Posts about Lifestyle

Embracing Active Living: A Guide to Thriving in an 55+ Community

Welcome to StoneGate’s 55+ apartment community! We understand that as we age, it can become more difficult to maintain an active social life and stay connected with others. That's why we've created a community that caters specifically to those 55 years and older, where you'll find like-minded individuals and a wide variety of activities and events to keep you engaged and connected. Our homes bring residents together through fitness classes, tea time, game nights, catered breakfast, and more! We also host special events throughout the year, such as holiday parties and resident birthday parties. With new events added regularly, there's always something to look forward to! Our community is also conveniently located near shopping, dining, and entertainment options, so you'll never be at a loss for things to do. We're also close to airports, making it easy to travel. With the added peace of mind of having a secure building and on-site management with 24/7 customer service, you'll be able to enjoy everything our community has to offer with ease and comfort. In addition to the many social and recreational opportunities available, our community also offers numerous amenities including swimming pools and fitness centers. Our apartments are spacious and offer stainless steel appliances, trash valet, and more. We understand that when it comes to finding a new home, you have many options. However, we believe that StoneGate’s 55+ apartment community offers something truly special. We strive to create a welcoming environment where residents can come together, make new friends, and enjoy all of the benefits of living in a close-knit community. We invite you to see for yourself what sets StoneGate apart. Take a tour of our apartments and see our amenities, meet some of our residents, and learn more about the activities and events we have planned. We're confident that you'll see why our community is the perfect choice for those 55 years and older. If you have any questions or would like to schedule a tour, please do not hesitate to contact us. We look forward to meeting you!

StoneGate Named Elite 1% for 7th Year in a Row

We are pleased to announce that for the 7th consecutive year, StoneGate Apartment Homes has earned the Elite 1% ORA award with impressive stats. The ORA award is presented by J Turner Research , an independent market research firm exclusively focused on the multifamily industry. We would like to thank all of our residents, past and present, for making this possible, as awards were based off of Online Reputation. What exactly does it mean to be a part of the Top 1%? It means that out of over 128,000 apartment communities nationwide, only 1,564 apartments will earn the Elite 1% distinction. More impressively, StoneGate ranked #6 in the whole state of New York. Developed by J Turner Research, the ORA® Power Ranking is based on monthly online reputation research of over 128,000 properties’ lifetime reviews across multiple review sites and Internet Listing Services (ILSs). Then using a statistical model, they assign an Online Reputation Assessment (ORA™) score on a scale of 0-100, which determines the rank of each apartment community in this ranking. The national average ORA® Score as of December 2021 was 62.62. StoneGate scored a 95! The Elite 1% ranking is published by an independent trade publication, Multifamily Executive. A property or a management company does not have to be a J Turner client to qualify for this ranking. “We take immense pride in being recognized as an ORA ® Elite 1% property by J Turner Research. It takes consistency and hard work to excel in customer service day in and day out. When residents are happy, it reflects in favorable online reputation. Congratulations to our team and thank you to our residents for expressing their appreciation for our community online!” – Joan Viele, Property Manager Jesse (Maintenance Tech), Roz (Community Manager), Joe (Maintenance Superintendent) StoneGate Apartment Homes is nestled in a prime location, at 4100 StoneGate Lane in Williamsville, NY , a 55+ Community with 1 and 2 bedroom Apartments and Townhomes, all with a Private Entry and an Attached Garage. Visit StoneGateApartmentHomeLife.com to learn more, read resident reviews , and schedule a private tour. Thank you for reading today’s blog post. Drop a comment below to let us know what you think of this Award-Winning Apartment Community.

StoneGate Receives Top Ratings for 6th Year in a Row

For the 6th consecutive year, StoneGate Apartment Homes has received awards from two online reputation platforms: Top Rated by ApartmentRatings and Elite 1% ORA award with impressive stats. 2020 Elite 1% Properties for Online Reputation by J Turner Research What exactly does it mean to be a part of the Top 1%? It means that out of over 122,000 apartment communities nationwide, only 1,303 apartments will earn the Elite 1% distinction. More impressively, StoneGate ranked #3 in the whole state of New York. J Turner Research uses a statistical model and assigns an Online Reputation Assessment (ORA™) score on a scale of 0-100, which determines the rank of each apartment community in this ranking. StoneGate scored a 93! 2020 Top Rated Award Winners With 55 reviews and an A+ resident review score, it’s easy to see why this is the 5th year StoneGate Apartment Homes has earned this award. Apartment Ratings.com , founded in 2000, is the largest online rating community for rental housing, and is among the top five most-visited apartment hunting sites in the world, and is the largest source for renter reviews of apartment communities. Only about 5% of the total properties listed on the site qualify for an award. To receive the Top Rated Award , properties must fulfill the following criteria: 10+ total reviews, 5+ reviews in 2020, and an A- or higher overall epIQ grade. Working Together We are pleased to be named by both ApartmentRatings.com and by J Turner Research Elite as an apartment community with a stellar online reputation. We recognize it takes teamwork to make these awards possible. We are incredibly grateful to our residents for taking time out of their busy lives to acknowledge our efforts online by leaving reviews. Here’s to another great year together. *Properties must have recommended scores over 70% at the time of award calculations. Recommended scores can change over time

Ten Apps Every Senior Should Know About

Here at StoneGate Apartment Homes, we strive to provide technical advantages for members of our community here in Williamsville, NY with our online resident portal and online payments. In this day and age, technology is the name of the game. While it may feel a bit intimidating to explore, once you get into it, it’s actually quite user-friendly and intuitive. We’ve rounded up ten apps we think you will like using. If you have a smartphone or tablet, a few of these apps may already be installed on your device. To add the others, just find the icon on it or download it from your app store, set up an account or log in to it, and let your fingers do the walking! Entertainment and news 1. Lumosity Scientists and app designers have designed the games in this app to enhance memory, attention span, and other factors that can improve cognition. Download this for hundreds of games at your fingertips! 2. Spotify If you like listening to music, this app will open up a whole new world of songs, artists, and radio stations for you to discover. You can craft your own personal library, sort songs into playlists for you to listen to by topic or genre, and follow other people to see what they’re listening to. If you use the free version, you’ll have to occasionally put up with ads, but for a monthly fee you can forego those and skip as many songs as you want. 3. The Weather Channel Save yourself some time in the morning waiting for the news to tell you the weather by checking it as soon as you wake up on this app! Just put in your location to stay informed on the weather. 4. Flipboard This app is a personalized magazine, catered to your interests. After setting up your account, choose categories you want to read about. You can choose as many as you want, ranging from news to business, science, politics, technology, and more topics. Connecting with others 5. Skype Skype is a great application that people use in all settings for business or personal purposes. You can video call your friends and family, set up group calls, or send text messages to your contacts. Just know your username and your friends’ so you can know how to find them. 6. Instagram Instagram is one of the best social media platforms around. You can follow your friends, get recommendations on who to follow based off of your Facebook friends, comment on and like the photos that show up in your feed and share your own photos. Make it your own type of art and way to connect with people by editing your photos in the app, tagging your friends and your locations, using hashtags, and crafting captions. Health and safety 7. Medisafe Keep track of your medications and when you’re supposed to take them by logging them in this app. Medisafe also gives you tips for your medications and can connect you to prescription coupons, too. 8. MedCoach for Apple or Android Similar to Medisafe, this app is a convenient way to remind you to take your pills. It also links you to your pharmacy so you can refill your medications, so consider taking full advantage of it for extra convenience. 9. Fitbit The Fitbit app is a great way to help you stay active and on track of your daily steps, exercise patterns, and sleep goals and cycles. You can connect your app to a Fitbit you wear on your wrist and participate in competitions with friends. 10. Uber If you have ever had trouble getting around WNY, Uber’s usefulness might astound you. It uses GPS information to gather your location and connects you with a driver nearby when you let it know you need a ride. It will then tell you when someone is on their way, including the name of the driver and the car and license plate to look for. You’ll pay through putting your credit or debit card information in the app, so it’s a convenient way to get a ride in a pinch! What apps do you use on a regular basis? Let us know what your favorite apps are in the comments! Thanks for taking the time to read our post.

Take Time to Give Yourself a Financial Checkup this Month

Taking some time to review your finances before the holiday shopping season sets in may save you some grief. This month the StoneGate Blog has suggestions for giving yourself a financial tuneup, checking to see just where you are and what you can do to improve or stay on top of your finances. Budget Your budget is the key to financial security. Whether you’re a budgeting pro or not, it’s never too late to reevaluate where your money is going before you spend to keep control of your funds. Put a name to every dollar and decide how much is going to paying rent and utilities, food and groceries, general spending, and more so you can prioritize smartly. Emergency Fund Creating and upkeeping a hefty emergency fund can take a while, but every cent counts and will count when that unexpected expense threatens to cripple you. Experts suggest you build up a fund with three months’ worth of expenses (rent, gas, and food, for example). Build a separate account and avoid touching it until an emergency really comes. Taxes Taxes may not be due until April, but you don’t want to miss out on months of possible savings. Meet with a financial advisor if you want help figuring out how to save and how to make sure everything’s in order for tax season. Also remember to stay organized with the documents you’ll need for doing your taxes, including information about your daily work expenses if you own a business. Fun Now is the time to chase your dreams! Set short- and long-term goals for things you want to do here in Williamsville, NY, across the country, or internationally, then save up for your next adventures and enjoy the fulfillment of a job well done. Taking a look at your financial health this month will put you in the driver’s seat when it comes to holiday spending. Watch for our post about Black Friday shopping coming up in November. We appreciate you being a part of our apartment community.

Celebrating National Golf Month

Did you know that August is National Golf Month? Celebrate here in Williamsville, NY at a golf course near your StoneGate Apartment Homes residence. Check out our list of nearby courses. We also want to share some history to increase your golf knowledge. We hope you get a chance to get in a round or two of golf this month! The History of Golf Golf can be dated all the way back to 100 BC where a similar Roman game was played with a bent stick and a stuffed leather ball. The modern game we play now is generally traced back to Scotland in the 15th century. In 1729, the first known reference was made to golf in the USA from William Burnet, the Governor of Massachusetts. In 1744, the first rules of golf were set in Scotland. In 1900, golf was played in the Paris Olympics and was won by Americans for both men and women. From then on, the popularity of golf has grown and grown. There are currently 118 countries in the International Golf Federation according to the World Golf Foundation . To learn more about golf and it’s rules and procedures, refer to this R&A guide . Driving Ranges & Golf Courses Nearby According to Yelp, these are The Best Golf Courses near Williamsville, NY. We are highlighting the top three on the list. The Dome From the website: “You can play and practice your golf game all year round. The newly renovated golf dome features 50 practice stalls on two levels, over 3,500 square feet of fresh turf and updated amenities. Drive at specific targets or work on approach shots at distances of 30, 50 and 70 yards. Prices for buckets are $7 for a Small, $10 for a Large and $12 for a Jumbo.” Diamond Hawk Golf Course From the website: “Diamond Hawk is Western New York’s premier golf course, offering country club amenities at a public course. Located in the heart of the Greater Buffalo Area, Diamond Hawk is just minutes from anywhere in Western New York. The course offers a challenge for golfers of all levels, with 5 sets of tees and expansive rolling greens. All golfers should share in the Diamond Hawk experience!” Amherst Audubon Golf Course From the website: “A challenging 18 holes in the heart of Amherst, NY. Audubon Golf is a public course popular with WNY golfers of all abilities. Expertly managed turf, ancient willows and Ellicott Creek provide a picturesque setting for a[n] exciting round of golf.” We hope everyone who is a golf aficionado celebrates National Golf Month by getting out and playing a round or two. Where is your favorite course? Which place has the best food? Share the wealth and let us know in the comments. Thanks for taking time to read our post today.