We moved to our new home not knowing what to expect in terms of relationships with other residents and the service from the staff.

It has now been over 5 weeks and we cannot believe what we are experiencing.

From the very first day, we have been welcomed with “open arms”.  Our furniture had hardly been delivered when a neighbor dropped in and welcomed us to Devonshire, which is the name of this facility (the full name is Devonshire at PGA National).

That night we dined in one of the five restaurants and were immediately greeted by the Manager who guided us to our table and assisted the waitress to make sure that we were properly served. 

Next morning when I opened our front door to go for my morning walk, I found a beautifully gift wrapped bottle of wine from our next door neighbor with a card reading “Welcome home, neighbor”.  It was a very nice gesture.  They are an elderly couple and while he goes in for dialysis every three days, she is wheel chair bound.  Both of them are excellent company and we have already dined with them a couple of times.

Devonshire has about 329 apartments and an occupancy of 84.3% which they are hoping to raise to 95%.  There are about 85 couples and the rest are singles.  Apartments range from a one bedroom to one bedroom with a den, two bedrooms, two and a den and three bedrooms.  Ours is a two bedroom apartment of 1502 sq.ft and we have managed to fit in most of our stuff, although we had to give away quite a bit.  But then, we seem to be doing this every time we move.

Our apartment was refurbished from top to bottom with new flooring, new cabinets, new granite counters and new appliances.  All maintenance is provided free and that will change the filter in the refrigerator once the change light comes on.

There is a large Clubhouse of over 52,000 square feet with three wings of apartments and access to every facility or activity is by covered walkways.  So, one does not have to venture into the elements.  We are on the top floor of our wing and have the best view of the entire complex - a nature preserve and I will try and send photographs of this beautiful view.

Devonshire has Valet parking and Valet service.  We have the option of parking our cars or drive up to the entrance of our wing and our valet will park the car and/or bring up to the apartment, any shopping or bags that we may have.

There is a small Cinema which has 4 shows a day.  We saw a delightful comedy yesterday.  There is also a large auditorium where we have many activities every week.  There are showings of Classical Movies and lectures by the faculty of the local University.  On Monday evenings, we have live entertainment varying from Vocalists to group singing and we even had a Magician.  Our grand daughters happened to be here at that time and the younger one participated by assisting the magician.

We have a wellness center with a nurse in attendance during the day and most of the Security personnel are trained in nursing and hold diplomas in urgent care.  

There is Bingo every Thursday and I won two small prizes on our first visit to this event.  Last Thursday, we had a Casino Night where the Seminole Hard Rock Casino brought in gaming tables and croupiers and dealers.  There was a cover charge of $25 per person and a great time was had by all.  No cash changed hands and the top three winners received very attractive prizes

Card games include bridge, poker and canasta.  There is usually one outing every week, to a local horticulturist, a nature wildlife center or any other activity that the Activities Director selects.  She has two full time assistants and hence, there is no dearth of items for all of us to do.  You are free to join in or go your own way.

Devonshire has five (5) restaurants, each of which has its own chef and menus always include at least 5 entrees, plus two specials of the day.  The menu changes every month.  One restaurant specializes in seafood, another in meats of various kinds and a third is a delicatessen if you wish to have just a sandwich.

The monthly service charge includes daily continental breakfast and one main meal of the day.  Manju has cooked about 7 meals so far and these include the meals she prepared for our grand daughters when they visited us last month for 3 days.  She is delighted that she does not have to ask me what I would like for dinner.

In addition, there is live entertainment every weekend - FRI/SAT and SUN.  Our local Bank has a branch in the Clubhouse.  We have a small Gym but also have full and free access to the nearby PGA National resort which includes a swimming pool, a Spa, Massage parlor, Tennis courts and five golf courses, including the Championship course where they host the Honda Classic every February.  

Devonshire has its own fleet of cars and minivans and if one need a ride to a doctor, dentist, grocery store or the Gardens Mall within a radius of 10 miles, all we have to do is make a reservation.  There is no cost and this include drop-off and pick-up at the airport of Palm Beach International.  The only condition is that this facility is available between 08:00 and 16:00 hours daily.

The staff are very courteous, polite and always smiling.  They always address us as Mr. Sethi and Mrs. Sethi.  No member of the staff addresses any resident by their first name.  

I think I have given enough information about what Devonshire offers.  There is more but I believe I have covered the more essential items.

Manju and I have been welcomed by many residents and we have hardly had a meal by ourselves.  In fact, our calendar for dinner is full for the next 8 nights.

On the third day of our arrival, I was stopped in the corridor and asked if I played golf.  In answering “yes”, I was invited to join a small group who play every MON, WED and FRI.  They range from 77 years of age to 91 and I fit right in at 82.  We play at about the same level and so, I have my share of outdoor activity.

Let me conclude by saying that our experience so far has exceeded our expectations and the warmth with which we have been welcomed has been very uplifting. It is like living in a five star resort with people who are happy to be with you.