Blog Posts

Three Ideas to Personalize Your Balcony or Patio

One amenity some of our residents here at StoneGate Apartment Homes appreciate the most is their apartment’s balcony or patio. If you have one, make the most of it as we are enjoying this lovely spring weather here in Williamsville, NY by dressing it up this month! Today we have three suggestions to help spark your imagination when it comes to balconies and patios. Create a Fairy Garden Create a miniature fairy garden to put on your balcony. Purchase a fairy garden kit or gather supplies from various places like a dollar store or a craft store, or check and see what you already have on hand that may work. Begin with a container. Some ideas for containers include a bakers rack, terra cotta pots, old-fashioned orange crates, old fashioned children’s wagon or pram, or even a bird bath. Fairy gardens by definition are small, and you’ll need some miniature items to complete your garden. Of course, you can be creative and fashion items yourself, or you can orden pieces to put in your garden. Some resources include the Miniature Garden Shoppe and Fairy Garden Supplies from Oriental Trading, both online. Container Garden to Repel Mosquitoes Container plants that repel mosquitoes are great additions to your balcony or patio. Some good ones to use are rosemary, horsemint, marigold, lemon balm, ageratum, citronella, catnip, basil, lemon thyme, verbena, peppermint, geranium, basil, oregano, lemongrass, and lavender. Many of them have other useful properties, as well. Use this Plant Encyclopedia from Better Homes and Gardens to learn more details about these plants. The section on container plants is particularly useful when you are planning what to add to your patio or balcony at StoneGate. Furniture Your patio or balcony is there for you to enjoy, so as you’re decorating it, make seating a priority. It doesn’t have to be full of furniture if you don’t think you’ll use it, of course. But stock it with a cozy chair or two — or a bench — and a table for your laptop, book, or food so you can enjoy the beauty of New York without feeling crowded with furniture or other decorations. What are your favorite ways to decorate or otherwise enjoy your balcony? Share your ideas with us in the comments. We hope you love making use of your balcony this season! Thanks for reading!

100% for the Win with ApartmentRatings.com

We did it again! StoneGate Apartment Homes is pleased to announce that for the second year standing, we’ve been featured among the top-rated apartments in the nation by ApartmentRatings.com. That designation is nothing to sneeze at! We’ll take it as a win for Williamsville and New York. ApartmentRatings.com reaches out to about 30% of the population who is looking for apartments nationwide. It ranks in the top five most-visited apartment hunting sites online, so to rank in the top 5% is a prestigious distinction. The criteria used to rank the properties nationwide for the award includes achieving each of the following: — 10+ total reviews — 5+ reviews in 2017 — Overall recommended score of 70% or greater. As noted above, the rec score (recommendation score) has to be at least 70% to qualify — and the StoneGates rec score is 100%! We’ll take it! We want to offer a huge thank you to our residents who have taken the time to submit reviews about their experiences of living at our apartment community. We appreciate you taking time out of your busy lives to write a review for us. If you haven’t written a review and would like to, it’s pretty easy. Just go to to this StoneGate Reviews page and click on the button to write a review. Before you do, though, you may want to take a look at this blog post about why reviews are important , with tips for how to write and what to write, which appears on our Luxury Apts WNY Blog. We love having residents who are engaged in our community and who take part in the activities we plan. Be sure to join us on the 12th at 12:30 pm for our Spring Potluck Lunch Bingo session and on the 26th when we’ll be celebrating National Pretzel Day at our 1:00 pm Bingo session. What is your favorite thing about living at StoneGate Apartment Homes in Williamsville, NY? Let us know in the comments. See you at Bingo this month! Thanks for reading today’s post.

StoneGate Apartment Homes A Winner

For three years running, StoneGate Apartment Homes have proved their commitment to being a superior apartment community by being recognized among the Elite 1% properties in the nation for online reputation . So what does that mean? Essentially, based on extensive research, the online reputation of more than 71,000 properties nationwide was probed and reviewed to create an ORA ™ ( Online Reputation Assessment ) score.To be included in the Elite 1%, a property has to register a minimum ORA ™ score of 88 with at least 15 online reviews. StoneGate Apartment Homes distinguished itself with a score of 94! In comparison, the national average score is 59.7. The research was conducted by J Turner Research, an independent multifamily industry focused market research company. Visit J Turner Research for more information about the company and selection process. A Luxury Apts WNY representative noted, “As one of the elite properties recognized for our online reputation, we take immense pride in this distinction by J Turner Research. Our team has worked hard to engage with residents and keep them throughout the year. This recognition is a validation of their efforts. We thank all our residents for their encouraging feedback on various online platforms.” Here at StoneGate, we aspire to be the best place to live in Williamsville, and Western New York for that matter, and our online reputation reflects that. About the Property StoneGate Apartment Homes is a 55+ Luxury Apartment Community offering unique and spacious floor plans with amazing amenities in the prime location of Williamsville. StoneGate is affiliated with Luxury Apts WNY with Luxury Apartment communities located in Williamsville and East Amherst; including Renaissance Place Apartments, Autumn Creek Apartments, and Windsong Place Apartments. The properties are an established group of Luxury Apartments, Lofts, and Townhomes. Luxury Apts WNY has over 27 different styles to choose from and offer new upgrades including granite countertops, wood plank flooring, and stainless steel appliances. The communities are constantly evolving and strive daily to make everyone’s experience a positive one. See why people are loving the StoneGate Apartment Homes today. We appreciate our residents who, together, with our efforts, create an amazing community!

St. Patrick's, Sundaes, and Samoas Oh My!

It’s March and that means that Girl Scout Cookies are on sale here in the Williamsville, NY area! Are you ready to get your cookies? We’ve got some info about Girl Scout Cookie history, where to get them, and recipes that include Girl Scout Cookies; plus we’re taking a look at our social calendar and highlighting several events you won’t want to miss here at the StoneGate Apartment Homes. Girl Scout Cookie History The Girl Scouts have been making and selling cookies for more than 100 years, and along the way individual girls have learned important lessons about setting goals, making decisions, managing money, developing people skills, and learning business ethics. The Girl Scout Cookie Program is the largest girl-led entrepreneurial program in the world — a big claim, but true. The money earned is used for our local council. You can learn more about where the money goes here . The official Girl Scout website includes a decade-by-decade history of Girl Scout Cookies , from their beginnings in the early 1900s in Muskogee, Oklahoma, when the cookies were baked and sold at the high school cafeteria as a service project, to 2017, when Girl Scout Cookies are sold across the nation, featuring a dozen different cookies. Where Can I Get Them If you personally know a girl scout, you can of course order directly from her, or you can purchase cookies from a booth. This page provides the dates, times, locations, and events where Girl Scout cookie booths will be operating in the Buffalo/Williamsville area, so you can find one near your apartment or office. You may also be able to purchase Girl Scout Cookies online , check here to find out if this service is available in our area. Recipes Using Girl Scout Cookies Girl Scout Cookies are addicting, flavorful, and fun and did you know there are a dozen different kinds of cookies? Check out this Meet the Cookies page, where each type is highlighted, from Thin Mints to Trefoils, to the new Girl Scout S’mores flavor and the gluten-free Toffee-tastic or Trios cookies. When you have your cookies, save several packages to try out some of these recipes that include Girl Scout Cookies in the ingredients . Upcoming Events at StoneGate Mark March 15th and 29th on your calendar so you won’t miss two events coming to StoneGate Apartments! Check our calendar for other community events this month! We will hold a St. Patrick’s Day Lunch on March 15th at 1:00 PM. Be sure to wear some green (we wouldn’t want anyone to get pinched!) and join us for a delicious lunch. March 29th is the day we’re celebrating with our Sundae Madness event! Come enjoy a sundae on us, complete with a cherry on top! What is your favorite kind of Girl Scout Cookie? Are you coming to our events this month? Feel free to share in the comments. Thanks for reading today’s post.

Celebrating Lifelong Learning We've Got Resources

Welcome back to the StoneGate Apartment Homes Blog! In January, one of our blogs focused on classes to take in the Williamsville, NY area — dancing, cooking, fencing, and last time we shared information about activities we provide for members of our apartment community. This month, continuing with the theme of doing new things, we are sharing some online options for continued education. It’s pretty amazing what you can find on the web, there’s something for everyone. Take advantage of the computer in our Business Center to sign up for an online course! Here are a few of sites we found intriguing. Locally, the University of Buffalo’s Millard Fillmore College offers a variety of continuing education Special Interest and Non-Credit courses. Check it out here . Purdue OWL This is a great resource if you are a writer or want to learn more about writing. It includes an abundance of online resources that are easy to search. From the website: “The Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University houses writing resources and instructional material, and we provide these as a free service of the Writing Lab at Purdue. Students, members of the community, and users worldwide will find information to assist with many writing projects.” Harvard Online Learning is an awesome place to find classes on a diverse set of subjects. These are just a few of the free (non-credit) courses that are offered: Nonprofit Financial Stewardship Webinar: Introduction to Accounting and Financial Statements Offered by Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education, the Introduction to Nonprofit Accounting and Financial Statements webinars provide a great opportunity to learn the basic principles of nonprofit accounting. Masterpieces of World Literature: The Ancient World Examine how cultures of the ancient world defined themselves through literature and how their vision of literature contributes to our understanding of civilization, culture, and literature today. The Einstein Revolution Traces Albert Einstein’s engagement with relativity, quantum mechanics, Nazism, nuclear weapons, philosophy, the arts, and technology. Learning something new is an easy way to alleviate boredom and at the same time stay productive. The Great Courses offers classes on science, mathematics, history, fine arts, and more. Categories include: Economics & Finance, Fine Arts, History, Literature & Language, Mathematics, Music, Philosophy & Intellectual History, Professional, Religion, and Science. With over 600 Courses available, there’s sure to be a few to spark interest. Online Courses is a catalog of some of the best classes across the internet. Click the link to learn more. If the idea of taking an online course feels a bit daunting, reading is another great way to learn something new. You can find a list of the best books of 2017 here . Have you taken any online classes? What is your favorite site for lifelong learning? Let us know in the comments; knowledge is power! Thanks for reading the StoneGate Apartments Blog today.

February Happenings at StoneGate Apartment Homes

Here at StoneGate Apartment Homes in Williamsville, NY, we love to provide a variety of activities that our residents can attend right here in our community. Today, we’re highlighting some of our February events; plus we have some fun Valentine’s Day ideas to share too. StoneGate Community Events Be sure to check our Event Calendar to see what’s happening here at StoneGate Apartment Homes! These are a few of the activities we think you’ll enjoy: Don’t miss our “Life is a Chocolate Fountain” event on the 8th at 1:00 pm, and plan to be there for our Spaghetti Lunch and Bingo on the 22nd, beginning at 1:00 pm. The Bookmobile will be here on the 20th from 1:45 — 3:15 pm. PIck up something new to read. Come join our Craft Club. We meet on Mondays at 9:00 am. Games are a staple here at StoneGate, so plan to head on over to enjoy Mah Jong , Pinochle , Dominos , or Mexican Train Dominoes held throughout the week. On Friday, compete in some Wii Bowling! Ideas for Valentine’s Day Give a beautiful, personal card to someone special this Valentine’s Day by trying one of these DIY ideas: 40 Unconventional DIY Valentine’s Day Cards from BuzzFeed Host a Valentine’s get-together in your apartment. Go all out with decorations and plan some fun Valentine’s Day minute to win it games ; be sure to provide some decadent desserts (coupled with some healthy options too) for a fantastic party. Do a Valentine’s Day Themed Craft like one of these: Candy Heart Valentine Bouquet from Smart School House Flowers are such an iconic thing to not only give but decorate with, any time of the year and most especially Valentine’s Day. Bring some extra sweetness to your flower arrangement by making this one. Invest in a couple of different sized vases that fit into each other and stock up on your favorite Valentine’s Day candy (the blogger of the idea chose candy hearts, but we’re sure you could use something else, like M&Ms or Skittles). Valentine’s Day Garland from TheLittleThingsEV on Etsy Garlands are easy ways to decorate for a holiday or a specific theme. We love this product for its simplicity and beauty. Buy this garland or make your own by sewing together a bunch of paper hearts. Heart Tree from Money Hip Mamas This idea won’t take much out of you — just enough time to pick some branches, find a vase or pitcher, and use a hot glue gun for the assembly. Cut out your own paper hearts or buy some glitter or felt ones to create the look you’re going for. This is a classy and fun way to add just a touch of Valentine’s Day spirit to your apartment. Watch a Romantic movie with your sweetheart or a friend. These are some good options: Pride and Prejudice (2005) Sparks fly when spirited Elizabeth Bennet meets single, rich, and proud Mr. Darcy. But Mr. Darcy reluctantly finds himself falling in love with a woman beneath his class. Can each overcome their own pride and prejudice? Midnight in Paris (2011) While on a trip to Paris with his fiancée's family, a nostalgic screenwriter finds himself mysteriously going back to the 1920s every day at midnight. The Notebook (2004) A poor and passionate young man falls in love with a rich young woman and gives her a sense of freedom. They soon are separated by their social differences. What are your favorite activities to be involved in here at StoneGate? How are you celebrating Valentine’s Day? We love to get your feedback so feel free to share in the comments. In our next blog, we’ll have some resources for online classes, so stay tuned!