Princeton Windrows

    2000 Windrow Drive, Princeton, NJ, 08540
    3.7 · 7 reviews
    • Independent living
    AnonymousLoved one of resident
    1.0

    Amenities great but care neglect

    I moved my parent here expecting carefree, maintenance-free living - the apartments, heated pool, fitness center, activities and food are excellent, staff were very friendly, and the neighborhood is lovely. Unfortunately patient care and cleanliness declined: roaches, a feces smell, no room cleaning or repairs, and rampant theft of coats and jewelry. Worst of all, the director misappropriated Social Security funds, refused refunds, and police got involved with no resolution. Beautiful facility and great amenities, but because of the neglect, theft and financial misconduct, it's not appropriate for my parents and not a true assisted-living option for us.

    Pricing

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    Amenities

    3.71 · 7 reviews

    Overall rating

    1. 5
    2. 4
    3. 3
    4. 2
    5. 1
    • Care

      1.0
    • Staff

      2.7
    • Meals

      4.7
    • Amenities

      4.4
    • Value

      1.0

    Pros

    • Attractive exterior and inviting entryway
    • Beautiful neighborhood
    • Strong sense of community and new friendships
    • Wide range of amenities (fitness center, heated pool)
    • Broad activities program (day trips, lectures, exercise and fitness classes)
    • Delicious / good dining
    • Nicely decorated apartments (studio to 2-bedroom)
    • Maintenance-free living / resident-owned management
    • Very clean / first-class services (reported by some reviewers)
    • Downsized living works well for some residents
    • Friendly / very nice staff (reported by some reviewers)

    Cons

    • Decline in cleanliness and foul odors (feces smell reported)
    • Pest problems (roaches)
    • Theft of personal items (coats and jewelry)
    • Lack of personal care; not a true Assisted Living option
    • No room cleaning and lack of repairs
    • Management misconduct alleged (director misappropriated funds)
    • Refused refunds, unresolved refund issues, and police involvement
    • Angry or problematic staff behavior reported
    • Negative overall impressions from several reviewers
    • Inconsistent quality and conflicting reports across reviews

    Summary review

    Overall sentiment across these reviews is mixed and polarized: several reviewers praise Princeton Windrows for its attractive setting, active lifestyle offerings, good dining, and comfortable, nicely decorated apartments, while other reviewers report serious concerns about cleanliness, safety, staffing and management practices. The reviews indicate that experiences vary widely—some residents describe a first-class, maintenance-free independent living community with robust activities and friendly neighbors, while others describe unresolved operational failures that significantly impact quality of life.

    Care quality and appropriateness: Multiple reviewers emphasize that Princeton Windrows functions primarily as an independent-living community rather than a true assisted living facility. Several reviewers explicitly stated it was “not appropriate for my parents” because it does not provide the level of personal care some families require. There are also direct complaints about a lack of patient care and neglect in meeting basic resident needs. Prospective residents who need assistance with daily living should be cautious and verify services and licensure before moving in.

    Staff and management: The reviews present a contradictory picture of staff. Some reviews call the staff “friendly” or “very nice,” which aligns with accounts of strong community-building and helpful service in positive reports. However, other reviews refer to “angry staff,” lack of response to repair requests, and even allegations of staff involvement in theft or misconduct. Most seriously, one review alleges the director misappropriated Social Security funds, refused refunds, and that police were involved with the matter still unresolved. That single but severe allegation raises red flags about financial safeguards, transparency, and management accountability and is likely to be a critical concern for families and prospective residents.

    Facilities, amenities and activities: Positive themes are strongest around the physical campus and programming. The community is described as having an attractive exterior and inviting entryway, a beautiful neighborhood, and nicely decorated apartments ranging from studios to two-bedrooms. Amenities mentioned include a fitness center, heated pool, and other recreational spaces. Programming is highlighted as a strength in several reviews—day trips, lectures, exercise classes and a broad activities calendar contribute to a lively, social environment and help residents form new friendships. These are consistent, tangible pros for independent-living residents seeking an engaged lifestyle.

    Cleanliness, safety and maintenance concerns: Several reviews raise significant concerns about cleanliness and safety. Reports include a decline in cleanliness over time, an unpleasant feces odor, a roach problem, theft of coats and jewelry, no routine room cleaning, and lack of completion of repairs. Those issues combined create a pattern suggesting inconsistent or deteriorating operational standards in housekeeping, pest control and security. While other reviewers describe the community as “very clean,” the presence of multiple serious cleanliness and safety complaints suggests variability across units or that conditions may have changed over time.

    Dining and social life: Dining is frequently mentioned positively—several reviews praise the food as good or delicious. Social life and downsized living are also recurring positives: residents report making lovely new friends and enjoying the social and activity offerings, which many describe as “fabulous.” For people focused on an active, community-oriented independent-living experience, those aspects appear to be genuine strengths.

    Patterns and recommendations: The reviews show a clear split—some residents experience a well-run, amenity-rich independent living community with good food, active programming, and friendly neighbors; others experience operational failures that include cleanliness, pest control, theft, lack of personal care, and serious allegations about management misconduct. This inconsistency suggests either variability by building area/unit, change in management or operations over time, or highly divergent expectations among reviewers.

    For prospective residents and families: verify whether the community meets the level of care required (independent vs assisted living), ask for documentation on licensing and care capabilities, inspect multiple sample apartments and public spaces, ask specifically about housekeeping schedules, pest-control records, security measures and incident logs for theft, and request written policies on financial handling and protections. Also ask management for recent inspection reports, references from current residents, and clarity about how complaints and refund disputes are handled. If allegations about misappropriated funds are important to you, seek confirmation of any police or legal outcomes and request assurances about safeguards for resident funds.

    In summary, Princeton Windrows demonstrates notable strengths in amenities, activities, dining, and community feel for independent-living residents, but the reviews also contain multiple, serious and actionable concerns—particularly around cleanliness, pest control, theft, maintenance responsiveness, and an allegation of financial misconduct by management. Those latter issues substantially increase the risk for potential residents, so careful, targeted due diligence and direct questioning of management and current residents is strongly advised before making a placement decision.

    Location

    Map showing location of Princeton Windrows

    About Princeton Windrows

    Princeton Windrows offers a resident-owned and resident-run community designed for people aged 55 and older who want a supportive place to live but also want to keep their independence, and it feels like one of those places where neighbors look out for each other and you see people out walking on landscaped trails or tending flowers at the greenhouse, and you can pick from a wide selection of homes including apartments in different layouts, single-floor villas like the Worcester and Winchester models with their own garage, or even a two-story York Townhome with three bedrooms and plenty of space, and with 24 different floor plans and nearly 300 homes, folks usually can find one that suits their lifestyle, and everything's set up for maintenance-free living so you don't need to worry about repairs or yard work.

    The community has lots of services to help people with changing needs, and you'll find independent living, assisted living, memory care for folks with cognitive challenges, respite care, home care, and even skilled nursing and rehabilitation services at the Pavillons At Forrestal, and they have internal medicine practitioners as well as psychiatrists and psychoanalysts available which is good for people needing ongoing medical or mental health care. Visitors can get a printed map of the community and they let folks take tours to see what life there's like, plus they share information and answer questions about how things work at Windrows, and anybody interested can schedule a tour or call for more information.

    Windrows makes a big effort to support each person's quality of life, with programs like the Wednesday's at Windrows Lecture Series, resident-led discussion groups, artists' gallery shows, pet-friendly policies, and regular events like educational lectures or musical performances by visiting symphony groups, and you'll find three dining rooms to eat in, plus a convenience store called The Corner Store, a private party dining room, and even a film showing program. For fitness and leisure, people use the indoor pool and Jacuzzi, heated pool, bocce courts, yoga and tai chi studio, walking trails, fitness center, and the gardening center, and they've also built in a wellness and health center, a library with a section just for books by resident authors, a computer and office center, and a place for weekly shopping trips and scheduled transportation.

    They also handle real estate services and help people buy, sell, or transfer homes in the community, and the community association is managed with help for members, plus the buildings all have elevators and are set up for older adults' safety, and pets are allowed which people seem to like. There's a memory care area and all sorts of programs for different care needs, including acute and post-acute care, respite stays, and lots of support for those that want to live independently but still need a hand from time to time.

    All in all, Princeton Windrows provides a place to live where seniors can stay active, enjoy cultural and social events, and get different types of help as they need, while living in their own homes with maintenance taken care of, in a community that neighbors seem to participate in and take pride in running themselves.

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