The Best Independent Living Communities in Orange County, CA

"My mother-in-law has moved into Coastal Heights. Everybody's very kind. They're very community oriented and very inclusive. The food is fine. They have activities, a movie theater, a fitness center, a hairdressing salon, and a nice dining room. The facility is very clean. The carpet just needs to be shampooed. I think guests take their food back to their rooms at times and they spill, but they're on regular maintenance to have the carpet shampooed. Other than that, it's very clean. She's enjoyed the piano and singing. She doesn't play games or cards, but there are a lot of card games, there's bingo, puzzles and ceramics, and stuff like that. She likes to read. They have a lovely library. It's a nice place. The staff is very kind, very helpful, and very attentive, and their maintenance person is amazing. They have a six-week change over in their food. They have a huge breakfast buffet or hot buffet. It's a two-meal-a-day place, and you choose which one you want to go to. It's a huge variety. They have happy hour. It's a very caring community and very inclusive. They care about their renters."

"I was impressed with Walnut Village. It's sheer perfection. I would've been very happy going there, but it just wasn't time for me to go into that kind of a facility. The person during the tour was charming, very knowledgeable, and very pleasant. He made it sound like it would be wonderful. The dining area was like going to a very fancy restaurant. It was really a nice place. They also have a little coffee shop. I saw one woman working out in the gym with a trainer. Everybody was so pleasant and so happy. It's a lovely place."

"I toured with my mother and the rooms were nice and clean. It was a big facility with lots of room to walk on the grounds and also a lot of social activities. I also liked that there is a medical clinic which allows residents to have nearby care if needed. The location was a little further than desired, but the residents all seemed to be content here."

"We have trusted the care of the Oakmont staff in Memory care with our Mom since they opened in the summer of 2019. I can't speak highly enough about the loving care of the staff members. Handing our Mom over to the care of "strangers" was a very scary thing...and since day one, I continue to feel they are not strangers, but Angels for all they do. Communication with team members, has continued to give me peace of mind, that Mom is loved and cared for."

"Atria Newport Beach – Exceptional Care and Compassion
 My dear friend of 55 years moved into Atria Newport Beach over two years ago, and I can say without hesitation that the care she has received has been nothing short of superb. From day one, the administration and staff have gone above and beyond to ensure she is not only well cared for, but also truly happy. The facility itself is absolutely beautiful, but what makes Atria exceptional is the people. Every member of the staff knows my friend by name and greets her with genuine warmth and kindness. Their attentiveness, compassion, and willingness to assist in any way have brought great peace of mind to me and immense joy to my friend. The dining experience at Atria is another highlight—it feels like dining in a gourmet restaurant. Meals are thoughtfully prepared and beautifully presented. They even go the extra mile to accommodate special food requests, making sure every detail is attended to with care. It’s clear that the comfort and happiness of each resident is their top priority. Recently, my friend transitioned from assisted living to memory care, and I was amazed at how smoothly the transition was handled. Atria took care of every detail— from coordinating logistics to offering emotional support—making the move seamless and stress-free for both my friend and her loved ones. The staff approached the change with professionalism and deep compassion, ensuring continuity of care and comfort every step of the way. Atria also offers a wide variety of engaging and enjoyable activities. My friend has found new ways to stay active, social, and mentally stimulated, and she loves spending time with her friends in the memory care community. I truly cannot rate Atria Newport Beach highly enough! It is a place filled with care, dignity, and joy—an absolute blessing for our loved ones."

"Staff is very friendly and very open to answering questions. They were available later to explain how needs would be met, such as transportation to and from doctor appointments."

"Sheila and her team really care about the residents in this community. I would highly recommend The Meridian for assisted living services. This was a great choice for my mother-in-law --she seems very happy! "

"Emerald Court was very nice. It has easy access because they have two elevators. We had lunch there, and it was too much for us. They showed us an apartment and told us about all the activities they have -- such as bridge, all kinds of card games, karaoke once in awhile, and craft games. I was so impressed with this facility. When we are ready to move into a senior facility, we will be moving here. "

"My mother moved into Ivy Park at Laguna Woods. It's perfect for her. It's not overly expensive but it's very, very nice. The people there seem to like their jobs, and they are very friendly. The food is really good. They have movies, they play mind games, and they do grooming."

"My aunt and uncle moved to Bayshire Yorba Linda. They can accommodate a lot of things. The grounds are kept clean and the atmosphere is very inviting. It was very spacious. It didn't seem like everything was kind of crammed in. The people that we met there were very helpful and very kind. We haven't run into any problems as far as helping my aunt and uncle. The food is very good. My uncle is not as social as my aunt. Even within memory care, they have a lot of activities to stimulate their brain, and to keep them busy. We've been very happy with the available activities. The value of memory care is awesome. It's pretty reasonable."

"It is smaller and specializes in assisted living, but they've made it like a community. I toured both independent and assisted living. In most places, they usually have around 120 people, but this one is a smaller community. They do excursions and things. Their assisted living bedrooms were a lot smaller, but they were nice. They have a small little independent living section, although they specialize in assisted living and most people think of it as assisted living. It's nice because it's in a more rural area in Fullerton, so there's a horse trail along one side of the area. You can take your dog out there and watch the horses go by. Most assisted living and independent living places don't usually have a little yard for each individual apartment. It has one section for independent living where they each have a little yard that faces the trail, so that's where most people want to be. What I like about them is it was a little more rural."

"Westmont of Cypress was extremely nice. It was just very expensive and located too far from me. The people that I toured with shared their background information, and they've kind of been through very similar experiences, so I felt like they understood where we were coming from. I didn't feel like they were a sales person per se, trying to make their quota or anything like that, but it was really more on what the most important thing was for the person that we were looking for. It's wonderful. They have a salon, physical therapy, a gym, a barbecue area, a piano room, and an outdoor pool that can service people that are very limited/need wheelchair assistance. It was all very modern and very updated. They have a lot of activities both indoors and outdoors. They have a happy hour area and a sports area to watch the big screen TVs, as well as a spa to get your hair/nails done. It's very nice and very use-friendly. Some of the residents were all very happy, too."

"I enjoyed my tour of Capriana. The property was beautiful, they were very informative, but it's expensive. My parents are used to being in a 4,000 square foot house on eight acres, so unless I have space for them, they're not going to even consider it. This place has four acres of property, so it's appealing and we'll see how they feel about it. They have art galleries or art space for them to paint, needlepoint, and a craft type room for the women, a poker room, and pool tables, a wine bar, and a little coffee bar type place."

"The Ivy at Wellington - Laguna Hills, CA was beautiful. It was very nice. We were very impressed. The tour was very helpful. They covered everything. The staff who accommodated us with the tour was very good. We looked at a one-bedroom-and-a-den apartment. They had physical therapy. They had all kinds of things. They had card games and arts. I didn't look at all of them, but I just saw that they were busy. They had a library, a courtyard, a swimming pool, and a gym. We had lunch there, and it was fine. Also, you can get your meals any time of the day. They're not regimented."