Desert Crest Retirement Apts

Pros

• Manor Village is described as family?oriented with friendly staff and excellent food.
• The staff are friendly and treat residents like family.
• The memory care staff are amazing and residents are thriving.
• The facility is clean, well maintained, and residents enjoy the meals.
• Manor Village emphasizes a positive attitude toward residents and creates a warm, welcoming atmosphere.
• There are numerous on-site activities and regular outings to shopping, shows, and other venues.
• The community feels like a true village with a welcoming and supportive environment.
• The staff's smiles reflect loving, caring, and attentive support.
• Families feel grateful to be part of the Manor Village family and to have found the right home for their loved ones.
• The care team is collaborative, responsive, and able to tailor plans to each resident's needs.
• The chef-curated menu offers a wonderful selection of meals, including accommodations for dietary needs.

Cons

• The chef before Isaiah seemed not to care.
• The departure of the chef was announced without explanation and described as a significant loss and truly disappointing.
• The fees charged were said to not be worth the cost, with management described as greedy and not caring about residents.
• One reviewer suggested that laundry organization could be better (tracking of clothes).

Review

Manor Village, located near the Desert Ridge Mall in Phoenix, Arizona, presents itself in reviews as more than just a senior living community. It reads like a small, thriving village designed to accommodate independent living, assisted living, and memory care within a fresh, modern, user-friendly building that is only a few years old. Families who move in or place loved ones there consistently emphasize a sense of place that goes beyond the basics of housing and care. The facility is described as clean, well maintained, and bright, with soothing colors and ample natural light that contribute to a welcoming atmosphere from the moment you step inside.

What stands out most in the feedback is the palpable warmth and family feel that staff members bring to daily life. Review after review highlights smiling faces, gracious greetings, and a readiness to help that goes beyond routine duties. People repeatedly mention the staff as the heart of Manor Village: individuals who are helpful, supportive, and genuinely invested in the well-being of residents. Specific staff members frequently named include Wesley, Toby, Lisa, Acadia, and Esme, as well as Jenn at the front desk and a larger team in memory care. Families praise the way staff listen, communicate, and collaborate with them - describing conversations as open, respectful, and productive, and noting a shared commitment to designing and refining care plans to fit each resident's needs. The overall message is that residents aren't simply cared for; they are welcomed into a community that treats them like family.

Several reviews give particular attention to the memory care experience, which is often a focal point for families seeking long-term placement. For many, Manor Village represents a stable, trusting environment where loved ones with memory needs can be cared for with dignity and compassion. The sense of continuity is repeatedly underscored: staff who remain consistent with residents, caregivers who are patient and attentive, and administrators who are accessible. Families speak of collaborative planning and a willingness to convene family support discussions while navigating medical information and care interfaces. In some testimonials, memory care residents - sometimes well into their 90s or older - are described as thriving and engaged, with staff who provide both stability and a sense of joyful community through activities and daily interaction.

The dining experiences emerge as a central, beloved element of life at Manor Village. Reviews consistently praise the quality and variety of meals, the attentiveness of the dining team, and the way menus are tailored to individual dietary needs. One resident's grandmother, for example, receives careful attention to a dairy-free and gluten-free diet, with the chef personally checking in during meals and adapting weekly menus to her needs. A frequent highlight is the chef-curated menu, with references to appealing offerings and an emphasis on making dining a social, enjoyable experience - evidenced by comments about Thursday beef tenderloin nights and a daily salad bar, as well as Wine Down Wednesday. The dining program is portrayed not merely as sustenance but as an integral part of community life and daily celebration.

Yet no community is immune to the realities of operations and staffing changes. In one review, the departure of a chef was noted with a sense of loss and disappointment, as the chef who had built a trusted relationship with a resident's grandmother was let go without explanation. This has clearly been felt as a significant change by residents and families who valued the continuity and personal connection with the culinary team. It serves as a reminder that even in highly praised environments, changes in personnel - especially those who touch daily routines in meaningful ways - can have a disproportionate emotional impact on residents and their families.

Beyond care and dining, Manor Village earns high marks for its programming, activities, and the sense that residents are truly engaged in life. The facility is described as offering a robust calendar of on-site activities and frequent outings to outside venues - shopping excursions, shows, and other places of general interest. The combination of art, music, and therapy options, along with dedicated activities directors and med techs, contributes to a sense that life at Manor Village is active, purposeful, and socially connected. The sense of "Village" is reinforced by remarks about a supportive, inclusive culture where everyone - from residents to staff to visitors - greets one another with warmth and a smile.

A small thread of constructive feedback runs through the volume of praise. One reviewer notes a desire for better organization around laundry and tracking of clothes, indicating that while the care and atmosphere are outstanding, operational details can still improve. Another reviewer points out concerns about the cost and perceived greed, suggesting that the value proposition could be stronger if management demonstrated a closer alignment with residents' financial realities. Taken together, these notes reflect a balanced view: Manor Village is deeply valued for its people, culture, and care, while acknowledging that price and logistics are areas some families scrutinize more closely.

Overall, Manor Village is celebrated as a genuinely caring, community-oriented environment that feels like a family-owned home rather than a distant corporate facility. From the front desk to the memory care wing, from the dining room to the activity calendar, reviewers paint a portrait of a place where residents are known by name, where staff go the extra mile to listen and adapt, and where families feel that they have found reliable partners in care. The blend of independence, assisted living, and memory care under one roof, combined with a strong emphasis on social connection and meaningful activity, makes Manor Village feel like a true neighborhood - an inviting, supportive place where residents can live with dignity, joy, and a sense of belonging. For many families who have placed their loved ones there, it is not just a residence - it is a community they are proud to call home.

This part of Phoenix, Arizona offers a convenient and diverse array of amenities for seniors looking to relocate. With a variety of dining options ranging from upscale restaurants like Wrigley Mansion to fast food chains such as McDonald's and In-N-Out Burger, residents have plenty of choices for meals. Additionally, there are several pharmacies nearby for easy access to medications and healthcare needs. For medical care, there are multiple physicians offices and hospitals in the vicinity, providing peace of mind for seniors seeking quality healthcare services. Nearby parks like Phoenix Mountain Preserve offer opportunities for outdoor recreation, while local cafes like Panera Bread and Starbucks provide spaces for socializing and relaxation. The neighborhood also boasts several places of worship for spiritual fulfillment. Overall, this area provides a well-rounded community for seniors to enjoy and thrive in their retirement years.

Restaurants

• Wrigley Mansion (0.8 miles)
• The Whining Pig (0.9 miles)
• Arriba Mexican Grill (1.6 miles)
• In-N-Out Burger (1.7 miles)
• McDonald's (1.7 miles)
• Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers (1.8 miles)
• Windsor (2.5 miles)

Pharmacies

• Walgreens (0.9 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1.7 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1.8 miles)
• Walgreens (2.5 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (3.1 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (3.4 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (3.5 miles)

Physicians

• Keystone Natural Family Medicine (1.6 miles)
• Phoenix Skin Medical Surgical Group (2.7 miles)
• Arizona Eye Specialists (3.6 miles)
• SimonMed Imaging - Phoenix (4.2 miles)
• Null (4.4 miles)
• Dignity Health Peppertree Family Medicine (4.4 miles)
• Aoc (4.6 miles)

Cafes

• Panera Bread (1.7 miles)
• Provision Coffee Bar (2.4 miles)
• Dutch Bros Coffee (2.7 miles)
• Starbucks (3 miles)
• Lux Central (3.1 miles)
• Press Coffee - The Roastery (3.7 miles)
• Dark Hall Coffee (4.1 miles)

Places of Worship

• Christ Church of the Ascension (2.3 miles)
• First United Methodist Church of Phoenix (2.5 miles)
• Open Door Fellowship Church (4.1 miles)
• Roosevelt Community Church (5.5 miles)

Parks

• Phoenix Mountain Preserve (2.8 miles)
• Royal Palm Park (3.8 miles)
• Granada Park (3.8 miles)
• Encanto Park (5.2 miles)
• Margaret T. Hance Park (5.4 miles)

Hospitals

• Carl T Hayden VA Medical Center, Recreation Therapy (3.1 miles)
• Surgical Specialty Hospital Of Arizona (3.7 miles)
• Abrazo Central Campus (3.9 miles)
• St Josephs Neurological ICU (4.2 miles)
• St Joseph's Hospital & Med Center: Deguzman Brian J MD (4.3 miles)
• Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix (4.9 miles)
• Maricopa Medical Center (5.1 miles)

Transportation

• Thomas/Central Ave METRO (4.2 miles)
• METRO McDowell/Central Ave (5.1 miles)
• Airport Rent-A-Car (5.8 miles)

Theaters

• AMC Arizona Center 24 (5.7 miles)