Independent Living Communities in Buffalo, NY

"I chose Canterbury Woods Gates Circle. It was a nice small community of 60 people. I liked all the amenities. I like the location. They exercise. They have cultural programs, they have a lot of outings to art galleries and things like that. The place is perfectly clean, constantly updated, and it's a beautiful place. The staff could have been better in terms of pointing everything out to me. I met some of the other owners there and it was delightful. I tried the food and it's delicious."

"We went to the Symphony Circle Active Living. That would be my number one choice. What I liked most were the services that they offer, the menu, and the cleanliness. I saw a one-bedroom that would be perfect for me. It was very clean. A lot of activities, arts and crafts, and a movie theater. The security is fine. The outdoor space was nice. They had a big variety in the menu, you don't have to eat at a certain time, their meals are spaced. They had three different cafeterias or dining areas. I liked the fact that you had options. If what they were serving was something that you didn't want, you had other options where you could get soup, or salad or they just had a big variety, for example, the day that I was there, they were having a pig roast."

"Mary Agnes Manor was excellent and they have very, very good people. They treat us like family, they make us feel welcome and comfortable, and we like that. When we dropped my grandmother off, it was a good feeling. They make you feel like family. The rooms have a beautiful view, and they're relaxing and safe. From my point of view, they're very good. Everybody says the staff treats you like family and they're pretty good. They have movies once in a while, they play bingo, they exercise, and they do puzzles. They have pretty good activities. The community's layout is good. It's next to the lake. Value for the money is reasonable."

"I liked Williamstowne Village Senior Apartments because they don't have any kind of restriction on what you make. The other ones that I looked at all had restrictions. I could only make a certain amount of money. The last one I went to, I made more than what their restriction was, so I couldn't go there. This one doesn't have any restrictions. The apartments were very roomy. There are one or two bedrooms, they're compact but they're roomy, they're very well kept, and the grounds are taken care of very well. They have a heated in-ground pool, 9-hole mini-golf course, beauty salon, a community center, a lunch program Mondays through Fridays, hiking and walking trails, horseshoes, picnic grounds, fish pond, and outdoor sitting areas. They have on-site activities, holiday dinners, bingo, and card games, exercise classes, mass and Bible study, birthday celebrations, summer barbecue and luaus, and breakfast and coffee socials. They also have offsite trips like Canalside boat trips, casino, buffalo zoo sightseeing, botanical gardens, downtown attractions, and popular restaurants. They've got quite a bit of things to do. If I go there, I'm going to be in the same basic community so I don't have to change where I go grocery shopping. I don't have to change my prescriptions and where I'm getting them. I can go to the same places. For the meals, they have a calendar for the residents with what they are going to be serving all month long."

"I'm staying at the Brighton Square Senior Apartments in Tonawanda. It's an independent living apartment and it's close to home. It's just very convenient. If you need anything done, there's always help available. The staff is very nice and very cooperative. I make my own meals. There are handrails all over the place, inside and outside of your apartment. There's a salon and a courtyard. The bathroom is handicapped-accessible too. The shower is just a complete walk-in and flat with the floor. The upkeep is excellent. My family doctor is just down the road and I'm close to shopping if I need it so it's just a really good central place to be."

"I toured Mount St. Mary's Senior Residence and I find it clean and well-run. It is an older building, but it has charm. I saw a 1-bedroom apartment about 600 to 650 square feet which are quite large, and it is sufficient for one person. It has a kitchenette with an oven range and a refrigerator. It is a beautiful building, it's a converted convent. But the parking lot out back is sort of crowded. It didn't have a nice view from the back, but from the front and the sides, it's got a lovely view. The staff is very responsive, and I find it to be a very friendly place. I like it because of its historic look both inside and out. It has a chapel, which I like. It is also a very quiet place."

"I chose Maryvale East Senior Apartments for my dad because the apartment is just the right size. It is on the ground floor with one bedroom, a very nice sized kitchen, and a huge bathroom. They also have a satellite disk, which is included for the first three months that he is there for free. They have package deals that the person can choose from that will suit their budgets. The electric bill is also included in their rent. It is in a very clean building in a big complex, which is essentially located near everything that he needs like shopping and doctor's offices. They have activities like bowling and bingo. They have trips to the casino, the farmer's market, and the town's park. They have movie days. The management is very friendly and attentive to the client's need. Any time a resident needs help, all they have to do is call. The maintenance guy is on-call 24/7. They also have a number for them to call in case of emergency. The other seniors are very friendly. I felt so comfortable that my dad is there. During our visit before my Dad moved there, he went inside the seniors' room and introduced himself, making friends with the people there. He is happy there and I recommend it to others. "

"I was a resident of Meyer Pointe Senior Apartments. It was okay. There was a change in management and that's when I got a little turned off with it because the new manager was so rigid. He didn't talk to people and the office was closed a lot. Whereas the first manager was very courteous, open-minded, and pleasant. My sister was living with me at that time. It was enjoyable, and even though I didn't partake in a lot of the extracurricular activities, my sister did. It was nice and secure. Our visitors have to buzz to be let in. We had a washer and dryer in our apartment and two full bathrooms. The square footage could have been a little bit bigger. The price started going up and up. With me being in and out of the hospital as much as I was, and my sister being as elderly as she was, my son didn't necessarily have the time to go in and help reorganize my bedroom. So some of the deliveries I would get just ended up in the living room. So, it made it a little cluttered, and that's why we were asked to leave because it was cluttered. It is starting to be more trouble than it's worth. The residents that lived there were very nice, and if we called for maintenance to fix something, they came easily within the day. We were on the ground floor, and for a while there, we were plagued with ants. We had to be very careful with ants, and it was a relatively new building."

"I liked Crestmount Square Senior Apartments. It was a very nice tour. It had a nice layout, and it was in a nice location. I was pretty happy with it at the time. The staff was very friendly, very informative, and showed me around one or two of the apartments so I could see the inside. She was very helpful. It looked homey. It had no institutional look at all to it. It was a nice, modern facility, very clean, very up-to-date, and in nice location at the end of the road, so it was quiet. They offered a lot of things there. I was very impressed with it."

"Friendly, knowledgeable, courteous, respectful, easy to laugh with me, encourage residents to participate in activities and resident council. Maintenance staff are exemplary! Friendly greetings and willing to help. "

"Seneca Pointe Senior Apartments were lovely. They had more open floor plans and they were newer than the other place. They were very nice. The staff was wonderful. They interacted very well with all their clients. They were great. I looked at their two bedrooms, but they had one bedroom, too. In terms of activities, they have shopping a couple of times a week and they have bingo, yoga classes, and exercise classes for the seniors. While we were there, they were exercising in the activities room."

"I did a tour of Asbury Pointe for myself. I like the décor; it was warm. I don't know how, but it was warm and cozy. It felt homey. I'm saying, the decor made people feel comfortable, because it's warm. I don't know how else to express it. It was like the furniture and the decor really made you feel comfortable when you walked in the door. They do not have a pool, but they have a lot of activities there. They also take people places. The food is excellent, even with this pandemic. I have a few friends there, so I go there to visit. People are very sociable. The apartments are very nice. I've been in a 1-bedroom with a den. I know they have others. They have a 2-bedroom. I could be mistaken, but they might even have a 3-bedroom. The staff was very knowledgeable. She knew and explained everything. She took me on a tour. I'm not sure what her title is, but she made you feel comfortable and welcome, even if you were only touring. I have been there at different occasions, both for lunch and dinner. I don't know why people don't weigh 300 pounds. I have been in other places. I was in one that is much more expensive, and it was cold. It felt like it just was cold, and this place had a warm feeling. A lot of it's the decor, the furniture, the rugs, the curtains. I know it sounds strange; but you can go in a house, and it can either be a house or a home."

"The rooms are big and clean, Each room has their own bathroom and shower area. The nursing staff is very friendly and very knowledgeable. They care for the residents in the memory care unit and have patience with the relatives who do not really understand the time and work it takes to take proper care of the resident. The food is great, They have many activities for the residents from music sing along to bingo and sit-down exercises. There is lots of space for the residences to walk without bumping into one another. There is a garden for them to seat and relax. Lots of windows for bird watching"

"I am in Turtle Creek, and I have been here for 4 years. I am staying in what they call a luxury apartment. However, there are no garbage disposals. As far as a water heater, we called it a community water heater. I am told there are two water heaters, one at each end of the building, but it is hard to regulate the water when taking a shower. They can improve on the water heater and the garbage disposal. The environment is pretty good. They do have things going on, like card games during the week, and the people are friendly. The transportation isn't really that good. Once a week, they go grocery shopping from 9:30 to 12:00, and going to doctor's appointments is on the same day in the afternoon from 1:00 to 4:00, but my doctor's office is close. So I don't use the transportation for doctor's appointment. Every once in a while, they go on outings. "