The Best Independent Living Communities in Wake County, NC

"The staff at Abbotswood at Stonehenge seemed like they care. The ones that I talked to seemed to have a passion for caring for their people. They had long-term employees and they recognized them with pictures on the walls and stuff. It was clean and it looked like they had some good activities."

"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 will be moving into Atria Oakridge. It's friendly and clean. They provide meals and they clean your apartment. The bedrooms are a little small, but they have a den, and the apartment I was looking at had a screened-in porch you could go out on and sit and enjoy the fresh air. I liked that about it. They have activities. They have video bowling, poker night, and other social events. All the staff I have met are very friendly and I met some of the residents and developed a friendship with one person. He's friendly and we talked a lot. They're the best place I looked at and I looked at several places."

"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."

"I've been here 4 months, made good friends and love the active activities. Everyone is friendly and helpful. I am really enjoying my time here. I'm close to two of my sons and see them often."

"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."

"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."

"We toured The Cambridge at Brier Creek. The people were lovely. We went there on a lunch invitation that we received in the mail. I liked the whole facility. Also, something that I liked is they have a parking deck. You get out of your car in a parking deck, then go into the building and take an elevator up and down to your unit. The upkeep was very nice. The food was good, and they talked to us about how they changed and updated the menu. They had certain things on the menu all the time, and the dining area is beautiful."

"I plan on staying here at The Meadows at Brier Creek. I love my 2-bedroom apartment. I love the area. I love being able to walk and I love my neighbors. I like that there's a washer and dryer in each unit. They have a community room and they have a room where they have gym equipment. They do bingo twice a week, and then they have a community lunch for each season. The lobby is decorated with nice furniture, and the sitting area is all over the whole floor."

"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'm a resident of Gardens at Wakefield. What I like most is the operation of the place and how they run it. We can walk right into the office if they're not having a meeting. The general manager, the office manager, the assistant to the general manager and the maintenance supervisor are all very, very friendly and they will do anything they can to help you. This building used to be just an apartment building. Now it's an apartment building that has a central kitchen and a central dining hall and it's a place for senior living. The units all have a washer and dryer in them. They all have a complete kitchen with new appliances. We have a two-bedroom unit. We all have either a balcony or a patio. Those on the first floor have a patio. Everybody else has a balcony that you can walk out on. We're on the fourth floor and we overlook a portion of the garden. It's just beautiful. Each floor has a public space on it. They have either activities or there's an exercise room with weight equipment and that sort of thing on one floor. On the second floor, there is a big general purpose room and a boutique for ladies. They do hair, and then they'll give men haircuts, too. Our floor has a general purpose, kind of a sit-down lounge, that 12 to 14 people could sit in and they just have discussions or they have meetings or whatever. There are activities all day long that you can or you don't have to get involved in it. Each day, we get a sheet listing the activities that are going to be going on during the day and the times. We get three good, well-balanced meals a day, and there's a menu that comes out the night before that we all can get if we wish to. The menu will have breakfast, lunch, and supper. If for some reason you don't like the featured meal that they have for breakfast, lunch, or supper, there are always two or three alternatives that you can get. You can go down to the dining room on a particular time, either 8:00, 12:00 or 5:00. There will be a nice, well-mannered person down there that will take your order, talk to you about it if you want, like servers. We always get big portions. You can't possibly eat all the food they give you. I've been classified as an ambassador because I have an opportunity to have lunch with the new prospective renters and answer all their questions. My apartment is very nice. It was painted and it had new carpet and new appliances when I moved in. It's beautiful. I don't get involved in a whole lot of the activities, but there seems to be plenty. We looked at six places before we came here. Gardens at Wakefield was not the most expensive and not the cheapest."

"Cambridge Village of Apex was very clean, very modern, and very helpful. All our questions were answered. They were very transparent. The residents were very, very happy. Their rooms were gorgeous. The grounds were gorgeous, too. Everything about it was very nice and very new. We didn't interact with a lot of the general staff, but the young lady who took us around, the front desk, and then a couple of the folks there were very nice and very helpful."

"The Lodge at Wake Forest only had apartments on the third floor at that time, and I was looking for the first floor. The staff, the cleanliness, and the structure were excellent. The rooms were fine."

"I recently visited my aunt and was impressed by the warm and welcoming environment. The staff were friendly and attentive, and it was clear that the residents were happy and well cared for. I would highly recommend Atria Southpoint."