Independent Living Communities in Chesapeake City, VA

"We liked the fact that Harmony at Harbour View was very clean when we went in. The staff was very willing to help and to assist. The young lady who showed us around was very knowledgeable and friendly. We also had an opportunity to have lunch to be able to taste the food. The staff was very good. They spoke to you and acknowledged that you were there. Everybody was very friendly. Everybody that worked there, if they walked past or whatever, they spoke to you. They had transportation. They had a calendar that showed whatever was going on that week that we could participate in. The units that she showed us were very clean, ready to move in, and accommodating. They had one-bedroom or two-bedroom, and they had a studio. It was just wonderful. It was pricier than the other place and what turns my wife off to all of them, not just this one, is the fact that you have to pay for your spouse. If your two-bedroom started at $3500 and if you got a spouse, then it went up another $1200 or $700 for the spouse to be there."

"First Colonial Inn was more modernized than the other places we toured. It's not like it's renovated. It's clean. They've got friendly staff. They have more security. When you go in, even though you're visiting, you have to go over to a kiosk and type in your information, like you have COVID, why are you here, you have to put in your name. You sign in and you have to go to the kiosk. The staff was warm, friendly, and helpful. Even our tour guide was great, Travis. We were able to see the dining hall, and it's nice. It's like you go to a cafeteria and get your food. They cook all day long there for you. The building was nice and well-kept, and it doesn't look rundown. The price is a little higher than the other place."

"I toured Discovery Commons Virginia Beach. It was clean. I liked both the studio and the one-bedroom. I liked the kitchen area. The elevators were close to both units. I liked the fact that you can launder your clothes. On each floor, they had laundry facilities where the tenants could launder their clothes. There wasn't anything really that I didn't like. I was just surprised at the rate they told me they charge."

"The Chamberlin is wonderful. It's a beautiful place. I would recommend it, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who is still vibrant because the community is old. The people are old. They are not social, and they are set in their own ways. They have a beautiful dining hall. They offer you 30 meals a month in the cafeteria to use anytime you want to. They have a piano bar and an indoor pool. They have different amenities, such as a pet groomer. They've got everything. If it's just more of a younger group or atmosphere, I would consider it. There is a beautiful view of the Chesapeake Bay. All the ships that come into the harbor go right past it, and if you're into photography, you can take pictures of ships. There is even a little school of dolphins in the summertime that lives nearby that you could see. For what it is, it's beautiful. I've got to be stimulated. I've got to have a community. I've got to have an intellectual conversation. I've got to have people that are willing to live and not waiting to die. That's the only feeling I didn't get good about The Chamberlin. They were accommodating in that, for any apartment that I chose, they were going to change the bathroom from a bathtub to a walk-in shower. They're only doing it by request at no extra cost. They're all ready to converge, but if they don't have to converge, then they won't. They're all ready to change that for me, and I was very well considering it. I can't say anything wrong about The Chamberlain. I recommend it to anybody who wants that type of living and if that's what they're looking for. That would be a place that I would want to move to and spend my later days. It's clean. It smells well. It doesn't smell like Geritol or Vicks. I got two people who toured me. One man was from maintenance and the other lady was from rental, and they were both wonderful. The guy from maintenance said, 'You point it out, and we'll fix it that day,' and he guaranteed it. The girl was in the office for the leasing; she was just as pleasant as she could be. They gave me a full tour, and I think they're looking for a few younger people in there such as myself. I can afford it. It's no big deal, and it's $3,200 a month, and with what they offer, it would be worth it. They offer meals, they offer entertainment, and they offer different things. It's a beautiful complex, but the atmosphere just wasn't there for me. Everywhere I looked, there was somebody on a walker, somebody in a wheelchair, somebody needing assistance with a private nurse. You're as old as you feel, and you're as old as your surroundings, and I'm just too young to feel that damn old. They walked me all through it and showed me everything. We had lunch there. The food was restaurant-style food, if not more. Two ladies prepared the food in the eating kitchen area, but then they had a whole staff that staffed the dining area. You can come down and have a meal, or you can have a meal in your room, and they'll cater it to you, to your room, whatever. They leave no stone unturned. It's an excellent place."

"My dad moved to Commonwealth Senior Living at Hampton. They were very attentive to him. He was difficult because he was confused. They were very patient. They were open to any ideas about getting medication and favorite foods and drinks that we could bring in or something that they could try that worked for him. Even all night when he would be up and my sister would just go in late, they were working with him and trying to get him comfortable and that kind of thing and keeping an eye on what he was eating and the behaviors he was exhibiting. We all felt like they were very thorough in their assessment of him at their house, and then their ongoing assessments of him while he was in their care. There were other people who had retired from the shipyard, and they tried to get him to engage with them. I liked that they had technical things for them to do, to play with locks and things. I would have liked to have seen a little more of that, but they did have a small area of that setup that I thought was nice. It was clean, but like in the courtyard, the gate going to the HVAC system or something looked like it was broken and just kind of wedged."

"I toured Harper's Station Yorktown. The people, the community itself, are very welcoming. I got a chance to eat there. They had a lot of choices, and the food was very good. The washer/dryer was good, a closet with doors. That's the only thing I was hesitant about, but good size. This facility is practically new. They have a pool and exercise equipment, and everything you need."

"The Cottages at Great Bridge was small and convenient to where I needed to be. They didn't have meals. They had very nice, quiet grounds. They also game rooms and social areas for the seniors, which were very acceptable and nice."

"When I toured The Reserve at Greenbrier, we arrived unannounced. They were very welcoming and didn't seem to have any concerns about that. They didn't have any vacant apartments, but they had arranged with one of the ladies that didn't mind them showing her apartment. We also saw the community room and they were having a birthday party for the May birthdays. Everyone seemed to be very happy and engaged, and the building seemed very open. It is a little bit of a different independent living because of the meals and transportation, but they do have snacks. It does seem like the residents congregate in those rooms. It's called a clubhouse, and it fosters engaging with each other, whether it be games or music. Then there's the exercise room and library. The facility was very nicely laid out. The apartment was a little bit challenging because of the lady's furniture that she had in it, but I understand from the floor plans that they're very generous and seem to have everything that I would need in a 1-bedroom. I was very impressed with the fact that several of the residents just knew that we were touring, and just volunteered how long they'd been there and how much they liked and enjoyed it; that was also a bonus. It was a very nice visit, and they gave me literature to take home and answered any questions. I had a follow-up call from the actual sales manager who was not there the day that I toured, but she called the next day and answered the rest of the questions that I had come up with since I had visited. They have a 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom, and they have 11 different styles. You can have a 1-bedroom with a sunroom, a 1-bedroom with a screened porch, or a 1-bedroom with a balcony or deck. Then you can have a 2-bedroom with a 1-bath, or a 2-bedroom with 2-baths. The prices are according to what is offered. The other thing that was very impressive was that, if you go on the waiting list and they call you about an apartment, it's not something that you have to take. If you don't take it, or you wait for one that is a little bit more suitable, they don't put you on the bottom of the list. They just go to the next person, and you keep your place. The next time there's availability, they'll contact you again, that was very nice to hear. There are no meals, and they didn't offer any food or drinks. You're preparing your own food. The apartments are more like regular apartments because that's reflected in the price. It's very reasonable, that's what was attractive to me. Of course, I'll have to pay for my own food, and I do have social services or senior services for drives to my doctor's appointments. They have a bus that they acquired recently. It was my understanding that if they go on trips with them, they can use that. It's not for normal transportation where you sign up and be going to the grocery store or the doctor, but it's for activities; that's an added plus. Also, there is a local bus that comes by that some people have been taking as well, but it's not part of the facility."

"My mother-in-law is at Greenbrier Senior Apartments. They have a pull cord in every room so if something should happen you just pull it to get help. She still can pretty much take care of herself. We have to do grocery shopping and doctor's appointments but she can still dress and cook for herself. The place is very clean, the staff is wonderful, everybody there is very nice. The leasing manager is super good and when we need something done, they do it right away. My mother-in-law was one of the first residents to move in, she's been there for a long time now, it's been over 13 or 14 years."

"I love The Vero at Chesapeake. It's great. I take care of a friend's aunt there. I take her to get her hair done and take her to lunch, and we do puzzles and have fun. She's got a huge room, which is a suite. She's got a little bedroom in the back corner, and the next bedroom is like for a husband and wife sort of thing. In the other bedroom, they've made a little living room with a TV. Then they got a little kitchenette on the one side and a pretty big bathroom with a walk-in shower. They exercise every day in the gym. They have somebody come out there and do chair exercises. They have beautiful two or three different patios that you can go out and sit on. They have umbrellas and patio tables that you can go out and sit around the gardens, which are very nicely landscaped. They have a lot of activities going on. Something is going on every week. People are coming in to sing. They have a social hour where you go up and get punch or soft drinks, snacks, and visit with a lot of people. They make a get-together kind of thing. They have a couple of different games. They have cornhole tournaments every day. In the afternoon, they have bus rides. They go out and get ice cream or go out to a farm or stop and get coffee or something like that, something fun for them every day. I love all of the staff. I eat their food every week. I take her to the big dining room and we have lunch together. Their food is great."

"My sister entered the Rehabilitation unit 11 days ago and LOVES it there. She was a little nervous about going, but she has been so happy since arriving. The facility is exceptionally clean, she raves about the food, and constantly tells me how great the staff are and how nice they are to her. She is also happy about the beauty shop and has started making friends. Thank you for accepting her and making her feel so welcome."

"I visited Jamestown Commons. They have two days a week of socials, and they have a bus to take you around. Everything is strictly independent there. They have a courtyard, an exercise room, and a game room. "

"900 Acqua Luxury Senior Apartments was very nice inside. I did not see an apartment there because they did not have any openings, but the people we talked with were very nice and very helpful. It has a pool, and it just was a nice place, and it is reasonably priced. Because they didn't have any openings, the staff told me about their sister community. 900 Acqua Luxury has one building, but they're also building another building. And there will be doctors' offices around the new building, so that'll make it more convenient for me. It's a very attractive place, although they do not do meals. They have a pool table, they have a library that you can get books out of at any time, and they also have a game room that different people use there. They have activities, but not as often as the other facility I toured. The staff said that once a month they do something special, and then once a month you get free breakfast. So there are little things that they add, and it just suited me the way it looked. It was very clean, very nice, wide, and has an elevator. "

Upside is truly an exclusive opportunity to live independently on your own terms. We offer luxury living options with over 2,500+ apartments in our network across the country alongside a dedicated and experienced personal concierge support system. Upside is a uniquely designed senior living alternative to help you live completely independently. The Upside team helps you find a luxury-style apartment living option and provide you with extra layers of care and assistance, whenever and however you need it. Once you're settled in your new home, we connect you to your personal concierge and expert on all things aging. The Upside concierge is available to help arrange meal and grocery deliveries, transportation services, schedule appointments, assist with technology, and so much more! Anything you need, Upside is just a quick phone call or text away.