The Best Independent Living Communities in Marion County, FL

"I enjoyed my visit at the Carriage House. I looked around and I had lunch there. I liked the way they showed me around. I thought the staff was very helpful. The dining room seemed to be satisfactory. They have a pool table room, swimming pool, and a movie house. They even have a place for my dog to play. I think they do just about everything. I really didn't find anything wrong with it except that it's expensive like all of them. "

"Steeplechase Retirement Residence is the oldest of the three communities I visited. I could see some wear there. It is well kept and it has the same amenities, but they didn't have a kitchen in their units. They had a room where a large TV was on the wall and you could play cards and pool, plus a swimming pool and outdoor games. I was able to talk to two or three of the residents, and they didn't have anything negative to say."

"Providence is absolutely beautiful, and I was very impressed with everything. We had a meal in the big dining room; we saw everything. They have a pool, and near the area there are umbrellas, they have a library and a beauty shop. I’m in favor of that one, but I have some things to consider. The rooms had 9 foot ceilings which make them seem very large, and they had a studio that normally they put nothing between living in bedroom area. It is spacious enough for me. I could use the studio. The one bedroom is larger, and the price is very reasonable, much less than any other place. It’s so beautiful that I can’t understand why they don’t charge more. "

"My father stayed in Sumter Senior Living for seven years. It's awesome. The place was very clean. The room sizes were nice. Tons of activities, a lot of outings, they had vehicles they could take, they went to all kinds of different shows and they went to a horse racing event, so a lot of outdoor activities, and they had plenty of indoor things for those residents who didn't necessarily like to go out anywhere. There was a fitness center, there was a pool, there were all kinds of arts and crafts, and there was a golf simulator. The thing about The Villages too, and where he was, as a resident you can use The Villages. It's a humongous golf community and there are over 40 golf courses. He and his friends used to go golfing once or twice a week, that's one of his passions, so he got to truly enjoy a lot of the activities that they had there. He made lots of good friends, for him there was a lot of camaraderies. There were four of them, four guys, so that every morning they had breakfast together, every night they had dinner together. It's an awesome place. It's like Disney World for adults. They changed management companies several times, that's my one complaint, and depending on who's running the place, the staff was fabulous, other times not as great."

"This is top of the line. It's just one year old so it's almost brand new and absolutely stunning. It has an extremely good quality of restaurants. It has three different ones for morning, noon, and night. The food is excellent. You can order what you want off the menus. It has all the available facilities for working out and they have a coach to help you do exercises. They have a theater that will seat 125 people. They have shows periodically almost once a month, and they have somebody come in there and do performances. They have a good extreme number of various shapes, sizes, and rooms that people would use, from 1,200 square feet down to 600 square feet, so there's excellent diversity of rooms and accommodations. They don't have restrictions on keeping you there for each year at a time. You can go on a monthly rental basis. They have healthcare for their people and an on-duty nurse. Their cost is about the same as everybody else's. The staff have all been very gracious and we don't even belong to them, yet they let us cme and see their shows and occasionally sit with our friends who are there for lunch and dinner. They're very open to outsiders coming in and seeing what their facility can and can't do. There are extra wide corridors and the reason for that is they have paintings on the walls, and you can walk three or four abreast. It gives it a more spacious feeling so you don't feel like you're enclosed as you walk through the corridors."

"Joe decided he wanted to go to Magnolia Walk. He's very independent and can take care of himself. He has a friend from Calton Arms who is also moving to Magnolia Walk. The only thing I worry about is Joe can't cook. He eats frozen dinners. My husband and I will keep in touch with Joe to make sure he's doing well. Also, Magnolia Walk is a senior citizen community. My husband said it's a very nice place. "

"We have a home at Fairfield Village that we purchased. Mom is going to be staying in there with the neighbors all around her that will be looking after her and admires her. And if there's anything further then I'm going to get higher home service to come in once or twice a day to look in on her. They have daily activities, a newspaper for the community they give out on a weekly basis, and a recreational center where mom could go to and participate. It's a very nice community, very well maintained, and managed. That’s what we liked about it. Mom's been there for two months now. It's wonderful. She's happy. In fact, she's got a 90th birthday coming up and we're going to have a big blow out for her. "

"I have moved into Oak Valley. The prices are pretty reasonable. It's beautiful. The staff are very helpful and very professional. They have a gym, a swimming pool, and a tennis court. They almost have everything. I'm legally blind, so I have someone come in for 20 hours per week and help me. It's very clean and everything. It's good. Value for money is very good. It's a very nice place. They're honest because where I came from, they were very evil."

"My sister-in-law has moved into Bridgewater Park. She's in the memory care unit. The staff is fantastic with her there. They bring her in to participate in whatever things are occurring. The staff takes very good care of her. The room is very comfortable. Her family got her brand-new furniture inside her room. She has a shower and a bedside chair, so she's doing well. She's actually in an open area where you have the rooms on the sides. There is a dining area there, which is very nice. There's an activity area also, which is basically near the dining room, and then there's a lounge. Down the center you have quite a few chairs where visitors come and they can sit. It's very new and very modern. You have everything that you would need there. You have the memory care unit, you have rehab, and you have the ALF. There's also a nursing home. It's expensive. It's really a topnotch place to be at."

"I toured On Top of the World Communities. It's a gated community, and it's for people 55 years of age and older. They have their own amenities like pools, golf courses, and a couple of restaurants right inside the community itself. It's very nice. It's immaculate. They do their own maintenance, so they take care of their own lawn service, and they sweep street sidewalks. The food is good. I would compare it to any restaurant. They have a program which is like a renewable education where they'll teach courses for a small fee on all kinds of photography, stamp collecting, model railroading, etc. Periodically, they will have trips going to like major sport events and stuff like that. I would give the staff the top rating."

"I'm in Pine Run Estates in Ocala. I needed somewhere to live, and it came up so I moved in April. It's very quiet and nice with no one to worry you and no dogs calling when people walk by. It's independent living, and the staff here is great. I cook my own food. They have a lot of activities here like swimming and tennis. They have a gym and salon. It's close to everything and stores."

"recently my mom needed extra help more than i could give this place was a god send they where able to help my mother recover the docs and nurses are great very detailed treatment the food is good and they give them the copassion of a family member what more can i say yes i highly recomend this nurseing home temberridge rehab thank you"

"Del Webb Spruce Creek is an active 55+ community. It's very well-maintained, they have lots of activities, people are very friendly, and I love it. I'm very happy here. It's all independent living so we have to take care of our own houses and our own yards. The staff here really care about the residents. They have different kinds of clubs based on whatever your interests are, like a golf club, cooking club, and veterans club. They have activities like bocce ball and baseball. I like it because it's close to The Villages and Ocala. We're right in the middle. So, if I like the city, I can go to Ocala, and I can also take advantage of The Villages if I don't like the crowd."

"Trinity Springs is a beautiful facility. The staff have been wonderful. I am very eager, and my dad is eager to get there. It is a very wonderful looking facility and is one of the most sought after facilities in The Villages community. The atmosphere overall is bright, friendly, and comforting. They have a physical training room and nice grounds. The rooms are beautiful, spacious, and priced right. It is like walking into a resort. It is very elegant and clean."