1000 Roses Retirement Cmnty

Pros

• The apartment was nice and clean on the inside.
• They would live there.
• The neighborhood was very quiet.
• They absolutely loved living there for about a year.
• They missed the place after moving away.

Cons

• The new owners are evicting subsidized elderly to remodel and double the rent, which is deplorable.
• The staff are very rude and ignorant, especially the main lady, and they show favoritism toward certain tenants.
• Management would not repair my mom's windows until after she moved out, even during a hurricane, leaving cracked panes.
• The security deposit is never returned, even when the unit is clean.
• There are dangerous pests in the units, including black widow spiders and water moccasins.
• Maintenance is slow and often uses cheap materials, with issues like bath tiles falling.
• The area has nothing to do and feels boring with few amenities.
• The owner is described as underhanded and the place should be shut down.
• There are drunks and drug users around, contributing to an unsafe environment.
• Issues in the complex can take days or months to be addressed.

Review

I recently visited the apartment I inquired about and came away with mixed impressions. Inside, the unit was clean and pleasant, and the living space felt nice enough for daily life. But outside, the lawn could use some care, and I noticed a pothole as I was leaving, which left me thinking about ongoing maintenance issues beyond the interior. Despite those concerns, I found myself saying that I would live there, at least based on the current unit's appearance, even though the external upkeep left room for improvement.

There's a cloudier story about the property's ownership and policies, especially regarding rent and residents. Some reviews allege that new owners are pushing out subsidized elderly residents to remodel and double the rent, a move described as deplorable as recently as July 2024. This outlook paints a picture of displacement and financial pressure aimed at a vulnerable group, fueling anger and distrust about the direction the complex is taking under new management.

The experiences with the staff and management over the years are varied and often harshly critical. One reviewer recalls living there years ago and encountering staff who were ignorant, especially the main female staff member, and who seemed to show favoritism toward a particular neighbor. The writer emphasizes that they paid rent on time and did not complain - yet still felt underserved and disrespected. There's also a note about pest concerns - black widow spiders and water moccasins mentioned in passing - though the reviewer says they didn't complain about these issues at the time, perhaps out of silence or resignation rather than satisfaction.

Some personal anecdotes reach further into the family experience tied to the property. A relative (an uncle) and the reviewer's mother lived there, and there were ongoing maintenance frustrations that culminated in a dispute over window repairs. The windows were reportedly cracked and were not fixed until after the hurricane, with the office staff attributed as being rude when questioned. The expectation seemed to be that repairs would be addressed only upon move-out, and the frustrations extended to the handling of security deposits. The mother's unit was described as clean, with the mother being a handicapped woman who needed help moving heavy appliances and cleaning behind the refrigerator and stove. Despite claims that the carpet had been professionally cleaned and the unit left in good condition, the deposit was not returned. This combination of structural neglect, bureaucratic stubbornness, and perceived indifference toward a vulnerable tenant adds a strong note of distrust toward the management.

There is also a broader cultural memory embedded in these accounts: mentions of orange groves once present near the property evoke a sense of a more vibrant, perhaps more pleasant era, now replaced by a building and a management regime that some reviewers feel is failing to maintain the environment or engage residents. Some reviewers are so strongly negative that they call the owner "underhanded," even using terms like "drunks" and "drugys" as criticisms of ownership, and argue that the place should be shut down. The sentiment is one of latent anger at what is perceived as neglect, mismanagement, and a lack of accountability from leadership.

Amid all the mixed messages, there are also moments of fondness and nostalgia. One reviewer recalls living there for about a year and absolutely loving it, describing the neighborhood as very quiet and expressing regret at leaving because they had been approved for housing elsewhere. This perspective stands in stark contrast to the more negative assessments, suggesting that the experience can vary dramatically depending on the tenancy, time, and perhaps which staff members are on duty. The same voice also notes a sense of longing for the place and acknowledges that the environment was not boring, underscoring that personal experiences can diverge widely within the same property.

Family ties keep surfacing in these narratives as a recurring element. The author mentions that their mother continues to live at the complex, anchoring the complex in personal history and reminding readers that decisions there have real consequences for families who rely on stable, safe housing. Yet another voice reiterates disappointment with the overall area and management, describing the manager as rude and disrespectful to residents. Maintenance is depicted as slow, with issues like fallen bathroom tiles and poor-quality repairs that feel temporary rather than remedial. The reviewer laments the lack of amenities and activities within the community, arguing that there is little to do and suggesting that paying a bit more in rent for a better environment with pools, bingo, and other activities would be worth it. The conclusion here is a call to potential renters to do thorough homework - read reviews, research locations, and assess whether the reality matches expectations before committing to a lease.

Taken together, the set of experiences paints a complex portrait of a property that can feel like two different places depending on who is reporting and when. The inside of the units may offer clean, livable space, but the external upkeep, management responsiveness, and policy decisions appear to be inconsistent and controversial. For some residents, the quiet neighborhood and the potential for a comfortable home balance against frustrating delays, rude interactions, and disputes over deposits and repairs. For others, the same property represents a place of dissatisfaction, where maintenance lags, fair treatment feels uncertain, and the experience of living there fails to meet expectations. The result is a nuanced, often contradictory picture of a residential community that leaves prospective renters with a mix of hope, hesitation, and caution.

Physicians

• Lake Wales Medical Walk-In Clinic (0.2 miles)
• MyEyeDr (0.2 miles)
• Physicians Services (0.4 miles)
• Royal Palm Orthopedics (0.4 miles)
• Dr Oropeza's Office (0.4 miles)
• Allam Mahesh G, MD (0.4 miles)
• Caroline C Honculada MD Pa (0.4 miles)

Pharmacies

• Walgreens (0.2 miles)
• Winn-Dixie (0.3 miles)
• Sweetbay Supermarket (0.4 miles)
• Walmart Pharmacy (0.4 miles)
• The Apothecary Shop (0.5 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (0.5 miles)
• Walgreens (5.8 miles)

Restaurants

• All Star Grill North (0.2 miles)
• Junior's Fish Market (0.2 miles)
• Taco Bell (0.2 miles)
• Little Caesars Pizza (0.2 miles)
• Wendy's (0.2 miles)
• Burger King (2 miles)
• Lake Wales Family Restaurant (2.1 miles)

Hospitals

• Lake Wales Medical Center (0.5 miles)
• Mpn Medical Center Dundee (9.7 miles)
• Day Surgery Center (11.7 miles)
• Winter Haven Hospital Cath Lab (12.1 miles)
• Regency Medical Center (12.9 miles)
• Caring Hands Residence (13.3 miles)

Places of Worship

• Holy Spirit Catholic Church (1.1 miles)
• Winter Haven Worship Center (10.9 miles)

Theaters

• Regal Eagle Ridge Mall (5.3 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (10.5 miles)