The Best Independent Living Communities in San Mateo County, CA

"I like living here. The staff is very friendly and helpful. The staff knows all our names. I can walk to Safeway and CVS. Our lodge is on a lagoon. It's very beautiful and peaceful here. I can participate in many different activities. Sometimes, I don't like the food. "

"The facility was clean and had no smell. The staff was fine and accommodating. They had an automobile that brought them to the doctors. They had a beauty shop. I thought it was a fine place to go to and I would recommend them to others. "

"The environment is very clean and very bright. The rooms are quite nice and lots of them are quite roomy. They have ventilation and they have a lot of light, so that was nice. The staff is good and the dementia care unit has dedicated caregivers who are trained in dementia care. They have programs as well as living accommodations particular to people with dementia. They also have physical therapy, a lot of beautiful outside grounds, and they have the regular tours. They have a very nice dining facility, one for the general residents and then another for the dementia care residents. "

"Everything was nice and good at Marymount Villa; it looked clean and upscale. The lady I met was very friendly. The rooms looked fine. "

"I have had family living at Coterie since June 2024, and can confidently say it is one of most exceptional assisted living facilities in the SF Bay Area. This was confirmed by research and in consultation with our UCSF physicians. From the moment my family arrived, the staff impressed with their genuine kindness and professionalism. They greet every resident by name and made my family feel welcome with a lovely celebration upon move in. Their commitment to care is evident, particularly in their ability to provide personalized support for complex needs, including 24/7 insulin management, which is a rarity in assisted living. Working closely with the Director of Nursing, we develop a tailored care plan that evolves as my loved one’s highly complex needs change. The Director is responsive and compassionate, ensuring we receive the right amount of support. I’ve learned the importance of being open about our needs and allowing the initial time for the staff to get to know my loved one. Their dedication to getting it right is impressive. The concierge team is also outstanding, always available to assist residents in navigating the facility and managing their daily lives. This support makes a significant difference in the overall experience. Another noteworthy benefit is the complimentary membership to an urgent care facility located in the same building. This convenience allows for quick access to expert care without the stress of an ER visit. Plus, the proximity to CPMC hospital ensures that more extensive medical needs are easily addressed, while the Coterie campus remains serene. Overall, choosing Coterie for assisted living is undoubtedly one of the best decisions we have made. The combination of exceptional staff, personalized care, and convenient medical access made it a top choice for us as it has for other families seeking a supportive, nurturing and safe environment for their loved one."

"I would highly recommend living at Aldersly. The staff are all wonderfully dedicated & caring, they provide transportation & fun activities, the food is delicious, and the grounds are just gorgeous. If you are looking for a kind-hearted and professionally run complex, Aldersly is the one to choose!"

"It is lovely. They have great amenities, and they have a good program for the residents with many things to do. It's beautiful. The staff was very friendly. Everyone I've met there so far was very friendly, even as I observed other guests interacting with staff. They have different levels of care. The studio was small, but it's quite adequate. It has a mini kitchen with a microwave and refrigerator. It has its own private bathroom, and it's really lovely. They have a variety of rooms. They have one-bedroom units and places for couples. They have weekly activities, a game room, a movie room, a sauna, an exercise room, a pool, and a beautiful inner courtyard. They do weekly outings, and they will take you to your doctor. Everyone eats in the dining room and it's lovely. They seem to have something going on all the time. They put them on a bus and take them around. They play bingo and other things. They have a chef and it's restaurant-style dining."

"Landmark Villa was a great place. The rooms were very good, spacious enough, clean, and very workable for me. The place was clean and well kept up. The residents were very friendly. The staff that I dealt with and the others that I came in contact with were all very nice and friendly. I would like it a little closer to downtown, but that's all, and that would be workable."

"Bethesda Home was a very nice place. We just couldn't afford it. They were very, very personable, very helpful, and very knowledgeable. The facility was very clean and very well-kept. The rooms and the dining area were very comfortable."

"I like where it's located. So I did looked at different places, but I'm not at the point where it would have to be a decision that is needed to be made right away. The only place that really matched for what I wanted was this facility. The staff is fine. I talked to them on the phone and they answered some of the questions I had. They also sent me the information I needed. I talked to a couple of people who know the place; it has a positive reputation. So based on that, I thought of all the places this is the one that I could see myself at. I think they're excellent, they have a lot of compassion, and there are more positive things than negative things compared to other continuing care retirement community. A lot of what I looked at was the location, reputation, and if I could see myself there. That's why I went to visit the place. "

"Lake Park in Oakland has a vibrant independent living component. I like the physical layout quite a lot. The rooms were larger than some places I've visited. It's an older facility, but it has been renovated a lot. It's a large building, too. The staff members are very positive and very helpful. I tried the food, but it was not the highlight of the community. They have a limited menu, and they aren't making as big a deal out of it as some places do. There were a lot of large and small rooms that you could use for different things, whether you were doing crossword puzzles, you were sitting in their library, you were having your friends over, or you were watching films. There were lots of spaces and different options, and you could reserve those for what you wanted to do."

"It was very nice. I liked the resident's apartment a lot. I thought the renovations they were doing there would really make it a much more inviting facility, and I liked the staff there that I met. I thought they were very pleasant, very attentive and informative. I thought the food was average. They had usual activities. They had crafts and fitness. They were renovating the place, so they were renovating the fitness room. They had their own in-house beauty salon. They had social activities and movies. They could improve on their food and the entrance lobby. I thought the rest of the place was quite nice, but the entrance lobby where you would go for the reception, I thought they should make that a nicer looking. They should look a little more luxurious and inviting. The facilities and apartments in the other building were very nice and impressive, but they needed nicer furniture and decor for the entrance on their reception area."

Age well and live smart at The Avant at Palo Alto Commons. This pet-friendly Independent Living community for active older adults offers 44 luxury apartments with a boutique hotel feel, inviting gathering spaces, amazing perks, and five-star service. Here, youll experience an unbeatable lifestyle free from the worries of home maintenance. Your monthly rent includes tantalizing restaurant-style breakfasts Monday through Saturday, dinners served daily, and Sunday brunch. Weekly housekeeping and linen service, transportation services, secured underground parking with available valet service, a full activity and entertainment schedule, fitness and wellness programs, concierge services, and utilities are also included. Take advantage of our beautiful, art-filled social spaces such as the spacious solarium, the lounge with its grand piano, and the media room with WiFi and computer stations. Theres also a fully equipped fitness center, indoor heated pool, and therapeutic spa. Spacious studio, one, and two bedroom apartments feature full gourmet kitchens, private bathrooms, large walk-in closets, washers and dryers, and high-end finishes. Most floor plans also include a private balcony or patio. Lifestyle Amenities: Heated Swimming Pool Therapeutic Spa Solarium Media Room with Library Lounge Fitness Center with Classes, Yoga & Meditation Bocce Ball Court & Table Tennis Full Calendar of Social, Educational & Cultural Programs Beautiful Artwork Throughout Core Services: 14 Chef-Prepared Meals per Week Weekly Housekeeping & Linen Service On-Call Transportation Services 7 Days per Week Full Activity & Entertainment Schedule Fitness & Wellness Programs Concierge Services Dry Cleaning Pickup & Delivery Utilities (Excluding Phone & Cable TV) Secured Underground Parking Onsite Maintenance Onsite Security Personnel 24/7 Emergency Call SystemTo learn more about this providers license and review other available state reports, please visit: California Department of Social Services Licensed Facility Search

"At BridgePoint at Los Altos, I live where I can have my plants, and I have a very big room. I'm in a very private room, I'm not near an elevator and I'm on the first floor. It's a very friendly place, the population is very educated and the people have many advanced degrees as well as I do. We have a lot of men here, so a lot of women would like that. We have very educated men that are scientists and engineers and professors and things like that. The environment is very friendly and there are only two floors, and we're about 110 people here. The care is debatable, but it depends on who you get, which is everywhere. I have ok care, I'm in a wheelchair so they help me. I think it's a good place. The administration is not good, but the staff is good, so I would rate them about average. They have too many beef dishes, they used to have a lot of fish, and they have a lot of Star Seafoods, which I can eat because I'm on a diet. So it's not great for me, but for somebody else, it might be better. They have activities, they have a lot of very good parties, I lead a poetry group and it's very good. We're always trying to get some kind of discussion going. But the department lost all their people and they just have two people left, so we don't have ongoing activities, just TV activities. They have a salon, they have courtyards, they have patios on each floor and each person has a patio. They have open space for playing cards. It's a very classy place, it's been redone so it's light and bright, and the service is good. I pay a lot of money, but it's in Los Altos which is a very upscale area. I would say the value for the money is about average."