The Best Independent Living Communities in Santa Fe County, NM

"We enjoy it because it's a small community, and we find the administration, the staff, and the residents to be nice. It feels like a community. We moved in before they completed the renovation. And we did so knowingly because we were very eager to find a place that was close to our children. This is four miles away from them, which made life a lot easier for us. They are renovating the kitchens on all of the second floor. They're so easy to work with. It was very nice that they allowed us to move in earlier than their completed renovation so that we could have a rest and it's close to our family. The staff members are excellent. They don't provide meals in the program that we are in, but there are multiple choices or programs that provide meals. The building is comfortable and well-designed. They've done lots of things to make it very comfortable. We find it easy to get around. They have common areas that are pleasant gathering places. There's like the piano, a game room, a library, and living room areas for gathering together. They have multiple places where you can choose to eat. There's where it's a little more quiet, and there's more like a restaurant dining area, so it's very nice. They have multiple activities per day. They have scheduled outings. One of the things that was quite appealing to us that we didn't discover until after we were living here was that it's very easy to order and have things delivered to you, like from the stores that deliver in the area. We provide our own food rather than a meal plan, and the people that we have encountered who have come here to serve us have all said that this is the nicest facility that they have made deliveries to, and that was very nice to hear. With regards to value for the money, based on the living cost of the area, it is a good deal."

"My parents moved to The Montecito Santa Fe. It is a very vibrant, open, and interesting community, because there's a lot of people who have had very extensive, interesting professional lives that are there. Given that the demographic is slightly younger and slightly older people, you get different levels of energy and engagement and conversation. They have nonstop different interest groups/things going on. There's a guy that used to work for NASA that talks with us about the things that they can track, like weather and satellites, and all sorts of stuff. There's a men's group and my dad, who's a physicist, was involved in that group. There's an amazing gym and my parents actually go up there to work out two times a day. They've got a trainer in there who specifically understands Parkinson's and can help do training associated with people with that kind of challenge to keep their body strong and agile. The meals are over the top. The only drawback I've ever seen is that sometimes they're short on kitchen staff. So, sometimes you can wait for a while for your meal to show up, but it's always really, really good food. I think that the staff is all really super genuine and caring. They really understand what's going on with people and continue to treat them as people."

"When I'm ready to go, I would like to go to Brookdale Santa Fe. I liked all the activities that were available. I like the facility itself. The rooms were nice. The dining area was nice. I talked to residents and they all seemed to be happy there. The staff people were really helpful and seemed excited about working there. Another reason I liked it is it's close to downtown. You can walk to supermarkets and restaurants and so I like the location."

"My grandfather recently moved in to the The Legacy at Santa Fe. I worked with Ruben and the team to get grandpa moved in as quickly as possible after a stay in the hospital. The team at the Legacy moved up his move in date to accommodate his hospital release. Ruben and his staff helped put all of Grandpa's furniture together and loaned us items that we needed until we were able to purchase them. We all met together to go over Grandpa's care plan so that we could decide on a placement that allowed Grandpa the most autonomy and also kept him safe and cared for. I love the staff at The Legacy! They are caring and treat the residents with respect. The residents have a large menu of programs to choose from during the week. This week I was able to join Grandpa at a concert in the music room where we sang along to familiar songs. They went on an outing and had lunch and ice cream the following day. I was waiting for grandpa to return, and it was so joyous to see him practically run through the door with such joy after his outing. The concierge, Jules is wonderful and so patient in answering all of our questions. Sonia, grandpa's nurse is very knowledgeable and empathetic. The food is wonderful, and the chef offers options if the residents want a different item. Grandpa loves the food so much they've started offering double portions! We are so grateful to the caring staff at The Legacy. I think I might move in myself :)"

"It's wonderful here in Ventana De Vida Senior. It's very fair, it's a low-cost community for seniors, and the place is beautiful. They've put in lots and lots of trees and bushes, so it looks really beautiful, and they take good care of it. I'm happy to live here. They've got like a two- or three-year waiting list, and it's only independent living. You have to be independent to live here. They offer food, but it's kind of awful. It's the stuff that they give seniors, but it was cheap. I've eaten there a few times, and when I was finished eating my body would say, "Oh, where's the nutrition?" The staff is good, they're caring, they're intelligent, and they're helpful. They used to offer senior activities until COVID hit. Before COVID, we had lunches, we had movies every week, we had places that you could go to visit things on the bus. They had all the holidays, we would celebrate and have potlucks and stuff. We had bingo and some of my friends and I would play pinochle in the dining hall. Everybody who lives here likes living here."

"I was ready to sign up to go to another place when I went to Las Soleras Senior Living. Immediately there was a difference in just the way I felt. It just seemed more vibrant, more up-to-date, more able-bodied seniors. It's fairly new, it was constructed in 2019, so it has a new, fresh feeling to it. The apartments are very nice, with plenty of space for storage. The sales manager was quite good, but I understand he's left the company at this point. They have lots of different classes, and they have donuts and coffee. They also have scheduled trips in and around the community. There's a chef that comes in and cooks for them, but I forgot how often that was. The food was delicious. It's served restaurant style and cooked to order. I ate one meal there, it was excellent. I was with my daughter and her husband, they had something different than me, and they were very pleased with their meals too. The facility was not completed, they were working on some outside projects."