The Best Independent Living Communities in Pinellas County, FL

"I toured Lake Seminole Square. It's independent living and it was a palace. It is a buy-in community so their apartments are exceptional but their prices are a little steep. You buy in and you have a monthly rent. It was gorgeous and I would love to live there. Their apartments were beautiful and had all the different sizes that you could get. They have a pool, a dining room, little cafes, and all kinds of exercise rooms and game rooms. They had a movie theater in there too, which I thought was pretty cool. You wouldn't even have to leave the place if you didn't want to. The staff was very friendly and a lot of them have worked there for many years. They were going on 20 years at that place so it must be a good place to work."

"I took advantage of Freedom Square's mini staycation and found the facility to be extremely clean, well cared for, the staff friendly, happy residents, and the food delicious. Joey, the GM, is very hands on and it is evident how much he (and staff) cares about the community. I didn't think I would like the property as much as I did. So much so, I put a deposit on after just a few days. There is an indoor heated salt-water pool and I'm looking forward to spending a lot of time in that. Many exercise classes, events, and trips. So much more than like communities provide. Major shopping and beaches close by made this an easy decision. So glad to call Freedom Square home!"

"Regency Oaks was beautiful. They provided a short seminar for residents to talk to people who worked in accounting and there's plenty of administration to answer all of our questions. There's a lot to do. It's a first-class place. It's gorgeous. The grounds are gorgeous. They remind me of Philippe Park. The rooms are beautiful and there's spacious closet space, which was one of our primary concerns and it all looks new. They provided us with a gourmet meal for lunch and it was outstanding. They have a pool."

"I visited the assisted living of The Oaks of Clearwater, and the person who toured me was very friendly and knowledgeable about the whole industry. I thought she was very good and very helpful in explaining their facility and how it operates. There is a downside, though, and that is the amount of parking for guests. They have a three-story parking garage, and there are only four spaces for guests on the first floor of it, so you have to go all the way up to the third floor to find any other spaces. You'd also have to know where the elevator is to get from the third floor down to the first because it's not obvious that they have an elevator there. The place was clean. They were having vendors that were selling jewelry and other items in their lobby area during my visit. I guess they bring them in once or twice a month for residents to do shopping inside the facility. Their dining area was adequate for the building. It was large enough to house people, although they weren't serving anybody at the time I was there. They have plenty of tables and chairs, though. They have different floors that do different things, but the view from their rooms on the upper floors is spectacular. They overlook parts of Tampa Bay, so you're right by the water, and it's a really nice view."

"My mom stays there...has been there for almost 2 years and it's absolutely great!!! A full calendar of events and such a friendly great staff!! The food and dining roomS are great! SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO HOLLY FOR ALL THE EXTRA HELP GETTING MY MOM SETTLED AND WHAT SHE NEEDED!"

"American House St. Petersburg was pretty nice. We were looking for memory care places specifically and they're all pretty depressing. American House was the nicest of all the options here in Pinellas. The facility was pretty nice, very new, modern, clean, and well-lit. They have a nice pool. The staff I met has been very friendly and helpful. We already selected a room for my grandmother. She's in kind of an unusual room. The typical room for memory care is just a bedroom and an attached bathroom. For my grandmother, it's normally a room for two people that has two small bedrooms and a central living room, and then a bathroom, so it's a little larger. Part of the decision-making process was that she would get more private space than she would get at any of the other facilities."

"Stratford Court of Palm Harbor is a very lovely place. It is new and a more elaborate place. The people are very nice; I just don’t think that is the place for me. "

"I was in Coral Oaks. It was very good. We had a lot of activities and they had a pool, which is a big asset. We could always get transportation wherever we wanted to go. It's good all the way around. My apartment was fine. There's plenty of room and it's very pleasant. The food was good. I had a dining room to eat in, so that made it a lot better and they had more variety. We had a lot more activities than where I am now. We had happy hour every week and they usually had the entertainment of some sort and good snacks and drinks. They had banana split happy hour once in a while and different things like that. The staff was very good."

"Addington Place at College Harbor was very nice, and I loved it, but it was out of my price range. The staff was friendly, said hello, and smiled. The amenities that I wanted were there. It's right on the water and had a fishing dock and equipment, so I don’t have to buy a fishing pole. It seemed like the staff was overworked."

"The staff and the quality of care that Brookdale Bayshore provides for the residents stood out to me. I had a direct experience because I had an 86 year old cousin that resided there for a year and a half before she passed. I had lunch there, and the food was good. You have a choice because they have a selection. They have a selection plus a salad bar and wine for dinner. They have the quality of care plus the extra-curricular activities that they provide the client. On Fridays in the afternoon, they have a community happy hour. They either have a pianist that comes in or another musician, and they have music provided at that time. I was very happy with the tour. "

"I was a patient for a month. They had good rehab therapy and lots of activities. I got myself back in shape again. It was clean, and their meals were really good. The staff was good. I liked them. "

"It was nice, clean, and new. The employees seemed to be very lovely. They do shopping visits, had several clubs, was pet-friendly, and had a library."

"I visited Amilcat Care Home LLC. It was more of a respite environment. It was clean, friendly, and well-kept. If I was in need of that type of a place, it would have been on my list. The staff was very friendly, very knowledgeable, and open. It was a good place. It was small. It wasn't a facility. It was just a house with I don't know exactly how many rooms. I saw a couple of people there. I spoke, I believe with the owner, and she was great. I only saw the main entry in the house where there were a couple of people. I didn't go back and tour any of the rooms or anything."

"It is a very big community. They have several floors. It is the best one I've visited. It's very clean and very well structured. The staff was very nice and seemed to be concerned about our situation. However, in the end, they couldn't help us because of my brother's criminal record in the past. The dining area was set up like a hotel. The private room was nice and roomy, and it had a bathroom. The residents all seemed happy and engaged in whatever activity they were doing."