The Best Independent Living Communities in King County, WA

"My wife moved into Pacific Regent Bellevue. They did fine. It was a very nice place, not cheap, but nice. The staff was great."

"I'm moving into the Bellettini. It was in the right location, in a city. I needed an urban setting. It seemed far above the others, although it was a lot more expensive. At the time that I signed up for it, the meal plan was better, but they've consequently changed their meal plan. It had air conditioning and it had a gas fireplace. The gas fireplace is what attracted me to it. Very efficient, very friendly staff, and they kept in contact with me at all times. I loved the food. They had a range of activities, which appealed to me. They have a gym, hair salon, and two different restaurants."

"I'm in Holiday Bridge Park. When I arrived, I was met by a nice lady, Adriana. I had lunch in the lunch area, which is very large. Sometimes, they have an ice cream hour by the fireplace. They let me know that if I was ill or if I didn't feel good, I could order my meal and they would bring it to my room. It's a small charge if I am not ill, but that's OK. For the most part, everyone comes down for breakfast. That's at 8:00, and then lunch is at noon, and then they have dinner at 5:00. They have an activity room, a social room, a community room, exercise on the third floor, and a computer. In my studio apartment, I have an air-conditioner unit, which is nice because I can have heat and then I can also have air-conditioning. I also get internet. Electricity, water, and whatnot are also included. I also like the fact that they have people who come to play music in the dining area. There are other rooms where people play games and do activities. They also have a bus service to take the residents to different stores and places that they need to go to. What I love about this place is that my area is near the laundry room, which is free of charge. For the most part, this place has fulfilled all my needs. My studio has a kitchenette in case I want to prepare my own meals, which I have not done so far because the meals have been happily prepared by the chefs. I like the fact that they have an area where people can sit down, read the paper, they have a popcorn machine, and they can watch the television, and socialize with their friends. They play bingo and card games. They go on trips. They do a lot. They have physical therapy and an exercise room. I like the fact that the elevators work. They have elevators positioned in two sections where people can take one elevator or the next. I enjoy everything about this place. I have a patio out here. I have three closets, and I have a nice, large shower. It's very nice because they have the glass doors and they have some kind of a heating system situation. The management is here five days a week, and on the weekend, there are others who are here, and they have maintenance people to help the residents if they need anything. I did see something that they might have to give attention to, but overall it's still a five because the bus line is nearby, and they provide everything, and the people are so wonderful. The staff is very friendly and very professional. We have housekeeping that cleans the room if you need it. They still have a few improvements, but the food is basically good. They have many activities for people to enjoy. It's just nice that people have their own terrace or patio, and they can also sit outside and enjoy when the weather is nice. I am paying like $2000 a month, and I think that's good. I was surprised because I know other locations charge a lot more. The residents make suggestions on some of the meals."

"Brookdale West Seattle was a terrific facility. It was almost brand new. They had great staff. They had lots of open spaces and 2 outdoor gathering places that were really nice. They had wonderful activities going on. The residents were very, very friendly and welcoming to us. Lindsey assisted us with the tour and she was just focused on finding the right needs from my mom and assuring us that they can provide the care she needs. She showed us studios, a 1-bedroom apartment, and a 2-bedroom apartment. We did eat there and it was very good."

"I really liked El Dorado West. It's a very lovely facility. It was very warm and welcoming. They have a large dining room where people sit and be by themselves, or they can sit with somebody else. There were a ton of activities. I liked the fact that they come in and change the linens on a weekly basis, and my sister doesn't have to purchase food or prepare food. The staff members weren't communicating very well with each other because I gave them the deposit and I called them to get the deposit back and I asked them if I could get the medical records that the doctor's office had sent them and the staff said, "Yes, I'll make sure you get those." When I went to pick them up, they had been shredded, so they were not having good communication. I was not very happy. We had lunch there, and it was very good. They had a lot of different facilities. They had a game room and a large theater type thing with a very comfortable theater chair, so they can watch movies or watch ball games. They also have a hairdresser onsite for those who want to have that."

"Brookdale Admiral Heights was on a really busy street. There weren't any balconies, and there was a small garden, but it wasn’t cared for, so it didn’t look inviting. It was in too busy of an area for my mom to feel comfortable in with too much road noise. The staff was excellent and spent a long time talking to me about everything. I was very impressed. "

"We toured Cogir of Queen Anne. The tour was very nice. The people were nice. The food was good. However, their independent living is in a different building from the dining room. The meals are included in independent living, so by the time they added up meals, the dog, and parking, it had gotten to like $6000, which was way too much. And the distance from the apartment to the building where they had all the activities was across the street. My husband had a stroke, so he uses a wheelchair and a walker, so it wouldn't have been very convenient at all. The apartment was nice. It was a two-bedroom, and it had a patio outside. The guy I talked to was very nice and very accommodating. The people we met there were very nice. However, it just didn't work for us. We had lunch there and it was very good. We had it on the rooftop. They had a rooftop garden that overlooks Queen Anne and that was quite impressive. It was a beautiful day, and the folks were very nice. "

"We toured Overlake Terrace. I liked it. The location was nice. I went with my sister and met the gals there, and they were nice. The rooms and the place were nice. I enjoyed the tour. It was very neat. The location took me a while to figure out, but I live in Redmond, so it's not out of the way. It was just tucked in there around Microsoft. So, it was very nice and modern."

"I toured Revel Issaquah. It was very high-end and nice. Colleen was very nice. I was looking for a one-bedroom. She showed me the one-bedroom. It was staged very well. It was roomy. The kitchens there have probably been the best. They're almost like a full-size kitchen. It was nice, with full-sized appliances, not like that little teeny tiny refrigerator some places have, a full stove, and everything. The dining area was ample. It was very nice. It's fairly new."

"We are so grateful for Cogir Kirkland! My mom has lived there for 3 months, and it's such a relief to know she is safe and well cared for. The community is only a year old--it's beautiful, light, and well-maintained, plus the rooms are very large. And surprisingly, the food is great! But the very best part is the staff! They are very skilled and professional, while also being super kind and caring. My mom is at the end of life, and can be "difficult" on top of it. Each staff member works extra hard to ensure she is heard; that she has everything she needs; and that she is comfortable and happy. Cogir Kirkland has a new General Manager that has been successful in implementing new systems and processes, and in building a strong and committed team. We are so happy to have them as part of our family!"

"We went to Village Concepts of Fairwood. It was very nice. Beautiful grounds. Beautiful building. They have lots of staff and friendly people. The apartments were very nice and very beautiful. The staff who helped me with the tour was great. She was very nice and very helpful. She answered questions and pointed everything out for us. The dining area was very nice. They had lots of options, and they had a couple of different places to eat. They had lots of activities, a game room, an art room, a beauty salon that was nice and a library."

"Mom just moved to Empress Senior Living at Laurelhurst Assisted Living and Memory Care. It's a facility that was just built a few years ago, and their staff is wonderful. I spent many, many days there with my mom. They are very professional and good. The food was very good, too. In memory care, there are a lot of people who are not very high-functioning, so they don't do a whole lot of activities, but the value for the money is pretty good. It costs $6,600 a month to be in that facility, and then there are additional costs on top of that, but I think for what I looked at all over, their cost was about the same as others. I was so lucky to find that place. They had space available, and they were able to get me in. It wasn't out of reach cost for me."

"We toured Solstice Senior Living at Normandy. It's independent, but they have physical therapy and things like that available on the premises. I was very impressed with the facilities."

"I am in the process of getting into Reserve at Seatac. It is a very nice place. The people are very accommodating. All I have to do is give them one piece of documentation, call them back, and very soon I should become a resident there. It may be a week or two before I move in, but I'm looking forward to it. I'm very excited. I definitely was able to visit the Reserve at Seatac. Reserve at Seatac is mainly for people 55 and older; it is a very nice place. The apartment that I more or less want has everything in there. It has a washer-and-dryer, which is very nice. It has a refrigerator, a range, and a dishwasher, which is an added plus because that is what I wanted. They have a terrace, additional storage, and parking for their residents. They allow maybe one or two pets there, but of course you have to pay a pet fee. It is great because my cat can also be there with me; I'm really quite happy. Their staff has been very accommodating. They keep in contact with me by phone and by email. The place looks very nice, is very clean, and accommodating. I understand they have security, and that's very good, too."