartments. The people I saw in the hallways seemed happy."

"My aunt moved into Byron Park and is having the best time! Every time we visit she's busy with her new friends, enjoying happy hours, live music and all the fun and interesting programs. She loves sitting in the garden and swimming in the pool. We love joining her for meals and activities and our kids and dog get so much love and attention from the staff. They treat her and our family so well and we always feel welcome when we visit. We can't recommend Byron Park enough!"

"The rooms at Atria Valley View are homey and comfortable, with up-to-date features. Of course, storage space is minimal, but that is something one would expect when downsizing and moving to a multi-unit facility. The food here is way better than I imagined I would get in this the of living. It is delicious, cooked with health concerns but still tasty. For example, meals are delicious without loads of fats and carbohydrates, and servings are decent size. There is enough flexibility for changes of main menu offerings and a separate menu available for substitute preferences. the dining room staff is friendly, helpful and gracious at all times. The dining room is comfortable and conducive to good conversation. IF sometimes noisy it is because of resident hearing problems . I am happy to report that all of the rest of Atria's staff is uniformly courteous, friendly and smiles when greeting or being asked questions. The facility is in a comfortable location, with trees, good paths and outdoor areas for relaxing gentle walking, and interactions with others in well-equipped patios for sitting, meeting and resting. The only wish I would wish for is a larger space for arts and crafts, since in most of our rooms it is hard to find a space to work on projects. The last thing I would praise is the availability of many social, educational, and other kinds of programs designed to help us at this stage of life. We can access discussion groups, classes, media events such as those in the movie theater, and lots of special events around birthdays, holidays and other occasions to bring us joy and companionship. Our helpful bus driver is terrific! I would recommend this Atria to friends and strangers, mainly for its gentle, friendly treatment of all residents."

"I am a resident of an independent living community called Quail Lodge Retirement Community. I like the camaraderie of all the people here. Both the residents and the staff would greet new people and seem very upbeat. The food is also excellent. We have a lot of activities, but I walk with a walker, so there aren't a lot of things that I can join in. Before I moved here, I had been told of this community before but had never looked into it. When I finally went to see it, I noticed how the atmosphere was welcoming and open when I walked through the doors. It felt very comfortable."

"I'm at The Lodge at Glen Cove right now. I went to three communities, and The Lodge is the most modern, the most caring, has the most money invested in it, and it's the newest. And in addition to that, it's right on the water in Vallejo whereas the others are stuck in the woods somewhere, and there is no scenery whatsoever. In addition, the food is very good; I just came from breakfast. The waiters are very good. The front desk is very helpful. The security is very good. I could go on and on and on. I like it. They have a full activity calendar with music, games, and puzzles. Amanda, who is the activity director, and Tina, the assistant activity director, have been very helpful. That's something else that's important. They don't just have one activity director. They have an activity director and an assistant activity director so that it's available seven days a week. The same applies to maintenance. They have the head of maintenance (he's also in charge of the housekeeping) and then they have the assistant of the maintenance. Therefore, they're covering it for seven days, and they have to pay two employees, which is not cheap. Also, the parking is very good. There's a big parking lot. Even more than that, there are two buses that the community owns for outside activities, and in addition, a local public bus comes. The Lodge is very lively. In the other two places, the people were kind of sleepy. And I think that reflects on what's going on here. The value for money is better here than in the other two places but more expensive."

"I toured The Point at Rockridge. The room was spacious and had good large windows, so it was well-lit. It had its own bathroom that was appropriately done. It had very adequate space for the storage of clothing. The room itself was not bad; it had a good feel. The large windows made it more welcoming and it was a spacious room. There would be plenty of room for a dresser, a bed, side tables, a small table, and a large chair that would easily fit in the room. I thought it was quite generous and welcoming. The staff who toured me was very informative and took the time. And this was a walk-in. We didn't even have an appointment. Everybody that we met was gracious and nice and seemed tuned to what was going on. I feel quite confident that it would be a place where my mother could be comfortable and would find a lot of the services that would be helpful for her to be safe in a friendly environment. The other thing is that, if memory care was not necessarily where my mother wanted to be, but assisted living, that seemed to be an open possibility. They seemed to have some fair flexibility. Another thing is that the staff that was doing the tour with us, ran the place, and she got into it because she had parents who had Alzheimer's that she was a personal caregiver for until they died. She went back to college to get a degree so that she could be helpful to people who were going through what she had gone through handling and dealing with parents with dementia. So I think it gave her a particular insight and competency for the position. I think that helps the entire ethos of the place."

The Ivy at Berkeley sets a new standard in luxury senior living, encouraging you to embrace an active, carefree lifestyle in a truly exceptional environment. Nestled in one of Berkeley's most picturesque locations, The Ivy offers stunning views and direct access to the natural beauty of the Bay Area. With a focus on enriching both body and soul, we provide a wide range of activities and outdoor spaces, along with comprehensive assisted living and memory care for those who need it. The Ivy team is dedicated to helping our residents live their best lives, offering an array of amenities, services, and wellness options designed to enhance comfort and elevate their experience. We invite you to visit and see for yourself! To learn more about this provider’s license and review other available state reports, please visit: California Department of Social Services Licensed Facility Search

"We enjoyed our tour. It had a nice garden area that all of the residents could go into on their own free will. The staff seem nice and caring. We were there for their Thanksgiving family lunch. So, families came in and interacted. The food was great. It was very nice."

"We toured Belmont Village Albany. They had a lot of activities. We liked the programs that they had. We liked that they also had medical staff 24/7. Their place was very light and bright. They have multiple areas for eating and they’re very modern. We had cookies. They just came out for their afternoon snacks and they were really good chocolate cookies."

"We went to Elegance Berkeley. It was extremely modern. Everything was very clean. The people that we met were nice. The facility is fairly new, so everything looked very, very nice."

"The rooms are great and remodeled with a full kitchen no dishwasher but full refrigerator and an induction stove top and microwave. The food is great and the staff is amazing. Tristan and Lacey are fantastic. Very happy and my grandmother is very happy. Thank you Ivy Park San Ramon!"