(Provided by Gilbert Guide's on-site reviewer)

The gracious entrance to Mary Manning Walsh Home lies on busy York Avenue. The upscale neighborhood is home to tall apartment buildings as well as Sotheby's and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital Center. Soft light illuminates the spacious foyer. A large group of residents and visitors relaxed in the worn chairs and sofas. Portraits and other artwork enhance the adjacent sitting room, which is made welcoming with comfortable, upholstered seating. The nuns who live in the facility occupied the chapel during our tour. The facility's exam rooms are utilized by visiting medical and dental specialists. Even residents who have difficulty getting around can easily access the dining rooms, kitchenettes and activity areas on each floor. One sitting room features a piano, which draws musically inclined residents from throughout the facility. More art and wooden-like doors lend a gracious air to the hallways. Residents bring in their own furniture to supplement the dressers, nightstands and supplied by the facility. The rooms are sunny; the bathrooms are spacious and spotless. The dementia unit is similar in layout to other floors and includes an exercise and activity room. Here, we noticed that the staff members were especially attentive. On one upper floor, the combination of a dining area and adjacent patio evoke an upscale rooftop restaurant. Potted trees provide shade during warm weather activities. On our visit, a few residents sat quietly in the large hallways, while others socialized at the in-house bar or the coffee shop; we found the majority in the vast auditorium, where a guest singer held the stage and delighted residents and their loved ones. Many sang along enthusiastically! The atmosphere was at once relaxed and invigorating.