Avila Retirement Community

    100 White Pine Dr, Albany, NY, 12203
    4.5 · 19 reviews
    • Independent living
    • Assisted living
    AnonymousCurrent/former resident
    5.0

    Lovely sunny community, attentive staff

    I joined this lovely, high-end independent living community and I'm very happy with the decision - beautiful sunny apartments and common areas, excellent (usually reliable) dining, and top-notch, attentive staff who make the place feel caring and safe. The social life is vibrant with many activities, friendly residents, and strong support services. Downsides: it's a bit pricey, traffic/distance can complicate visits, and a few accessibility/room layout issues deserve a look. Overall I would recommend it.

    Pricing

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    Amenities

    4.53 · 19 reviews

    Overall rating

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

      4.6
    • Staff

      4.8
    • Meals

      4.1
    • Amenities

      4.3
    • Value

      3.0

    Pros

    • accommodating, friendly, and responsive staff
    • attentive caregiving and excellent social worker support
    • well-maintained, clean, bright apartments and cottages
    • beautiful, well-kept common areas and top facilities (pool, cottages)
    • strong social environment with many resident friendships
    • wide variety of activities (live jazz nights, exercise, educational programs)
    • support for charity and community activities
    • on-site religious services
    • good OT and PT services
    • seamless move-in/transition experience
    • generators and storm preparedness/safety features
    • recognition (Times Union 2024 Best in the Capital Region)
    • helpful dining accommodations and many meal opportunities
    • long-term resident satisfaction (multiple multi-year positive reports)

    Cons

    • occasional maintenance backlogs or delays
    • food quality can be inconsistent (ranges from excellent to mediocre)
    • initial food/vendor change problems (later resolved)
    • some units are slightly small or dark
    • slightly pricey
    • access/traffic pattern makes arrival/exit difficult
    • independent living only (no higher-level care on-site)
    • dining room closures or restrictions during pandemic periods
    • wheelchair accessibility concerns in some areas
    • distance from family can be challenging for some

    Summary review

    Overall sentiment across the reviews is strongly positive, with recurring praise for staff, community atmosphere, and facilities. Many reviewers emphasize that staff are friendly, attentive, and responsive — going out of their way to meet resident needs. Specific praise is given to caregiving personnel and an excellent social worker, indicating residents and families feel supported emotionally and administratively. Seamless move-ins and helpful transition support are noted, and several long-term residents (including someone with five-plus years) report sustained satisfaction and optimism about remaining at Avila.

    Facilities and physical environment are frequently highlighted as major strengths. Reviews describe bright, clean apartments and lovely cottages, attractive common areas, and top-tier amenities such as a pool. The campus is noted as beautiful and health‑giving, with well-kept grounds and a home-like atmosphere. Safety and emergency preparedness are also positive features — a generator and storm preparedness measures were specifically mentioned as reassuring during outages. At the same time, a few reviewers reported small or darker rooms in some units and some wheelchair accessibility concerns in parts of the facility.

    Dining is a prominent and mixed theme. Many residents praise the dining experience, calling meals excellent and noting substitutions and accommodations when needed. There are repeated comments about pleasant dining staff and many meal opportunities, and some reviewers recommend the facility based on the quality of meals. However, multiple reviews also mention variability in food quality (described as ranging from very good to mediocre), and one vendor change caused a notable 'food debacle' that was later resolved. Pandemic-related closures reduced dining access at times, which some reviewers referenced.

    Social life and programming receive strong, consistent praise. Reviewers cite a robust calendar of activities — live jazz nights, monthly neighbor-organized events (like a girls' night), exercise and educational programs, and opportunities for charitable involvement. The environment is described as social and friendly, with many residents forming friendships quickly; several reviewers explicitly say their family members have many friends and enjoy the social scene. A desire for more excursion-style outings was voiced by some, indicating interest in expanding off-site options in addition to on-campus programming.

    Operational and logistical notes are mostly positive but include a few concerns. Maintenance is generally described as great, but a couple of reviewers warned about possible backlogs or delays at times. Some reviewers called the community slightly pricey, and others noted the facility is independent living only, which can be a limitation for those seeking on-site higher-level care. Location and access present concerns for certain families: traffic patterns make arrival or exit difficult for some, and distance from family members is a challenge for others.

    In sum, reviews portray Avila Retirement Community as a high-quality independent living option with exceptional staff, appealing facilities, a lively social environment, and effective safety measures. The most frequent areas for improvement are food consistency, occasional maintenance delays, accessibility details, and expanded excursion offerings. Taken together, the pattern of feedback suggests many residents and families would recommend Avila and are pleased with their decision to join, particularly valuing the caring staff, strong social connections, and well-maintained campus.

    Location

    Map showing location of Avila Retirement Community

    About Avila Retirement Community

    Avila Retirement Community sits in the Pine Bush and has a quiet, friendly atmosphere where you see tree-lined streets, green lawns, and the kind of colorful flowerbeds that make you want to sit awhile, and the place covers just about any care a senior might look for, with living options that range from active independent living all the way to memory care, nursing care, respite stays, and adult day care services. Folks can choose among apartments in The Main Building at Ávila, The Lodge, the more private Cottages surrounded by trees, or Teresian House, which is known for its private residences and hotel-like comforts, with each spot giving a different way to live depending on someone's needs or wants, and you find floorplans ranging from one to two bedrooms, and there's even townhouse-style cottages, plus sunrooms, three-season rooms, and balconies that look out to quiet grounds or gardens.

    Services cover all bases-respite care gives family caregivers a break with professional support; the continuing care program helps residents age in place and move through care levels as they need, without having to leave the community, so you see people settling into independent living with resort-style amenities like a swimming pool, spa, fitness center, dining room with white linens and flowers, and a cozy fireplace lounge with books and newspapers, while those who need more help get assisted living with meals, medication support, and personal care. Memory care provides 24-hour help and special programs for people with Alzheimer's or dementia, and skilled nursing is available for those needing medical attention or rehab, including wound care and round-the-clock nursing. There's an option for vegetarian meals, and all meals are prepared with care and get pretty good remarks for freshness and taste.

    The grounds make for a peaceful walk, with courtyards, shaded patios, a private retreat area, outdoor furniture, gardens for residents who like to putter, and garage spaces for those who tinker. Folks stay busy and social with a full schedule of activities-social, educational, recreational-which may include devotional services both on and offsite, plus there's a bank/ATM, transportation to appointments, guest accommodations for visitors, and a safe entrance with a covered porte-cochère. Suites have private bathrooms, walk-in showers, climate control, cable TV, Wi-Fi, emergency response systems, and sometimes balconies or patios, and everywhere you look there are easy-access features for folks with different mobility needs.

    Staff are trained to guide residents through all the benefits and help them adjust as needed, and you notice a steady focus on comfort, belonging, and the feeling of home, with a close connection to local doctors, medical centers, and pharmacies for added peace of mind. The community is known for its state-of-the-art healthcare mixed with warm and welcoming spaces, and it's pet-friendly too, so most folks can bring their companions along. Avila Retirement Community is affiliated with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany, and the community offers year-round events, transportation, and a simple way of living where health, safety, dignity, and personal choice matter to everyone who calls it home.

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