» BEST
SENIOR LIVING COMMUNITY
MARK RIGHTMIRE, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
A tai chi class at the senior living community Reata Glen in Rancho Mission Viejo, voted Best Senior Living Community.
1. Reata Glen
2. Freedom Village
2 Las Estrellas Loop, Rancho Mission Viejo; 949-397-2379; expectmore.reataglen.com/retire Reata Glen is a 60-acre community set among South Orange County’s rolling hills, with resort-like amenities and services, programs and events to keep residents as active or relaxed as they choose to be. The community’s apartments, townhomes and villas range from approximately 650 to 2,800 square feet, “some with sweeping views of the valley,” said Stephanie Riggs, Reata Glen’s director of sales and marketing. “Along with a beautiful space to call home, we take care of all the burdens of home and yard maintenance so residents can enjoy the myriad of activities and events offered both onsite and offsite,” Riggs said. “We offer an active lifestyle with opportunities to create new friendships and reengage with hobbies and activities.” Reata Glen considers residents’ present needs along with what they might need in the future. They “have priority access to long-term care, included at the adjacent health care center with assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing, if ever needed,” Riggs said. The campus’ amenities include a fitness center and indoor pool, tennis and pickleball courts, billiards and card rooms, an art studio and wood workshop. “Residents have access to a full calendar of events and activities that include fitness classes, group-led bike rides and hikes, movies and live performances in the on-site performing arts center, art classes, educational engagements, and three on-site dining venues with chef-prepared menus,” Riggs said.
— Kathie Bozanich
23442 El Toro Road, Lake Forest; 949-472-4700; freedomvillageorangecounty.org The struggles in the last months have given new meaning to the importance of social bonds and support at Freedom Village, according to its director of marketing Stephanie Chappell. “Some of our most popular amenities are live entertainment, dancing, water exercise classes in our year-round heated pool, putting green, little theater, billiards room, art room, four dining venues, walking path and new Zen garden,” Chappell said. Freedom Village is also a “life plan community,” and as such offers independent living apartments, assisted living, skilled nursing and rehabilitation all at one site. Its entrance deposit, as well as monthly fees, is an investment that buys peace of mind with the Freedom Village “Guarantee of Services and Care for Life.” This means that even if residents’ health or finances unexpectedly change through no fault of their own and they run out of assets, they will be able to stay in the community.
3. Laguna Woods Village
24351 El Toro Road, Laguna Woods; 949-597-4600; lagunawoodsvillage.com The gated community of Laguna Woods Village, open to those ages 55 and over, features more than 12,500 residences and is considered to be one of the largest of its type on the West Coast. Its 3.8 square miles make up about 90% of the incorporated city of Laguna Woods. The first 10 homeowners moved into what was then known as Leisure World, Laguna Hills, on Sept. 10, 1964. The community changed its name to Laguna Woods Village in 2005. Laguna Woods Village’s three housing corporations offer distinct types of living, from the condominiums in the highrise Towers community to the co-op condos in United Mutual and single-family homes and multi-family dwellings in Third Mutual. The 94 floor plans range from 675-squarefoot condo units to about 2,600-square-foot single-family homes. Laguna Woods Village offers an extensive list of social and recreational activities.
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