The Best Independent Living Communities in Onondaga County, NY

"I toured Parkrose Estates. It was clean and very nice. The rooms were a little more expensive than I thought they would be, but they definitely had a lot of activities. The food looked good. For the most part, it was everything I expected it to be. Everything looked well. The salesperson that I dealt with was friendly and answered all my questions. The rooms were kept impeccably. It was extremely clean. Everything seemed to be updated and modern. The living facility itself appeared to only be 5 to 10 years old."

"We moved into Brookdale Summerfield. It's very, very nice. Everyone is wonderful, they can't do enough for you. We have a nice apartment, a two bedroom, two bath apartment. It's very clean and nice. The staff is wonderful. Everything is clean. They have a beautiful dining room, and I really like it. The food is good, you have a choice if you don't like what they have on the menu, so they get you something else. It's just like going into a restaurant. They have a menu every day. There's exercise classes, social activities, and I think they had a chorus coming in. They have a lot to do."

"Maple Downs would have been my first choice for my mother. They're a little more independent. The people were so friendly, from the tenants to the staff. The tenants engaged us in conversation. The manager said to them that mom was touring and she might possibly become a neighbor, and they said, "Oh come, we'd love to have you as a neighbor," and they chatted with her a little bit. It was just very friendly, and it made a huge impression. I would have picked that place if it were me, but it's farther away from her doctors than mom wants to be. There's even more walking there than the other place. There's only one elevator, and that was a big problem for mom because she has issues with her knees, but they have tons of seating where people can sit to rest if they need to on the way. The prices of the apartments change. They were higher the closer you get to the elevator. The staff was wonderful. It was St. Patrick's Day and they had different choices of hot food, and it was like dining in a restaurant. The staff was very helpful and professional. It reminded me of when I went on a cruise and everybody was stumbling over themselves to help you. If my mom could handle stairs more, it would've been better, but stairs are tough. It's absolutely gorgeous."

"The staff at Towne Center Retirement Community who gave us the tour was very lovely, very knowledgeable, and spent a good deal of time with us. The facility was beautiful, modern, well- kept, and clean. The rooms were average-sized. We were able to see one of the apartments that was occupied and the resident was delighted to have us come and look. Her apartment looked lovely. The view on one side was the medical center, which was not pretty. And then there was a view of the street on the other side. There were not many grounds. It was mostly the parking lot and whatever. They reviewed the menu with us and it was quite adequate. They provided transportation services to doctor's appointments. They didn't have a pool but they had lectures, exercise classes, sing-alongs, musicians, and happy hour. The only thing I didn't like about it was they didn't have a pool and the view was not so good. To me, it felt more like a very nice hotel and not a homey community."

"My sister has recently joined The Hearth on James family. After visiting other Assisted Living Housing in the Syracuse area, I give the facility, staff, location, food and experience a "5 star" rating. Alescia, Director of Community Relations, guided our family through the process and paperwork during a stressful time. Sue, Nurse Manager, is well experienced with a nurturing attitude towards tenants...we love Nurse Sue. It's very interesting when you transition from owning a house and the maintenance thereof, having nutritious meals and snacks provided daily, onsite physical therapy/occupational therapy, medical management, weekly housekeeping, transportation, daily activities and social programs...your life is very simple. This means, individuals can focus on themselves, their health and truly the things that make them happy in life. The heart warming staff and residents always greet our family as we arrive or in the hallways. Anyone driving into the parking lot of Hearth on James will "feel" the happiness around as it is such a beautiful facility. My sister is thriving in her new environment making new friends and looking healthier than I have ever seen her. Thank you! "

"My mother is at Forest View at Fayette. It's not quite independent. That's what it originally was supposed to be. I guess with COVID, they have some residents there that need care. There are only 14 residents and maybe 4 that need care. Some are in wheelchairs and some with walkers, but they're pretty much independent. They have aides and a nurse there. They made sure that just in case anything happens, they have someone to distribute the medications to those who need it. They have staff and maintenance. They have the basic cable package there. They have a patio on the side and the back. They have a patio in the front, if they want to sit out. PACE program works with them. PACE will pick them up and take them out for a daytrip and activities. If they choose to go visit family, they can walk out at any time. It's independent living with some assistance. They don't have much entertainment there. If people choose to go out for entertainment, they can. They have some pretty good staff. A lot of them are so beautiful, and they're caring. When the staff cooks the meals, the rating is a 5. When it's brought in from PACE, it's a 3. Before COVID, the staff used to cook all the residents' food. When COVID started, they started bringing the food in from PACE. The staff now cooks maybe twice a week. They need to really improve on the food and entertainment. When I go there, it's generally always clean. They just need some upkeep on the bathroom because my mother complains about it."