Independent Living Communities in Novato, CA

"My dad moved into Cogir of North Bay Senior Living. We've had a positive experience. We're happy with the place. They're taking care of my dad really well. They have all the meals, medicine, take care of medicine, and all the nursing. Everybody is really nice. They do housekeeping, laundry, everything. They have restaurant-style dining with different options every day. We haven't done any of them, but they have a big list of activities, quite a bit of activities every day, and they change often. They do movies, games, and trips to like a casino and to a museum, and things like that. They also take you to your doctors' appointments."

"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 want to recognize the exceptional service at Cogir Vallejo Hills under Susan's leadership. After a measurement mistake with my storage shelving, Denice from management immediately assured me, "Misako, don't worry. We will take care of it." She coordinated with Albert from maintenance to re-measure, return incorrect shelves, and install proper ones. Having moved to Cogir Vallejo Hills five months ago, this experience confirmed I made the right choice. In any organization, mistakes happen—we're all human. What truly matters is how those issues are handled. Susan's team demonstrated exceptional care, compassion, and efficiency throughout this situation. I'm grateful to Susan, Denice, Albert, and the entire team for their dedication to resident satisfaction. This attentive service creates a community where residents feel valued and heard. m.m."

"Large, airy apartments. Full kitchen. Very friendly staff. The few residents I saw were mostly ambulatory."

"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."

"Holiday Redwood Retirement Residence was lovely, but my sister is no longer qualified for it. The staff is very friendly, and the place is very clean and efficient. Very clean room, and they put in new flooring before each new resident. So it's nice."

"I saw Heritage on the Marina for the fourth time now. It’s a three-tiered community with independent living, assisted living, and skilled nursing. I like the cleanliness, the friendliness, the knowledgeability, the quality, and the payment structure of the whole place. They don’t have any rooms to be seen available right now because they are refurbishing. "

"My visit to Berkshire was excellent. They took me to the room and personally guided me through everything. They talked to me and opened it up for questions, and they were very professional. The rooms were very nice and adequate for what the need is. They had dinners, and they had parties outside. It was some kind of celebration going on, and it looks like they did it quite nicely. It is all great. "

"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."

"Diana was the one we worked with us here and she was phenomenal and so helpful. She gave great insights on how to help mom in the best way. Their amenities were outstanding. They had two 5-star restaurants and then another nice restaurant. They had snacks out that people could come and get at any time. So it wasn't just three routine meals. They were open all the time with snacks and if you wanted something extra, you could get it. You could either have the food taken to your room, like room service, or you could go to the restaurant. They had a happy hour in their general area so it was just phenomenal. It was luxury resort living. Diana showed us two studios and a one-bedroom. The studios were very nice with had very different layouts that would work well for anybody. On the first one that we walked down, I noticed that the kitchenette was a little bit further from the bedroom and the living area, which in our instance was a little bit of a walk, but for a regular person, it was just right there. The next studio was more of an all-inclusive. It was very clean. They had one that looked onto the courtyard in the center with all of its fountains and flowers, while the other one was secluded, like a parking lot kind of view that looked over the tennis courts and things like that. The one-bedroom was very spacious and very nice. They had very short hallways, so there was not a ton of walking and it's soundproof. You could be in the hallway and not hear any of the other residents' televisions or anything. It was well done."

"I moved in a month ago. A very spacious and bright common area that does not feel like a retirement home. A one bedroom apartment has a full kitchen and balcony. Basic cable is included in the rent. Staff are friendly and you come and go as you please. Most major stores are very close by."

"My friend will be moving into Ivy Park at Cathedral Hill. It's amazing. It's beautiful. It's perfect. Everything is lovely. He loves it."

"My parents are now in the assisted living of The Carlisle, and our experience so far has been very good. We're very satisfied and happy with it. The meal I had there was quite good, and they had a very nice, varied menu, and it's very high quality. It was very clean and bright, they have very large rooms with nice views out on the balconies. I would consider living there myself. There are a lot of activities available, and they have a very, very wide-ranging program, which I was happy with. They look like they have excursions, they take people out to venues outside in San Francisco, and transportation is provided. They also bring in lectures and musicians, and that sort of thing, and they have in-house activities and excursions outside the facility. The staff has been very friendly, welcoming, and very attentive."

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