In Ted Danson’s hilarious and heartwarming show Man on the Inside, the actor plays a character who takes up residence in an incredibly swanky and upscale senior home in San Francisco.
The show is a joy to watch. Even as a young person, I always looked at the fictitious senior living home in the show and thought, “I wonder if places like that exist in real life?“
Now, a new senior living apartment complex has just opened in San Ramon, California. It feels like the ultra-luxurious place in Ted Danson’s show—except this one somehow manages to be even nicer.
Belmont Village San Ramon (1000 Walnut Drive, San Ramon, CA 94583) is a massive, brand-new senior living apartment complex that opened at Bishop Ranch, right across from City Center. The senior community has been long in the making and represents a big shift at Bishop Ranch from an office park to a residential community—one that will unfold over decades.
Within a week of Belmont Village opening, I set up an opportunity to get an exclusive look inside so that you, our readers, can see what this new place is really like.
Now, most members of the Bay Area Telegraph staff, myself included, are still several decades away from being in the market for senior living!
But never fear–I brought my mom along as my “Designated Senior” (or a “Pinch Senior” if you like baseball metaphors) to make sure I was asking the right questions and carefully considering every aspect of Belmont Village from a real senior’s perspective.
Here’s my review.
The Location
One of the big selling points of Belmont Village is its location—right in the heart of San Ramon, California.
If you step outside at City Center Bishop Ranch and look toward the shopping center with the Trader Joe’s, you’ll see a giant building that has just risen out of a formerly empty lot.
That’s Belmont Village. It’s surrounded by an incredible amount of parking—a big benefit in this part of the East Bay—and is an easy 10-minute walk from City Center.
It’s also right next to the Iron Horse Trail and will soon be served by a brand-new pedestrian bridge being constructed over the trail. That means active seniors will be able to walk out of the building, get onto the trail, and then walk or bike as far north as Martinez and as far south as Livermore.
San Ramon is one of the safest communities in the country, and there’s a lot more open space and land than in other parts of the East Bay. That translates into somewhat lower pricing (we’ll get to that in a moment) for places like Belmont Village.
The Facility
As soon as I walked into Belmont Village, I was immediately struck by how new and well-constructed everything is.
Some senior living homes are dated and dreary. There’s a beige aesthetic, a claustrophobic feel, and… a smell.
That’s not the case at all at Belmont Village. The entry looks more like the lobby of a luxury hotel than a senior home.
First, when you pull up, there’s a valet who will open the door for you and carry in your groceries. Belmont Village has a strict no-tipping policy (a staff member told me that if they accepted a tip, they could lose their job), so there’s no pressure to constantly hand cash to the staff.
There’s a front desk—both for security and for general assistance—a mailroom, and a very upscale lobby with lots of seating, a fireplace.
Big picture windows opening onto a back terrace.
The facility has a bus for group excursions and a town car for private rides to doctors appointments and the like.
When I visited, the back terrace was a little chilly. But this area will clearly be a great spot for seniors and their families to hang out when the weather gets nicer.
There are plenty of wall-mounted TVs, outdoor couches and lounges, and even a yoga lawn.
Behind the terrace is an outdoor pool. It’s only heated to 82°, a potential downside for seniors who want to be able to swim year-round.
In front of the building, there’s a small dog park (yes, pets are allowed at Belmont Village San Ramon.)
Overall, it seems like Belmont Village is taking full advantage of its outdoor spaces and proximity to the rolling green hills of San Ramon.
As you move up through the building, you’ll find a whole range of other amenities.
Just off the bottom level, there is a large and very nicely set-up movie theater with a big screen, comfy seating, and even a popcorn machine and candy station.
On the higher floors, you’ll find terraces on each level where you can step outside and see the surrounding areas, including some with fire pits.
Belmont Village has a library that looks very cozy, with a wall-mounted fireplace and lots of books.
Especially during the winter—when even San Ramon can get chilly—it will be a nice spot to hang out.
Belmont Village also has a full beauty salon, where stylists come once per week to do hair, nails, and more.
An art studio features big tables, plenty of art supplies, canvases for painting, and more.
For more utilitarian meetings, Belmont Village has a dedicated Town Hall room. This is where resident council meetings and other functional workshops are held.
A game room rounds out the upstairs offerings. There are poker tables, big screens to watch NBA, NFL, or Major League Baseball games, a large shuffleboard table, billiards, and more.
There is also a gym with a small but nice selection of workout equipment. Belmont Village residents use this for exercise, but the facility also offers physical therapy, occupational therapy, and other medical services here.
The Food
Included in residents’ rent are two meals per day. Belmont Village has an on-site restaurant, and residents can bring their family members for an extra charge.
The menu features all kinds of American food staples, and there’s a designated chef on-premises.
Things like a filet, Catch of the Day, Atlantic Salmon and an Asian Stir Fry appear on the menu, as so sandwiches and wraps, omelets all day, salads, and more.
Off the lobby, you’ll also find what Belmont Village calls The Bistro. It’s essentially a coffee shop with pastries and other sweets, serving Peet’s Coffee. (This is just the self serve coffee station, but there’s also a full coffee counter with a barista.)
There are plenty of spots to hang out here, with fireplaces and comfy seating.
There’s also an outdoor kitchen that residents can use, complete with a grill, a pizza oven, and more.
The Apartments
As part of my tour, I looked inside two furnished apartments at Belmont Village—a one-bedroom and a studio.
Both units had a small galley kitchen, nice views of the surrounding hills, and large walk-in bathrooms with closets.
Everything in these units is very new and nicely appointed. You can bring your own furniture and furnish them yourself—the furniture here was just for staging.
Belmont Village’s units are not massive by any stretch of the imagination. The rooms in the one-bedroom were very small, and the studio was about the size you would expect for Bay Area urban living.
Overall, it seems that Belmont Village is encouraging residents to spend more time in the common spaces and less time in their own units. That’s probably a healthy thing, but for people who want more space, the smaller units may be a challenge.
Care options
A staff member told me that Belmont Village aims to provide care for residents’ entire lives. Units start with independent living, serving essentially as very upscale apartment units with tons of amenities and food service.
As people’s needs change, they can stay in their unit and receive additional services.
These range from assisted living services to nursing and can escalate from there to what is essentially a fully assisted living arrangement, and even hospice.
Belmont Village has a memory care floor as well. I did not get to tour that, but it appears to be the only arrangement where residents would have to leave their original unit.
Pricing
It was hard to get a sense of the actual pricing at Belmont Village. When we asked multiple times, we were told that the pricing is customized to an individual resident’s unit—with over 20 floor plans complicating the process—as well as their medical and continuing care needs and other factors.
It seems that to get a really accurate picture of the pricing, you’ll need to go to Belmont Village and meet with somebody.
We did learn, though, that prices start at around $6,000 per month for a studio unit in the independent living section.
Yes, that’s a lot. But for the level of amenities, the newness of the building, and the inclusion of services like valet, meals, and cleaning, it could be a great value—especially for seniors who are currently living in a large Bay Area home that requires maintenance, upkeep, property taxes, and other unpredictable expenses.
For those needing more extensive services and medical care, the price would go up. Of course, it’s likely that some of that would be covered by long-term care insurance for people who have it and other sources.
Overall, Belmont Village is a very upscale community in a pricey area, and the rates appear to reflect that. For residents who are used to Bay Area living and want the premium services and facilities that Belmont Village offers, the $6,000+ price range does seem like a good place to be.
A staff member told us that there are currently about 50 residents living at Belmont Village. The facility can accommodate 200+ people, depending on how many units are double occupancy.
That means that Belmont Village already has a healthy community going—only a few weeks into its opening—but has plenty of room to grow over the next few years.
A staff member pointed out, correctly, this this is a big benefit of moving there now. Everyone is coming in fresh, so there aren’t the decades-long existing relationships that can make getting established in a new community challenging.
Everyone is working to build this new community’s culture together. I liked that idea.
The Verdict
Overall, for those who can afford the rent, Belmont Village in San Ramon looks like a fantastic place to live.
The resort-style amenities follow a big trend in California living towards apartment buildings that have smaller units but more—and more luxurious—common spaces.
We’ve seen this trend reflected in new buildings being built around the Bay Area, and there’s no reason the same trend shouldn’t apply to senior housing.
Bespoke art studios, pools with views of the mountains, mansion-style movie theaters, and billiard rooms shouldn’t just be available to young millennials working in tech—these same swanky amenities have just as much of a place in a senior living home as in a trendy apartment in the city.
In fact, it’s likely that super-upscale common areas and amenities have even more of a place in a senior living facility. One of the central themes in Ted Danson’s show is the importance of being surrounded by other people, especially as we age.
Without giving away any spoilers for those who haven’t seen it, Danson discovers that the best thing about his new living arrangement isn’t the facility he’s in, but the people.
An emphasis on common areas and enticing outdoor spaces means the residents of Belmont Village are less likely to remain holed up in their apartments and are more likely to come together in community. That’s a powerful thing.
The extremely upscale facility—as well as daily meals, valet service, and cleaning—are also likely to entice more people to give up their aging Bay Area homes and move into a facility with the services (medical included) that Belmont Village provides.
For seniors who are accustomed to luxury living in the Bay Area, moving here does not feel like giving something up. For many, the newness and the facilities at Belmont Village will be a huge upgrade.
Lord knows, this place is nicer than the apartments I’ve lived in!
For people like me, who may be helping a parent choose a place to live, I can see the appeal of a facility where staff are clearly very engaged in the lives of the residents and are checking in on them and ensuring they have everything they need.
I was asked not to photograph any residents of Belmont Village, but when we did happen upon residents during the tour, the staff all knew their names and seemed to know their stories and needs. This feels like a place where there will be many people checking in on each resident—both for their own comfort and for safety.
There were a few factors at Belmont Village that might be challenging for some residents. The cost, of course, is a big one.
But beyond that, the smaller-sized apartments could be a challenge, especially for those who might have a larger dog or who simply want more space. Giving up a yard with a garden or a garage with a woodshop might be a big challenge for certain seniors (although Belmont Village does offer garden plots.)
For those who want to move into a facility that can handle their needs for years or decades to come—and brings a truly next-level set of amenities—Belmont Village looks like a fantastic option.
If you’re looking for a place that’s tied into a vibrant and safe local community, Belmont Village is also a great choice.
Active seniors can easily walk across the street to Central Park for a stroll, or hit up Starbucks if the Peet’s Coffee in the lobby becomes too commonplace.
The town car and bus to nearby attractions mean that residents can take advantage of living in one of the most vibrant places in the world without necessarily having to always get behind the wheel.
With pizza ovens and outdoor terraces galore, Belmont Village seems fully committed to serving excellent food. I didn’t get to try the meals directly, but this is the Bay Area, so offering appealing meals is a big part of the culture here, and it’s likely that Belmont Village embraces that.
You may not find an elegantly-dressed Ted Danson wandering the hallways at Belmont Village San Ramon. But in his perfectly pressed suit and with his character’s signature classy charm, he wouldn’t look at all out of place walking around Belmont Village, either.
For seniors who are looking for a truly luxurious place to live—and one where they can stay for as long as they like, no matter their needs—Belmont Village in San Ramon offers a new and extremely compelling option.
