Verona Senior Citizens Housing

Pros

• The facility is very neat and clean at all times and is friendly.
• It is a clean, quiet place.
• It is nice and clean.
• It is a pleasant place.
• It is a great senior citizens housing option with great services.
• It is very clean, quiet, and in a beautiful area.
• It is a clean and nice place to live for seniors.
• The place is beautiful.
• Residents' families feel their loved ones are happy there and praise the senior accommodations.

Cons

• The parking situation is frustrating, and the applicant believes every apartment should include a parking spot regardless of whether residents drive.
• It is hard to get tasks done in the apartment that require work.
• The applicant submitted an application in March 2024 and was told by Miss Katress they were on a waiting list and would receive a letter in two weeks, but they never received it.
• The wait time for a 1-bedroom to become vacant is reportedly 1 year to 6 years.
• An unidentified staff member promised to call back with status but did not.
• The applicant feels discouraged by staff who seemed to be deceiving applicants about eventual rental availability.
• The waiting-time information given by staff (3?5 years for a studio) was misleading.
• The office needs proper management to operate efficiently.
• There is a lack of activities; more things to do are needed.
• The traffic around the area is horrible.

Review

Parking has been a persistent frustration for me whenever I visit, and it feels like there should be a parking spot for every apartment, regardless of whether residents drive. Beyond parking, there's the constant battle to get small tasks done in the apartment that require attention or work. These two threads - parking and maintenance - frame my overall experience and color the rest of my interactions with the housing office.

I submitted my application on March 11, 2024, and on April 24, 2024 I spoke with Miss Katress. She told me I had been placed on a waiting list and that I should receive a letter within two weeks letting me know my status. I never received that letter, which added to the sense of uncertainty. She also explained that the wait could be quite long - anywhere from one year to six years for a vacancy in a one-bedroom. The ambiguity was hard to absorb, especially given the expectation of a concrete timeline.

Then, as of June 12, 2024, I called again to check the status. An unidentified lady there told me she would call me back with an update, but she never did. The lack of follow-through on a simple promise only deepened my frustration and left me feeling like the process was not being handled reliably. It's discouraging when staff suggest there will be a definitive outcome, only to fail to follow up or provide clear information.

A few months later, by December 12, 2024, I reached out again and spoke with Miss Katress. This time she said the waiting time for a studio was three to five years, which seemed to align with what I had heard earlier, albeit still bearing the same heavy burden of an extended wait. What's more, I had previously heard differing information from Miss Lioda in March 2024, who also stated a three-to-five-year window. The inconsistency is troubling because it feels like miscommunication is eroding trust. I'm left with the impression that the office may be more focused on maintaining staffing than on delivering timely, accurate updates to waiting applicants. The overall sense is that management could do more to improve coordination and communication so residents aren't left guessing.

Amid these concerns about the administrative side of things, the property itself presents a more positive picture. Reviewers consistently note that the place is very neat and clean at all times, with one comment calling it a pleasure place and another describing it as nice and clean. The environment is quiet and in a beautiful area, which makes it appealing for those who value a calm living space. Several statements highlight that it is clean, quiet, and well maintained, and that the community is suitable for seniors. Some reviewers even call it great senior housing with good services, underscoring that, on the resident experience front, there's a strong, reliable standard of care and a well-kept facility.

There are mixed but hopeful sentiments about what the community offers beyond the basics. People mention that it's a very neat, clean, and well-maintained place with friendly staff, and they appreciate the quiet surroundings and the overall ambiance. Positive remarks include the site being a good home for seniors, with references to the services available and the surrounding area being beautiful. Some comments note room for more activities and things to do, indicating a desire for more programming or amenities to complement the already strong living conditions. All of this paints a picture of a residence that is pleasant to live in, especially for older adults, even as the administrative experience remains muddled.

In the end, the reviews convey a mix of admiration for the living environment and frustration with the administrative process. The property earns praise for its cleanliness, quietness, beauty, and suitability for seniors, including the presence of services that support daily living. Yet the parking concerns, the inconsistent and slow information about wait times, and the failure to follow up on inquiries dilute that positive impression. The recurring call for better management - more reliable staffing, clearer communication, and more proactive updates - resonates as a necessary improvement. For now, residents can value the solid quality of the living space while hoping for a more transparent and efficient administrative experience in the future.

Pharmacies

• CVS Pharmacy (1.2 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.2 miles)
• Walgreens (2.5 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.6 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.9 miles)
• Walgreens (3.6 miles)

Restaurants

• Cloverleaf Tavern (1.5 miles)
• Mercado Cafe & Kitchen (2.2 miles)
• Faubourg (2.4 miles)
• Mayfair Farms Banquet Facilities (2.5 miles)
• Egan & Sons (2.6 miles)
• Applegate Farm (2.9 miles)
• Yard House (3.5 miles)

Parks

• Edgemont Memorial Park (2.1 miles)
• Anderson Park (2.2 miles)
• Degnan Memorial Park (2.7 miles)
• Eagle Rock Reservation (3.1 miles)
• South Mountain Reservation (3.5 miles)
• Orange Park Nj (5.9 miles)
• Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park (6.3 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (2.2 miles)
• Paper Plane Coffee Co. (2.5 miles)
• Panera Bread (3.3 miles)
• Panera Bread (3.3 miles)
• Starbucks (5.6 miles)
• Starbucks (6 miles)
• Panera Bread (6.7 miles)

Physicians

• Women First Health Center (2.3 miles)
• Summit Medical Group (2.5 miles)
• Care Station Medical Group (3.4 miles)
• Summit Medical Group (3.5 miles)
• Retina Associates of New Jersey PA (5.6 miles)
• Summit Medical Group (5.9 miles)
• Changebridge Medical Associates (6.9 miles)

Transportation

• NJT - Watchung Station (2.4 miles)
• NJT - Brick Church Station (5.5 miles)
• East Orange Station (5.9 miles)
• NJT - Maplewood Station (7.7 miles)

Theaters

• Cinemark (3.3 miles)
• AMC Clifton Commons 16 (5.8 miles)
• AMC East Hanover 12 (7.3 miles)

Places of Worship

• Clifton Blue Mosque (5.9 miles)
• Ahavas Israel (6.3 miles)
• Bais Torah U'tefilah (6.3 miles)
• Immaculate Heart Of Mary School (7.4 miles)
• Morrow Memorial United Methodist Church (7.8 miles)

Hospitals

• Saint Barnabas Medical Center (6.1 miles)
• St Joseph's Regional Medical Center (6.1 miles)