Ensor Forest in Columbia, SC

Pros

• Ensor Forest Apartments provides independent living for seniors.
• The community is quiet and well maintained, with outdoor gathering spaces, adequate night lighting, and secure onsite laundry.
• A bus stop beside the front gate offers convenient access to the greater Columbia Metro area.
• The staff and maintenance personnel are responsive to resident needs and prioritize health and safety.
• The facility provides 24/7 emergency response and quick service, including on weekends and holidays.
• The neighborhood is nice and quiet, suitable for seniors.
• The complex feels secure, offering peace of mind for families.
• Residents are friendly and loving, contributing to a welcoming atmosphere.
• There is a community room for arts and crafts, gardening, reading, and computer access, plus a kitchen for planning dinners or events with family and friends.

Cons

• The staff are very rude and disrespectful to residents, and the property manager is unprofessional.
• The property manager has spoken to elderly residents harshly and has even threatened eviction.
• Maintenance requests take forever to fix, and the repairs are not of good quality.
• Management is described as mean and disrespectful, making families feel uneasy about who cares for their loved ones.
• Overall, the place would not be recommended due to rude management and poor treatment of residents.

Review

Ensor Forest is best suited for independent seniors who can manage their daily affairs and do not require around-the-clock care. The community operates as senior apartments rather than a full-service assisted living campus. Residents benefit from a quiet, well-maintained environment, outdoor gathering spaces, secure onsite laundry, and a front-gate bus stop that links to the Columbia metro area, enabling mobility without owning a car. The safety framework is a clear strength: 24/7 emergency response is available and staff emphasize health and safety.

Care needs beyond basic independence shift the calculus. Families considering round-the-clock support, daily medical supervision, or frequent assistance with activities of daily living should look at true assisted living or memory care options. Several reviews flag problems with management: the property manager is described as rude and unprofessional, with residents and family members reporting disrespectful interactions and, in some cases, threats of eviction. Maintenance delays are noted, and some residents say repairs are performed poorly or take too long. Those experiences matter because a perceived lack of respectful leadership can undermine the security and comfort that the physical environment otherwise provides.

On the upside, Ensor Forest delivers a stable, quiet neighborhood feel, reinforced by ongoing maintenance and visible safety measures. The community room, arts and crafts, gardening, and access to computers support social engagement; residents can plan dinners and events in a shared kitchen with family. The combination of a low-stress, walkable setting and on-site services helps residents remain independent longer, while 24/7 emergency readiness adds a critical layer of assurance for anxious families. The bus connection reduces the burden of driving and expands access to medical appointments, shopping, and social visits. Taken together, these positives partially offset struggles with management and maintenance, but only if trust in leadership remains intact.

Decisions hinge on priorities. If independence, routine safety, social activity, and cost containment are at the top, Ensor Forest is attractive, provided turnovers in management are minimized by direct engagement and clear service expectations. If a family requires steady, respectful management and consistently timely maintenance, alternatives should be explored, ideally facilities with a verified track record of resident relations and proactive upkeep. Prospective residents should request a candid tour at different times, meet the property manager in a live setting, and ask for concrete maintenance response times and a plan for longer repairs. Clarify what care options exist nearby should the situation change.

Socially, the landscape is mixed: long-tenured residents describe a friendly, neighborly atmosphere; others highlight a sense of isolation born from inconsistent staff interactions. The facility’s appeal as “the best senior apartment” in some eyes contrasts with accounts of rude management and a deteriorating service level in recent years. The most telling pattern is resilience, people have stayed for many years when the core living environment remains calm, secure, and self-directed, yet families often decide to move when the need for hands-on support grows.

Bottom line: Ensor Forest serves a specific niche well, independent seniors who prize safety, quiet, and social opportunity in a well-kept setting, with accessible transportation and 24/7 emergency readiness. It is not suitable for those who require daily care or who cannot tolerate potential management friction or delayed maintenance. A disciplined due diligence process, including a direct assessment of leadership quality, maintenance responsiveness, and long-term care contingencies, will determine whether this community is the right fit or if alternatives better align with the family’s care trajectory and expectations.

This part of Columbia, South Carolina, offers a variety of medical facilities within close proximity, including pediatric and neurology centers, pharmacies, and specialty clinics. There are also several cafes and restaurants nearby for dining options. The area features beautiful parks such as the Columbia Canal & Riverfront Park and Saluda Riverwalk for outdoor activities. Additionally, there is convenient access to transportation services like Enterprise Rent-A-Car. Places of worship are also easily accessible for spiritual needs. Overall, this area provides a well-rounded community with amenities that cater to senior living needs.

Physicians

• Sterling Sharpe Pediatric Center (0.1 miles)
• Prisma Health Neurology - Richland (1.2 miles)
• USC School Of Medicine Specialty Clinics (1.2 miles)
• Palmetto Health USC - Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (1.2 miles)
• Palmetto Health-USC Family Medicine Center (1.3 miles)
• Carolina Allergy & Asthma Consultants (1.3 miles)
• Palmetto Health Neurology (1.3 miles)

Pharmacies

• Finklin Pharmacy (0.3 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1.4 miles)
• Palmeto Senior Care: John D Marsh (2.4 miles)
• Hawthorne Pharmacy (2.7 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.7 miles)
• Judy, Andrea (2.8 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (3.3 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (1.9 miles)
• Starbucks (2.8 miles)
• Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea Park St (3.2 miles)
• Drip (3.4 miles)
• The Corner Blend (3.6 miles)

Restaurants

• McDonald's (2.2 miles)
• Bojangles' Famous Chicken 'n Biscuits (2.2 miles)
• McDonald's (2.2 miles)
• Transmission Arcade (2.5 miles)
• McDonald's (2.8 miles)
• Cantina 76 on Main (2.9 miles)
• Bourbon (3 miles)

Hospitals

• Sleep Med (2.6 miles)

Parks

• Columbia Canal & Riverfront Park (2.8 miles)
• Saluda Riverwalk (3.1 miles)
• West Columbia Riverwalk (3.5 miles)
• Hollywood Park (4.2 miles)

Transportation

• Enterprise Rent-A-Car (2.9 miles)

Places of Worship

• Good Shepherd Lutheran Church (3.7 miles)
• St Joseph's Catholic Church (4.4 miles)