Independent Living Communities in Newport Beach, CA

"Carmel Village Retirement Community was the only one that we ended up touring because it was the only one that was a medical model. We were very impressed with the amenities, with what they offer and all. They provide washing and housekeeping, and they have the washer and dryer available free of charge, so it's not like a laundromat. There's no extra cost, and it seems like it would be helpful in the long run. They help with housecleaning. My mom was impressed with the size of the rooms. The staff who greeted us was very, very nice. David, the marketing director, gave us an awesome tour and showed us some of his projects, and it just seemed like everybody cared. It looks like they have some awesome activities, card games, bingo, and memory games. The facility looked clean and accessible."

"My ex-husband lived in Oakmont in Huntington Beach. I spoke to them. They're very nice, but they are more expensive than where he is now. That would probably be the main thing. Oakmont is very nice. It's a very good place, very nice place, very clean, and has nice people. They do all the levels of care, and they have the memory care unit on the first floor. I think it's three levels, and he was on the second level. When you go in there from the hospital, sometimes you need more help at the beginning. Later on, he got to where he didn't need much help, so the price went down. It's flexible, depending on how much care you need. The food was really good. They have a beautiful dining room. I would go there and have dinner with him. It certainly had really really good food. I like the ambiance. It's really pretty. It's like living in a really pretty hotel. The cleanliness is excellent. You're paying more. It demands a higher price because it's very well-kept. They're very good. They're very nice there, and everyone is really friendly."

"We looked around here. It looked like a very nice place. It had smaller rooms and had lots of activities. I saw some ladies making goody bags for the policemen because of some civic activities that they were doing. Some people were playing cards at a table and they had a nice little area that had refreshments and desserts. I saw games and exercises. The girl that took us around was super nice. The people seemed very friendly and every time you walk past someone, they would say hi. It had a very nice patio and a really huge dining area, which was more like a cafeteria. It was very nice."

"The Regency is not as nice as the other facility I visited. I noticed that everybody was very busy. They weren't quite as personable since Laguna Woods is extremely busy. The rooms there are not quite as bright and clean looking. They may well be clean and very nice, but they don't appear to be quite as bright. Some of the buildings are older, and the paint is a little dark. "

"My sister has been in Park Plaza since last year. She has a two-bedroom apartment. It's aging in place. When you move in your apartment is redone for you, So you get everything done. New floors, new paint, everything is new to you. The grounds are clean and it's homey. It's fine. They have a nice outdoor area. They have some form of an exercise program for seniors, and they have bingo, pinnacle, puzzles, and movies at night. They have a lot of the normal senior's activities. They offer you transportation as well to various places and a church on Sunday. They redid the entire kitchen, it was finished in September. I was there when I viewed it. They redid the kitchen there. The food seems to be fine, more than enough, you can even ask for half servings, which is nice if you're not a large eater so that the food is not wasted."

"I will most likely be staying at The Ivy at Wellington. I just felt it was a nice place to be. It's month to month, so you're not obligated for 6 months or a year with a lease. The apartments were very lovely. They were very nice sizes. I'll be moving into a 2-bedroom; one was the bedroom, and then the other was a den which was a smaller room. You could put a sleeping couch in the den. The bedroom was a nice size. You would get 3 meals a day, and the food was OK. I had a hamburger and fries. The staff was very cordial, very sweet, and very helpful."

"It is excellent. The food is very good, the only thing bad about it is the facility, it doesn't have central air and excellent activities. As far as exercise programs and all of that, remodelling of the main building, their living accommodations are not as good. We only saw the independent, and I think the independent kind of goes in with the assisted. The staff is outstanding. They have a good selection, but we didn't like what we chose. I think their food is probably very good, we didn't like our main course, but we liked everything else."

"Everything was good at Meridian at Laguna Hills. The only exception is that they did not have a washer and dryer in their apartment. The staff member who gave the tour was very friendly and very honest about it. She told me that this building was old but very well made. It was pretty good in terms of upkeep. However, she didn't show me where is the washer and dryer, and how much it is going to cost me, and all that kind of stuff. Besides, they didn't have a kitchen. It used to be a hotel a long time back, so the amenities basically were of a hotel. It was nice and clean though."

"Rowntree Gardens was beautiful and very nice, and my husband stayed there for a few days. The staff was very good. My husband stayed in a very nice private room which was very spacious and clean. "

"The food that I had at Walnut Village was incredible. I really felt like it was fine dining at a restaurant. The staff said this is normally what is served. She also said they based their food on points. You could spend your points for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, or you don't have to use them at all, and you can use them for your guests. Their food was incredible. The staff said that this is a formal sit-down dining room, and you would come dressed nicely here. The only drawback with Walnut Village is that it sits in the middle of where Disneyland is. Other than that, they have valet parking, and it was beautiful inside. Other than that traffic, it was totally a 10. Everything was new, first-class, and clean. The only reservation I have is the location. They have all kinds of activities. They have a beautiful indoor pool, a beautiful area to exercise with lots of exercise equipments, a beautiful courtyard, a beautiful library, and a game room. It was just gorgeous."

"We toured Crestavilla. The facility was very nice. We had lunch there. It was very good."

"My husband moved to MorningStar of Mission Viejo. The interior organization there, they communicate well with each other. The management style is excellent. They communicate well between each department, so it's a very soft touch, but they pay attention to the information about their clients. The facility is great. It's interesting. It's a small building. It's not one of the biggest, most extravagant buildings that I've seen, but the staff is great. The food is amazing. The food is excellent. They do a good job there. My husband is a little reserved. He's not quite interested in that part of things, but it looks like they have a lot going on. They have an outreach program where they're working with the Saddleback Emeritus programming, and they're introducing some classes at their facility through Emeritus."

"It was excellent. I would like to live there myself. However, my wife is just not ready. It was so nice over there. "

"Westmont of Cypress is brand new. At the time that I went there, only about 50+ people were living there, and I think they could handle a little over 100. So, a lot of the activities haven't started yet, because there weren't enough people to go with some of this stuff, but they have meeting places for them such as the theater and a bar area. I went with two friends and we were invited for lunch, which was lovely. It's a restaurant-style dining with open seating and a huge menu. The food was delicious and the staff was very, very pleasant. The apartment was a little bit bigger and it's kind of nice and all spanking new."