NOHO Senior Arts Colony

I'll begin by saying that my disappointment stems from my own particular expectations. I'm a baby boomer who is active and in good health. I've been involved in the arts, and moved from Maine to NoHo because of the activities in the building that were geared toward the arts, and I looked forward to gaining inspiration from other artists. First of all, it isn't an arts colony. There were very few artists, and only a small group of people attended the activities. There are many people living there with full-time caregivers, probably as a cheaper alternative to assisted living. There were residents living without help who were cognitively impaired, resulting in one apartment fire and several incidents of the general fire alarm being set off by things left burning on the stove. The activities are provided by a company called EngAge. Their publicity emphasizes their dedication to providing activities directed toward both wellness and creativity. The first two years I was there, I felt creatively fulfilled by classes taught by some wonderful teachers, and there were three great exercise teachers. All but one (Tai Chi) left because EngAge pays their teachers very little, and shows them little respect. The activities dwindled during my third year. At the time I left, many of the classes were organized and taught by the building's residents, who don't get paid. It's also not a particularly good place for seniors. The doors to the common areas are heavy, making it difficult for seniors who are physically challenged, particularly those with walkers, to open them. The hallway floors are slanted, giving people in wheelchairs an exciting ride in one direction and a challenging one in the other. The chairlift in the pool area didn't work the entire time I was there. The elevators broke down frequently. The building is not well cared for. There are only two maintenance men to take care of the building, resulting in chipped paint and lots of dirt. The pool area wasn't cleaned during the entire season last year and was black with dust, and I stopped using the pool because of the dirt, leaves, and dead insects that skimmed the surface. That said, my first two years there were great, and I made some close friends, not an easy thing when you're older.

My dad has lived at the NoHo Senior Arts Colony for the past two years and couldn't be happier living there. The staff in the leasing office is impeccable. Julie, the assistant manager, has been so accommodating and welcoming. My dad visits the office everyday to chat with her and the leasing consultant, Virginia. He feels as if they are family! They even have fresh baked cookies and delicious popcorn everyday to boot! Whenever an issue arises, the office responds immediately to deal with the problem at hand. They are respectful, fair and go above and beyond what is expected. Their maintenance staff, Nabor and Francisco, are also amazing and provide quality service. They complete maintenance requests in a timely fashion and make sure the building looks clean and smells fresh on a daily basis. My father also enjoys the classes offered by Engage and participates in many of them. The building is located in a central location, making it convenient for him to walk to Ralph's Market, PitFire Pizza and many of his other favorite local spots. The NoHo Senior Arts Colony really is the best senior building around, with the best staff, activities and service! If you're looking for a great senior building for yourself, your parents or friends, NoHo is your place!

This building is new, 2 1/2 years old, yet there seems to be some serious problems with security and the fact that anyone can get in from certain areas. These have been noted to the owner and we await the response. Its very lovely in that it has an appetizing interior but the closet space is very bad and cabinets in the kitchen are a joke. Very skinny and very, very deep. Over 62 building, but is very mixed with many children on the weekend. Good itinerary of activities, but could be better. Mgmt. has never addressed the serious problem of sprinkler/fire problems to residents.

I am so appreciative of becoming a resident in my apartment complex. The management department try hard to meet the needs of the folk who live here. The building is new and relatively large and has a wonderful social agenda for the tenants. There is something for everyone. We have classes offered from swimming exercises to screenwriting, card players, book readers clubs, birthday parties once a month for babies born in that month to the famous pot luck. This is one of my favorites seeing I am from New Orleans where creole and soul food dishes are welcomed. The fact that we are seniors makes no difference, it's always good to look forward to having the opportunity to choose an event within our housing development. There is a community room, a BBQ area outside with wonderful seating overlooking the neighborhood, and a great library for our use. Someone thought of just about everything.....LOL