Silver Glen

Connie

The only one we looked at was the Silver Glen. They had a mile-long waiting list. We liked it because we lived near there before and we didn't even know this existed. One of the downfalls is the building is 22 years old or something, so some of these apartments or condos are very dated. I would have to come in and put in all new appliances like cabinets and carpeting. Part of the stipulation of this co-op is you cannot sell your condo for more than you paid for it. We were very impressed with it. I'm finding out that it's very popular on the East Coast and the Midwest. It's a different concept here. You have to be interviewed if they'll accept you to come and live there because you have to be an active adult, and you have to be willing to join different committees and volunteer to show and tour people. The place is pretty much run by the residents. It's a nice concept. The staff who toured us was wonderful. I talked to her on the phone when I made the appointment. Because they were all volunteers there and residents that lived there, she remembered our phone call and she said, 'I want to interview this couple.' She was great. We didn't experience the food. They have a restaurant that is open five days a week, and you pay for your meals if you eat there. It's like going to a restaurant. You don't have to pay $3,000 a month to get dinner stipends or whatever, which appeals to me since I do a lot of cooking. The furniture in the main room is dated. Carpeting is very dated in the halls. The lighting sucks. It's dark. All they have to do is get some brighter lights on the ceiling. The grounds outside were fine; the inside of the building was depressing. And that's exactly the word I would use: Depressing. All they have to do is put in some more light and light up the hallways better and get some new carpeting. They could perk up this place pretty easily. Again, they have this huge budget. They got a courtyard, a patio, and social networking programs that come in. They had a gym, they had a pool, and they had a game room, I think.

Silver Glen

I also toured this facility with my 84 year old mother. It has a quiet wooded setting in addition to all of the amenities listed previously. There are way more activity clubs to join than previously listed. We are awaiting an opening to buy in.

Jo Ann3

Silver Glen is my number one choice in the state of Washington. They have a pool, a spa, and exercise equipment down on the bottom floor. I didn't find these in other places. And their units were bigger, with full kitchens. I think you only get one meal a day there. You can buy more meals, and they are $10 a meal, but that's OK because there are different kinds of food places around where it is located, and you've got a full kitchen in your unit, so you can cook whenever you want to. They have different games and a book club, which other places didn't have. I think they put puzzles together, and people go down and work on the puzzles. There were things you could do whether it was organized for a group or not.