I've had an excellent experience with placing my mother in this community. The staff are wonderful and the activity options are large. They are constantly checking on her and helping her even though she is independent. It's very reasonable price wise too. I highly recommend! read more

Our experience with going from learning about the program to move in was easy. The entire team at Northgate Plaza are true professionals that work well together which really helps to navigate the journey and put are minds at ease. Everyone are patient and thoroughly answered all questions. Nicole Pratt and Michelle Worchester are seasoned Pros and are a credit to NG Plaza. Don. read more

The staff here is outstanding and it's hard to choose just one person to rave about, but Maritza, the house keeper goes above and beyond my expectations. She's always friendly and does a great job cleaning my apartment. read more

Care is respectful, loving, responsive and really strives to allow residents their dignity. The office staff are very clear and boldly supportive of their values and making choices for the safety and well being of all who live in the Northgate Plaza community. The staff are friendly, kind, professional and are willing to do whatever it takes to make their residents feel at home and loved. read more

The care team is wonderful and the food is very good! The whole staff is great! I would recommend this community. read more

If you want your seniors to enjoy a place to live, this is where you should bring them. Your more than just a member here, you are family. Great quality of care. The staff create a fun environment for your family members that makes them feel like they are home. From Easter brunch, to Thanksgiving dinners, you name it! Definitely recommend you call and request a tour today, you will not regret it! read more

The care team here is amazing. They have amazing food and clean rooms. Staff is extremely friendly and accommodating.

I recently went on a tour for my grandma with Nicole. First impressions were great, the building was very clean. Staff was very welcoming and the place just had an overall good feeling to it. I met with the executive director Michelle who sat down with me and answered all my questions with genuine care. Nicole provided a very thorough and thoughtful tour of the building, and made this stressful experience an enjoyable one. If you're looking into senior living I would highly recommend scheduling a tour at Northgate Plaza. read more

This property compares favorably to senior living options that cost twice as much or more. My parents looked at more than 50 properties in Seattle. Northgate Plaza ranks among the best. The apartments are light and well appointed. The dining room serves a revolving menu and family and guests are always welcome. The property was recently renovated and refurbished. The color scheme, artwork, and furnishings are both cheerful and relaxing. The staff is genuinely friendly and attentive every time we have interactions. I've been extremely impressed with the quality of both the facility and consistently attentive care. read more

My father has lived at Northgate Plaza for nine years. He has enjoyed the friendly kind staff and his friends, the comfort of a pleasant apartment, and activities such as music, anagrams, and parties. We are very happy with the continual care and support he has received and always feel welcome. We have appreciated the meticulous protocols with Covid-19 and the extra steps staff has taken to reduce the residents' isolation. Northgate Plaza is conveniently located by stores, the library, a park, and a hospital. We highly recommend this warm caring place. read more

My dad has lived here for about a year. He is happy here and the staff are very friendly. My mom was in a different place before she died and even though it was much more pricey than this place, it was no better. In fact, the service staff there were nice enough, but they had a "you'll be there when I get to you" attitude that was really frustrating. When I was there with my mom, I could get up and get a straw, a glass of milk for her, or whatever she needed, but I always worried when I wasn't there and I felt really bad for those who didn't have loved ones attending to them. At this place, the waitstaff, and in fact all the staff, really seem to care. When my dad asks for a straw with lunch or extra ice, they actually listen and then deliver it. They are like actual waitstaff even though they are certainly not working for tips! After the frustration of the last place, I really am grateful for this level of service, and I don't worry about my dad when I'm not there. Everyone (all the staff and even other residents) seem to go out of the way to talk to folks, encourage them to engage in the various activities, and make them feel like part of the community. This is golden! Also, the desk staff has always been helpful and have answered my calls and questions any time of the day or night. I've never been transferred to another person or talked with anyone who didn't speak (and understand) English well, so I am surprised by the comments left by others on this site. All in all, it's a nice place if you're like me and the main concern is a clean, safe place where the residents feel welcomed and well cared for; you could pay more and have a better view, but I'll take better care any day! read more

All of us, Baby Boomers and younger generations, have to (or will have to) consider the best living arrangements for our parents--by implication, ourselves, as their/our health, physical and mental, changes. My mother eventually moved here into "independent living" (the other alternative is called "assisted living") after after having lived 30 years in her her home and then in condominiums. Though located on the edge of the vast shopping desert of Northgate, this retirement home seems to offer quality living for seniors needing some assistance in daily living. There are several lobby-style areas on the main floor and one dining hall where residents may order from a daily menu consisting of a choice of three entrees and various side dishes, as well as a salad/fruit bar. A cozy atmosphere pervades the five-story, C-shaped modern building complex. A schedule of social and recreational activities is available, as are various services tailored to residents' individual needs: laundry, medication dispensing, bathing, housekeeping, transportation to medical appointments (within a certain radius), and so forth. The two-bedroom apartments are relatively spacious, and the one my mother lives in has actually two bedrooms and two bathrooms as well as a small kitchen (no electric range but a small fridge and microwave). Not much of a view from any of the apartments. The main entrance is on the other side of 5th Ave. N.E.. That side of the building is quieter. The apartments are located in a "North Building" and a "South Building," connected on the main floor by the common living areas. After two weeks of living there, she has gradually come "out of her shell" and feels comfortable with the physical and social space. I believe she is spending about $2,500 monthly for rent, meals, with another $500 for additional, a la carte services. The dining room is pleasant enough, and the hours of continuous meal (lunch and dinner) times is from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. The hot food, however, is not always warmed to the proper temperature. The food, on the whole, seemed only fair but the staff was friendly and helpful. A large flat-screen television, a library, a recreation room, and at least two parlor/sitting rooms are also to be found on the main floor. There is not much in the way of a garden, patio, or grounds per se, although the side facing 5th Ave N.E. has a fountain and benches. But there are too many cars whizzing by at high speeds for it to be really relaxing. Residents seem content, and the staff at least minimally competent, although I have to admit that two or three days after my mother moved in, I called the front desk to inquire what apartment she was living. The person on duty that evening could not find my mother's name in their list of residents (or new residents) and declared that a long-time resident was still living in the apartment I had believed she had moved into (this took up ten minutes of both her AND my time). The daytime staff actually seemed more "together." It should be noted that anyone can just walk into the building, although guests are requested to sign in. However, security seemed adequate. I have no idea how the Northgate Plaza Retirement Community, part of the nationwide Merrill Gardens, compares with other such communities. Perhaps Puget Sound Consumers' Checkbook would have such information. http://www.merrillgardens.com/ http://www.checkbook.org Our family looks forward to her spending many days of relaxed living and care here. read more

If you are financially responsible for the person staying here, you might want to choose somewhere else. More than a year after my mother left this facility, they called with an outstanding balance, demanding payment within the month, or collections! And what was particularly irksome about this whole thing was the lack of civility. You think they might have asked how my mom was doing. But no, you owe us money. Send it now! read more

The owners don't have enough money to make this an enjoyable retirement experience. The food is terrible, medical care inadequate. Look somewhere else. Merrill Gardens should be embarrassed! read more

Everyone works hard and does their job well. They are very thoughtful and friendly. Pam our Activities Director is fantastic.