Independent Living Communities in North Port, FL

"The Goldton at Venice was excellent. The people who toured us around were very knowledgeable. I saw the guy who handled the physical therapy. The dining room was exceptional. The rooms were very well kept and clean. It was a really nice location. It was very clean and sparkly. I was impressed. I would have put my husband there, but it's not going to come about."

"I saw the Grand Villa of Sarasota. I think it was fine, but my tour guide kept apologizing for the condition of the rooms saying they're in the middle of updating them. They were perfectly fine in their un-updated state, so I'm sure it will turn out beautiful when it's done. It was acceptable the way it was. It was clean and I was able to see everything. I didn't get the chance to taste the food, but I have menus that look like there would be something for everyone to choose from, and the people said the food was good. The staff was friendly; I met cleaning people, different staff members, and nurses. They had a doctor there a couple of times a week, so it seemed like it would be a good place for assisted living. I also met the physical therapist. It was a good place."

"I like the location of Alderman Oaks Retirement Center. It was near the hospital and our physicians, so that was ideally located. You had the stores and other activities of Downtown Sarasota. The staff was very friendly and helpful. They were as good as they could be. They had a gym, a salon, and a courtyard. It's near restaurants. It's near the shopping area of Downtown Sarasota."

"My mom moved into Cypress Springs Gracious Retirement Living. I like its location. The place is very clean and the people there are great. It has everything we need. The staff has been very nice and very, very helpful. The food is pretty good. It is better than I expected for that kind of a place. They have a ton of activities all day long every day. They have a pool and water aerobics. They have all kinds of games and events. They also have a movie theater."

"DeSoto Palms was lovely. It was like a hotel. The rooms and the lobby were beautiful. Their dining area was like eating in a 5-star hotel. I really liked that. However, my brother decided that he needed more care than what they could offer because they had nurses there, but they were like 7 to 7. They would put you in bed, but there's nobody there at night until the morning expect for the resident manager, who was always there, and my brother might need to use the bathroom in the middle of the night. So, it was not an appropriate facility for him, even though I liked it. "

"The Alloro at University Groves is new and modern. It is great. Everybody is over 55. However, it is just too expensive. On the plus side, they have kitchens with high-quality appliances than most rentals. They have very nice hallways. They have storage space in the apartments, which is very good. They have a decent gym and a big enough pool where you can do laps. It was clean. The spaces were small for their units, but the staff was great. It was a beautiful building."

"I will be moving into Willow Creek Apartments. They're not luxury apartments, but they're affordable and decent. They have two nice, good-sized bedrooms, and two bathrooms. So if my children visit, they'll have a bedroom and bathroom to use. It's not that big of an apartment, but it's basic and decent. They have a stove and a refrigerator. They don't have a microwave. They have a dishwasher too. The staff was great. They have a pool. They do allow pets."

"I went to the Gardens of North Port to take a tour. It was wonderful, it just didn't have as many options as the other place did for Mom's situation. I toured with the director and she showed me a couple of the rooms, and they were great. I didn't have anything bad to say about it. It was a large studio apartment."

"We chose Northport Pines Retirement Center for mom because it was clean and the people are nice. The manager was really nice and caring person. Mom has an apartment wherein it has a room with a little kitchenette, a bathroom, and a walk-in closets. The staff are all very nice, they are very caring with everybody, and they would go out of their way to help anybody. I did eat there and the food was very good. They have a wonderful selection of food and they do a very nice job on it. They also have different activities there like exercise classes five days a week. They have card playing and my mom likes to do that. This is a nice place for people to retire. "

"My wife and I have moved into Grand Living at Wellen Park. It is independent living and extremely good. We chose it because it has a very low basic down payment. It is renting and not buying. Our accommodation is also very good. The salespeople and all the people who moved us here were good. The people who live here are very nice. All of them said hi, and we made good friends. They have about everything you can ask for, from exercise and physical therapy to a nurse on the staff. They have weekly evening gatherings, movies, and music. They have all kinds of activities like going out somewhere, at least once a week, if not twice. The food is also outstanding, and they have breakfast, lunch, and dinner."

"I visit Village Place, an assisted living facility, on a weekly basis. When the weather is nice, I see residents outside the entrance enjoying the fresh air and feeding squirrels. The staff at the front desk are always friendly, and the common room has a homey, welcoming feel. Usually there is nostalgic music wafting in the common areas as I take the stairs up to the second floor. There is also an elevator that residents can take to get between floors. The room where I go to see my patient looks like a little apartment, with a kitchenette, small living room, and bedroom filled with personal items to really make it look like home. Today when I was there, I saw a bunch of residents in one of the common areas taking a painting class. There are mini common areas all over the place, filled with books, TVs and couches, or dining areas. Of course, there are nursing stations, too, but you have to be on the lookout for them, because they aren't easily spotted if you're just having a casual look. There is also an Alzheimer's unit here, with their own walled-in patio outside, but I don't have a chance to visit that unit. This is a place where I would feel comfortable having my own family members taken care of. For 6 years, my parents and I lived together and took care of my grandmother. The last six months she had to live in a nursing home and I hated visiting her there, even though it was the best we could find for her. It was more like a hospital. But I enjoy visiting this site every week, and even look forward to it, because it seems very vibrant and caring. "

"We are in Oak Forrest for 12 years now. It is not a care facility, but everything is excellent. It has a walking path, a swimming pool, basketball courts, and a clubhouse, etc. We have a two-bedroom, two-bath condo unit which is very nice and affordable. They have many activities. They have bingo, Christmas parties, and cook outs. "

"River Commons is a very friendly place. We have our assigned tables, and meals are served to us. We all get along well. Everybody takes care of everybody. The room that we're in is called the Alcove Room. It has a small kitchen, dining area, and a living area with a sofa, chairs, and bed behind it. There's no partition. It's all open. I have all my pictures hung, and my dishes and my china cabinet are here. The food has been very pleasant. I met a lot of really nice people. They have bingo, card games, karaoke, and entertainment. It's a very pleasant place to be. They clean your room, change your bed, and do your laundry. I'm on the fourth floor and have a little patio that's screened in. I can see everything. The clouds at night are absolutely gorgeous and the sunrise is beautiful."

"Towers of Venice was new. It was beautiful. I had lunch there and the people were nice. I talked to one resident and he was quite happy there. So, he'd been there for two years. They had fantastic facilities and I was very impressed with them. They were also cheaper than where I live now. They have a fantastic exercise room with multiple types of exercise equipment, and I was impressed with that. I don't have that here in my place, and that's one thing that I really miss. There was just one staff member that I met, and that was a lady that invited us to have lunch. She's very nice and very helpful. That's what her job is. So, you would not expect anything less. She knew her business and that's why it was an easy visit. The food that I had there was adequate I can't say anything bad about it. It was good, but I wouldn't say it was fantastic by any means. The lady covered everything. She showed me the room that I was looking for, a studio type room and so far, I'm impressed with the place. It was very clean."