Overall sentiment for Arlington Plaza — Sky Active Living is mixed but leans positive with important caveats. A dominant and recurring strength across hundreds of comments is the staff: many reviewers emphasize that staff are attentive, caring, personable, and often go above and beyond. Specific employees are repeatedly praised by name (e.g., Iris, Carol, Patricia, Kay, Mary, Tiffany, Jordan) and the bus driver is singled out frequently for exceptional service. Residents and families commonly describe a warm, family-like atmosphere, active social life, and instances of highly individualized care. Multiple reviewers highlight quick and compassionate responses in emergency situations and assistance with move-in logistics, which contributes to a strong trust in frontline team members.
Facilities and location receive similarly mixed but largely favorable comments. The community sits in an attractive, convenient area near Lake Arlington and shopping/medical services. Grounds and landscaping are often described as beautiful and well cared for, and ongoing renovations (new lobby carpet, exterior updates, remodeled apartments) are positively noted. Many residents appreciate included conveniences: three meals a day for many plans, weekly housekeeping and laundry service, cable/internet, transportation for shopping and outings, on-site salon and gym, and pet-friendly policies. These amenities, combined with generally affordable pricing for independent living, are cited as decisive positives by numerous residents who say they would recommend the community.
Dining and activities are major themes with strong polarization. A substantial number of reviewers commend the dining program — calling it chef-driven, tasty, plentiful, and a highlight of daily life. At the same time, an equally robust set of complaints describe food as bland, improperly prepared, or in decline. Recurring operational issues include long meal waits, meals running out, transitions from table service to line service, missing napkins/creamer, dirty dishes or silverware, and staff safety protocol lapses during service (e.g., servers not wearing gloves or masks in some reports). Activities are plentiful on paper — bingo, poker, cornhole, crafts, Bible study, church services, outings, and exercise classes are listed frequently. Yet many reviews report poor organization, inconsistent leadership (frequent activities director turnover), scheduling confusion, and low attendance for events. This pattern suggests a broad program that varies substantially in quality depending on staffing and leadership at any given time.
Operations, maintenance and safety show clear mixed-to-concerning signals. Many reviewers emphasize an older building that is generally well maintained, but others report serious physical plant problems: repeated plumbing failures, flooding, sewage odors, black mold on counters, bugs, and decaying furniture or stained carpets. Maintenance responsiveness is inconsistent — some repairs are handled promptly while others linger unresolved for long periods (ripped screen doors, back door lock issues, repeated door-unlock/safety concerns). Several reviewers report security breaches including apartment burglary and theft, unauthorized access following move-out, and privacy concerns related to staff entry. These incidents generate strong negative impressions and are among the most serious concerns in the reviews.
Management, staffing and corporate issues emerge as another divided area. On the positive side, reviewers frequently praise local leadership and frontline staff for responsiveness and compassion; on the negative side there are repeated complaints about high management turnover (multiple managers in a few years), perceived insincere corporate responses, billing problems, and cost-cutting measures that residents feel harmed service levels. COVID-related reductions in services (limited housekeeping, shutdown of common laundry for months) left some residents feeling underserved and without rent adjustments, which fostered resentment. Several reviews report periods of understaffing (especially weekends or nights) that impact dining, activities, and general resident support.
Accessibility and care level specifics are important for families to note. Arlington Plaza is primarily an independent-living community: many reviewers confirm there is no on-site assisted-living level or continuous medical services for all residents, though some vendors provide on-site home healthcare. Transportation is available for shopping and community outings and the driver is widely appreciated; however, multiple reviewers say transportation to doctor appointments is inconsistent or not provided, necessitating Uber or family transport. Parking constraints (limited covered/garage parking, narrow spaces, limited handicap spots) were mentioned repeatedly as practical downsides.
In summary, Arlington Plaza offers a warm, community-oriented independent-living experience with many strengths: compassionate and often outstanding staff, appealing grounds, included amenities, pet-friendly policies, and an active events calendar. However, prospective residents and families should weigh these positives against significant variability in dining quality, maintenance responsiveness, safety/security incidents, activity leadership consistency, and management turnover. Many reviewers report excellent experiences and would highly recommend the community; a substantial minority report operational failures or safety issues that may be dealbreakers depending on individual priorities. Visitors should do a detailed, up-to-date assessment in person: inspect the specific apartment unit, ask about current staffing levels (kitchen, activities, maintenance, overnight), request recent incident and repair logs, clarify transportation options for medical appointments, and review contracts/fees. Given the split in experiences, outcomes at Arlington Plaza appear to depend heavily on current management and staffing stability, ongoing renovation progress, and how promptly the community addresses reported safety and hygiene concerns.
