The Best Independent Living Communities in Chatham County, NC

"We toured the Reserve at Mills Farm. The person who showed us around was very charming and knowledgeable. We told her what we were looking for, and then she gave us a tour of the facility. She sent us home with some paperwork, information, and maybe floor plans. She did take us to a unit. The ceilings were tall. It was lovely. All their units have a patio, which we'd be very interested in for a little outdoor space. The patio is small. It's just enough for two chairs, but enough to sit there and have coffee in the morning. She showed us all around, like a game room, dining rooms, outdoor spaces, and common areas."

"I went to see Brier Pointe Retirement Community and toured the place for independent living, and it was a very positive visit. I was with a friend and the person who took me through showed us everything around. We went through a model room that was furnished, and then we also went through one that was unfurnished. Quite frankly, anything I see after that will have to meet their standards because right now, they are number one for me. I have no negative thing to say about them at all. They have on-site physical therapy and a physical therapist on duty. They have a 24-hour manager and a concierge service. All of my doctors are in Chapel Hill, and when I'm no longer able to drive or feel comfortable driving, their transportation would take me there. Everything they had was a plus. They're pet-friendly, and there's no extra fee for a pet. They offer three meals a day, and they have a 24-hour chef kitchen and pantry where they have salads and sandwiches that are already prepared. It also has juices, soft drinks, and things you can just go by and pick up. I also like that they are not plated meals; it's a buffet. They have two soups a day that they change constantly. They post outside the dining area the activities for the day as well as the menus for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Their theater is very plush and nice, and they have movies there. They also bring in live entertainment. Today is when they're having a Kenny Rogers impersonator. Their calendar is very full. They have a large craft area that includes sewing machines and places where you could do quilting and that kind of thing. They have a separate library, too. All of their amenities were just very nice. I like that they don't use a lock and key but a keypad. The only key is from the manager. You have a choice of a bracelet or a necklace for a Life Alert system. They have a full-size washer and dryer in all the units. They have weekly housekeeping that includes changing the sheets. All of that is inclusive, and there's no tipping allowed, which I like."

"I toured the independent living community of Jordan Oaks in Cary. So far, I liked it better than anywhere else. The people and staff seemed very nice. I met the manager there, and he was very good and very helpful in making me understand what was included and not included in the price. The location is very close to a lot of my doctors, so that is a very big plus. It was very close to town, toward Cary, and it was very easy to get from there to Fuquay-Varina. Everything seems to be quite clean. The place was very well-kept and neat. The structure was very nice. I also like that they have a library. It was small, but they had it. They have an exercise room, too. The apartments were just kind of what I was looking for. I'm looking for a 1-bedroom, and I thought the bathroom and closet spaces were very good. They had some amenities that were included in the price, which I like. Overall, I liked it very much."

"All of the physical features are great...so are the meals. However, many of the Independent Living options that my wife and I visited shared these attributes. We have lived here 13 months now. What I now realize is that what I like best is the sense of community. It is something you can not directly see as you tour various options. I think here at Atria Cary, the sense of community is nurtured by all of the engage life activities and the open seating for meals. It feels like everyone is a friend. We exchange stories and many laughs at meals. We share and develop new interest at so many activities. Another "not-directly-observable" attribute is the management team effort to listen to feedback and suggestions from residents. They schedule regular feedback meetings for each of the directors to listen to comments and report back results of earlier suggestions. So, Atria Cary is an evolving community meeting ever-changing resident needs."

"We chose Woodland Terrace for ourselves. It is away from the very busy streets, so it's very quiet. It's just 2 blocks from Trader Joe's and all those places where I buy fruits. To me, the location was great. We only have 180 residents. We have a pond with a walking trail and ducks on it. The people here are extremely friendly. I just came back from a friendship committee where I am a volunteer. There are a few things that I would personally want different. But to me, the things that were of high concern were the heated pool, the walking space, the fact that it's not too big, and the freedom we have in this community. We have breakfast. You just get bacon and eggs and other choices. By 11:30, we have lunch. If you want dinner, you pay an additional $200. We cannot eat two of these meals. It's impossible. We eat fruit in the evenings and that's good. They offer the activities that I need and they have good facilities here."

"I'm very impressed with the Twin Rivers Independent Senior Community. It's a small independent living community, with only about 31 people in it. It's very clean, and I love their one-bedroom apartments. The people you work with are just wonderful, agreeable, and helpful. During my visit, I didn't get to sample the food but I did see the beautiful dining area and the menu. Right now, I'm doing a lot of activities. I love that when I move here, I don't have to go out and I will have those same activities. They were playing dominoes while I was there and they had an exercise activity going on, too."

"Village Lake Inn fit what my mother needed. It's a nice, down-to-earth place. You don't feel distant. The staff is right there to work with you. It's a small place, and the rooms are typical. The facility is a nice brick structure with a big front porch, a water fountain and a nice backyard with trees. Hummingbirds and squirrels come up and people sit out in their rocking chairs. They have very nice decor inside."

"I went to look at Galloway Ridge at Fearrington. The apartments were very bright and sunny. The staff seemed to be very helpful. We looked at a two-bedroom apartment with two baths. The grounds and buildings were perfectly manicured and upkeep. They have everything from taking you to the grocery store and the theater. They have local cultural activities, guest speakers, performances on campus, special interest groups and clubs you can join, a swimming pool, and a gym. They have three different options for dining. It looked very nice and clean."

"My friend is in Carolina Spring Senior Apartments. They have income-based apartments. They are very responsive and very caring people. The apartment is very nice and very well maintained. They have activities. They have an exercise room, a large screen TV room, and a gathering room. They have bingo nights. Every single resident there that we talked to was very friendly and happy with the place, which was a very good sign. They also have a vehicle or a bus that will take you to the grocery store. There is free transportation from Chapel Hill to there. In other words, there's some kind of a free bus line, and they have free transportation, which is very nice. They have community people that come in and bring a whole bunch of food; it is some kind of a food drive. They don't have meals prepared there. It is a nice low-income housing place, and water is included. Every floor has a laundry room, which is coin operated."

"My mother is at Carolina Meadows. Their food is excellent and nutritious. They have fresh dishes and it's very diverse. It's one of the highlights of their program, that have a very good diet. The rooms are all very nice. What happens is you start in a house. When my dad died and mom got Parkinson's, we moved her into an apartment in assisted living. Then when her Parkinson's got so bad, we moved her into the skilled nursing facility downstairs. The houses are very nice. They are duplexes and you don't have any care (but you might have individual home health care). Then the assisted living apartments are one-bedroom apartments and they're very nice, too. They have a cafeteria where you eat your three meals a day. Then the skilled facilities are one room where you don't have to share. Maintenance is good. The staff is all very generous, very caring, and very thorough. They know a lot about geriatrics."

"this is a wonderful place, the facility is clean and the staff care about what they do.All the services they provide are amazing. It is hard to find a place for a loved one that meets their needs and from what I seen this is the place I want my mom. "

"We like the quality of Cedars of Chapel Hill. The facility was large enough. We liked the larger size apartments. They have a theater, a chapel, and a banquet room. They have a lot of outside trips, and people come in and do shows or concerts. They have limited space for planning your vegetable garden and two ponds. They are going to have a bird area where you can do bird watching."

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"I'm on a waiting list at Azalea Estates Gracious Retirement Living. The tour went very well. It's a beautiful place. They have a lot of activities. They have a movie theater, billiards, shuffleboard, firepit, and trips to the town. They had just about everything you could want. I saw their menu, and it looked like they had great choices. Three meals a day plus snacks. The staff was wonderful."