Ensor Forest

Pros

• The community is quiet, well maintained, and offers outdoor covered gathering spaces, adequate night lighting, and secure onsite laundry facilities.
• Staff and maintenance personnel are responsive to resident needs, with a focus on health and safety.
• They provide 24/7 emergency response and are quick to respond, even on weekends and holidays.
• Residents describe Ensor Forest Apartments as the best senior apartment, with friendly and loving residents.
• The complex includes a community room where residents can do arts and crafts, gardening, read books, and access a computer.
• A kitchen is available, allowing residents to plan dinners and events with family and friends.
• The complex is nice and quiet.
• The neighborhood is beautiful for elders.
• Families feel safe here due to total security.
• The complex appears clean and quiet.
• It would be a good place for a senior citizen needing a place to stay.
• Visitors appreciate the care provided.

Cons

• The office staff are very rude and disrespectful to residents and their families, and the property manager is unprofessional.
• The on-site property manager is described as the rudest person the reviewer has dealt with, prompting a report to the overseeing organization.
• Maintenance takes forever to fix issues, and the repairs are not of good quality.
• The facility has gone downhill in recent years.
• The on-site manager is very disrespectful, mean, and hateful, and is alleged to have threatened eviction to restrict visits.
• The management is very rude, and the reviewer would not recommend the place because they feel the grandmother was treated horribly.

Review

Ensor Forest Apartments presents itself as a housing option tailored for seniors who are able to live independently and manage their affairs, rather than a facility offering around-the-clock care. The setting is described as quiet and well maintained, with outdoor covered gathering spaces and ample night lighting that contribute to a sense of safety. A key feature highlighted by residents is the secure onsite laundry facilities and the convenience of a public bus stop right beside the front gate, which provides easy access to the broader Columbia Metro area for those who prefer not to own a car. The community promotes a responsive staff and maintenance team, with a stated emphasis on health and safety and a promise of 24/7 emergency response, even on weekends and holidays.

In many reviews, residents and family members express appreciation for the care and attentiveness they perceive. One commenter notes visiting their other mom and thanks the staff for taking care of her, signaling trust and gratitude toward the on-site team. Others underscore a sense of security and a comfortable, quiet living environment - statements like "My family is safe here," "Total security," and "Nice quiet neighborhood for seniors" recur across reflections. The sentiment about the community being welcoming and peaceful is reinforced by remarks that describe the place as clean, quiet, and homey. Several reviewers also celebrate the social and communal aspects available to residents, such as the presence of a community room and opportunities for arts and crafts, gardening, reading, or using the computer. The on-site kitchen and the ability to host dinners or events with family and friends add to the sense of independence and social connectedness.

Amenities and programming appear to support an active, self-directed lifestyle. The property offers a community space for gatherings, and residents note the chance to engage in crafts, gardening, reading, and computer use. The ability to plan meals and events with family, supported by a kitchen, is highlighted as a meaningful feature for seniors who wish to stay connected with their loved ones. The proximity to public transit is repeatedly cited as a practical advantage, enabling residents to get around the greater Columbia area without relying solely on personal vehicles. Overall, the facility is portrayed as a place where residents can enjoy a quiet, dignified living environment with opportunities to stay involved and enjoy companionship.

Yet the reviews do not portray a uniformly positive experience. A number of residents and family members report significant concerns about the management and office staff. Several accounts describe the office staff as rude and disrespectful to residents and their families, with one account labeling the property manager as highly unprofessional and disrespectful toward residents. Some reviewers suggest the need for a change in property management, calling for reconciliation with a different manager. These perceptions of mistreatment or lack of courtesy contrast sharply with the more favorable depictions of the staff as responsive to health and safety needs, complicating the overall impression of living there.

Maintenance experiences also vary widely. While some praise the readiness of staff and maintenance personnel to respond to resident needs, others recount slow or substandard service. One reviewer notes that maintenance requests take a long time to be addressed and that the resulting repairs do not meet expected quality standards, describing a decline in service quality over the years. The dissatisfaction is tied not only to the speed of repairs but to the manner in which work is conducted, contributing to a mixed reputation for upkeep and reliability. In some statements, these maintenance challenges are connected to broader concerns about the quality of management and the overall direction of the property in recent years.

Personal anecdotes further illuminate the tension between appreciation for the community and frustration with management. A long-time resident who lived there for 18 years is moving out due to the inability to live independently any longer, and the family describes the property manager as the rudest person they have dealt with in a long time. They recount experiences of perceived disrespect toward elderly residents and express frustration with the management approach, including claims of threats to evict a resident if she did not sign letters restricting family visits. The family indicates they had to report the manager to the organization that oversees the property, TN Development, in order to seek resolution. These stories emphasize that, for some families, the experience at Ensor Forest is marred by conflicts with management and concerns about how residents are treated, to the point of advising others to reconsider the place.

Despite these conflicts, some reviewers maintain a balanced or positive view, noting the overall quiet atmosphere, the community feel, and the ability to visit family or simply enjoy a peaceful setting. Phrases such as "Visit family there," "Beautiful Neighborhood for Elders," and "Everything" accompany more favorable appraisals, suggesting that for certain residents, the environment can be both pleasant and suitable for long-term independent living. These voices acknowledge the multifaceted nature of the community: a place with attractive amenities and social potential, but one in which management dynamics can significantly shape daily experiences.

Ultimately, Ensor Forest Apartments presents a nuanced picture. For residents who value independence, safety, and accessible transportation, and who relish a quiet, social environment with community rooms and activity opportunities, the property offers compelling advantages. The presence of 24/7 emergency response and on-site maintenance support, coupled with secure facilities and well-lit exteriors, contributes to a sense of reassurance for many families. However, the recurring concerns about management conduct, staff professionalism, and inconsistent maintenance experiences suggest that the quality of life there can be highly variable and largely dependent on the interactions with the on-site management team. Prospective residents and their families may want to conduct thorough visits, ask pointed questions about maintenance timelines and staff procedures, and consider their comfort level with the current management dynamics to determine if Ensor Forest aligns with their needs 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)