A good friend of mine lives here and I have mixed feelings about the place. It does seem to need modernizing but I think that is in process.
What I have noticed is how kind the employees are to the residents. That's important in a place like this. I have also been very impressed at the activities here. I've attended an art fair, a birthday party and another function, all of which featured excellent refreshments supplied by Bella Vista.
I think Bella Vista has a bug problem. My friend keeps finding cockroaches and scorpions in her apartment. I do believe the staff is attentive to this and always shows up quickly to help, but the problem persists.
I have eaten lunch here many, many times and the food is just great. The dining room service is just OK - they always forget to bring you more water, etc. - just a general inattentiveness and perhaps this is because tips are not allowed. I tried and was informed that servers cannot take tips. So perhaps this is an example of why the tipping system does work. Also, there are lots of flies in the dining room. :-(
The reason my friend lives here is that it is a nice, clean place at an affordable price. It has a few little problems but I think it's OK overall.