The Best Independent Living Communities in Hillsborough County, FL

"I am moving to Osprey Heights Gracious Retirement Living. What I like best is its location, the people who run and manage the property, and the physical plant. The staff were all wonderful. I can't say enough good things about them. The architecture is superb and ideal. Of all the places I visited, they offered the most activities, so I was most happy with that. They had two buses there and they were always going and moving. They go around shopping, going to doctor's offices, medical appointments, pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens, or off to the movies. They had a lot of activities that you could choose from, which was wonderful."

"Super friendly staff, always have fun activities going on, And the place is spotless."

"I really liked Stratford Court of Palm Harbor. It was excellent and impressive. They were just stellar. It was very innovative and good. The staff was impressive. Their dining area was very classy. They had a lot of different things to do. They had a wide variety of activities for the residents. The location was very convenient. It looked like they had all the bases covered. "

"I live at Coral Oaks. I have a slightly larger single bedroom, and so it has a one-and-a-half bath. But in the half bath, you have your own laundry. You don't have to go to some basement laundry area. You just do it yourself whenever you feel like it. They provide a refrigerator and a cooking range. The only thing you had to buy for yourself was a toaster if you wanted, and a countertop microwave. Other than that, everything is provided. You bring your own furniture, of course. I don't have any problems with the staff. They also provide housekeeping services. They come in once a week to polish and vacuum. There's all kinds of things going on. Even twice a week they have Happy Hour where they provide drinks and you have entertainment."

"Sunstar Village is an awful place. It's small. I think they have like maybe 30 people. They can only handle up to 50, but they are about half full, and I can see why. The place is old and dingy, and they have very limited staff. I found that the security is not very good. They did offer me a private room with a nice bathroom, but everything is older. I met the owner. He was in his office, and he's a young guy. It needs a lot of help. It's pretty run-down. I saw a lot of residents in wheelchairs slumped over. I saw that in every room. I didn't find it to be very inviting or anything like that. The staff was kind of distracted, like she didn't really want to give the tour, even though I scheduled it. She obviously forgot because I showed up and she asked me why I was there. She was nice enough, but not upbeat, just kind of going through the motions. All I saw was the outside place where the smokers go. They have an activity room that doubles as a dining room. They don't have a separate wing for memory care. They mix them all up."

"Good facility, no bells and whistles, but good services and good food. Highly recommended, especially if your financial resources are pretty limited. "

"I was able to tour The Barrington Senior Living. I was highly impressed with the staff and the attentiveness of the people who live there. The cafeteria was beautiful and the menu was really great. They've got all the things I'm looking for. They have people active in the community. They do a lot of day trips and they go to different places. And I know they have an outside court and everything looked well-maintained. The staff sat me down and went over the process with me and answered all my questions. The rooms were great, nice and clean, and spacious, and they're really impressed with that place."

"I love The Oaks of Clearwater. The apartments were beautiful. They have a beautiful view of the ocean. They were very clean. They don't have a stove, which I didn't like, but they have a refrigerator. They treated us to lunch. The food was not great, but it was OK. The dining room was clean and roomy. It had all different sized tables, from two people to six people. There were different dining rooms. In fact, I was going to the 12th floor. There's a dining room on the third and fifth, as well as the ground floor. They have bistros."

"We visited Allegro. They have several different types of sufficient apartments. The staff was awesome, wonderful, and spectacular. I talked to the head of the dining services, and he was a super-duper cook. Everybody would be happy to have him. He was a real chef and a wonderful person. They have activities just like everyone does. They have everything there. "

"My father is presently at this facility and I am more than pleased. Yes you can be awed by the beautiful grounds by the menu that is like a full restaurant then the apartments which are lovely and kept clean but it is the care everyone walks around saying good morning hello how are you I have direct phone numbers to nurses and to the med techs who go into his room 3 times a day I am very pleased and cannot ask for anything more. My father had a little fall with no injuries they called me immediately when it happened to ensure although he didn't want to go to the hospital and although there was no injuries did I feel like he should go as a precaution of course I did not but to get that phone call and that sense of relief I have no worries. Highly recommended"

"Lake Morton Senior Living was just too small of a place. It didn't fit our situation, but they had very nice apartments. The staff was very informative about things. It was a very nice facility. They have a lounge, an exercise area, a general area where everybody gets together, a cafeteria, and everything."

"I would like to live in Ella At Encore. It's a brand new building. It got spacious apartments. The apartment was 700 square feet, so it's more roomy. Everything is new so you're getting new appliances. They got nice and big bedroom. They also got screened balconies. "

"Horizon Bay at Hyde Park is a relatively new community about four or five years old. It had a couple of amenities that the other community I visited did not have. It has a movie theater, a pool, and its own dining room with its own menu. It also has a lounge on the sixth or seventh floor. It is a big place with its own relatively large balcony. I think it initially started out to be for residents just looking to relocate to a community because they were tired of maintaining a home. They are now catering to clients that require assistance. They have now home-help aides that are attached to the clients. It is clean, and it is impressive when you walk in. The people are kind and receptive too. "

"I liked Jewish Center Towers the best because my doctors are right there. The management is very friendly. It was very pleasant. I got to see how well-kept the building is and everything. I got to meet some of the very sweet residents and I just had a very pleasant experience. They were very, very courteous, very welcoming, and very informative. Everything was very clean and out in the open. I had no complaints about it. From what I could also see was the staff was there for the residents."