It’s joyful living in The Residences at Arden Wood – an environment conducive to inspiration, healing, and fulfilling activity. Gracious apartments are available for rent to dedicated students of Christian Science. Our spiritual focus is reflected in beautiful gardens and walking paths, a rich Bible Research Library, and an activities program of diverse and enriching events both on and off campus. Residents enjoy nearby branch church activities and membership, local concerts, museum tours, educational opportunities, and day trips around the San Francisco Bay area.
Our community of residents includes people from all walks of life and all corners of the United States. They hail from California, Colorado, Hawaii, New York, Texas, and Washington. Several are Journal-listed Christian Science practitioners and all have been active branch church members (many still are!). We also have seasonal residents, who live here for just a few months to enjoy our milder winters or cooler summers.
Christian Science is the heart and soul of residential life here. Selfless giving and living and prayers for the community and the world are daily priorities. Residents are active members of local branch churches, attend lectures and Christian Science meetings in the Bay Area, and enjoy hymn sings in our Chapel/Auditorium. Our Bible Research Library and Study Room contain more than 1500 Bible reference materials and all of the Christian Science periodicals, past and current. The TV in each apartment has channels to hear audiotapes of Science and Health, the weekly Bible Lesson, hymns and inspirational talks 24/7. Christian Science is the foundation of daily life at Arden Wood; spiritual growth and healing are the natural outcomes!
Yes. Residents are members of The Mother Church and/or a branch church. Most residents remain active in one of the local San Francisco branch churches. Transportation is provided to nearby Ninth Church of Christ, Scientist for all services and business meetings.
We have 31 apartments, each with a different view, size, and room configuration. We have small, medium and large two-room suites as well as studio apartments. Rental rates vary according to the size.
Residents are able to enjoy meals in the dining room, participate in daily activities and outings, and get on and off our shuttle bus or in and out of a car.
Exceptions to full independence are taken into consideration on an individual basis. With this in mind, it is essential that applicants explain any temporary physical challenge during the application process.
Daily housekeeping, weekly laundry, and driving and escorting to appointments in the local area are the primary personal services provided.
Yes. Residents are welcome to receive Christian Science nursing care. Rates for care are the same for all patients; they are not included in the monthly rent.
Yes. If you don’t yet have one in place, we are happy to help you create one.
Arden Wood has developed a directive that specifically meets the needs of Christian Scientists who are residents of California. You can download it from our website: AHCD Document.
If you would like a copy of the directive mailed to you, please call (415) 379-2346 or email us here.
No. The only payment required is a deposit covering the first and last months’ rent and a refundable $1500 cleaning deposit, due when your residential application is accepted. There is also a non-refundable $80 processing fee.
Arden Wood has a 12-month Independent Living Contract. We ask that residents give at least 30 days notice, if they plan to relocate.
The monthly rental rate includes: three meals a day, weekly housekeeping services, transportation to church for services and meetings, utilities, and all planned Arden Wood activities.
These two links will help you decide:
Rates
Rate Calculator
Yes. Most residents bring their own furnishings and decorate their new homes to their liking. Furnished apartments are available for an additional monthly fee. You are welcome to see an apartment—call for a tour anytime!
Maybe! Small, house-trained pets are permissible on a case-by-case basis. It’s as important for pets to fit in with the Arden Wood community as it is for each resident. There is a $1000 refundable cleaning deposit for each pet. Should the pet become a problem to other residents or staff, it will not be allowed to remain on the property. Residents wanting to have a pet must demonstrate the ability to care for it without assistance.
Each apartment has its own phone extension and wireless Internet access.
Arden Wood has one public computer and printer. We recommend that you bring your own computer, iPad, or tablet. Many residents have them and enjoy access to the Internet and other apps.
No. No need to grocery shop, cook, or clean up! Isn’t that wonderful?! Three delicious meals a day are offered in our main dining room and served by a courteous waitstaff. Refrigerators, microwave ovens, instant hot water dispensers and vending machine snacks are readily accessible in our residential common areas. We also have a self-serve cafe where you can enjoy decaf coffee, tea, fruity water, sweets and savories.
Yes. We have several laundry rooms equipped with washers, dryers, sinks, countertops, and ironing stations. There is no charge to use these facilities. Residents take care of their personal laundry. Bed and bath linens are laundered by Arden Wood.
The facilities are gracious, and the grounds are beautiful! A dedicated staff of housekeeping, grounds and maintenance crews keeps everything in tip-top shape – clean, orderly, and lovely. Our fire safety systems were upgraded in 2018. Our heating system was recently replaced to be more energy efficient as well as code compliant. Common areas are fresh and inviting, including new chairs in our dining rooms. A new security system has been installed. We are constantly exploring ways to be more environmentally sensitive, and recycling is a central fact of life (given City recycling laws). Terra Landscaping, a company with a strong ecological mission, is now servicing our grounds with the goal of replacing non-native, water-hungry plants with drought-resistant, native species. Arden Wood aspires to sustain a healing environment, both inside and outside.
Yes. A few residents have moved here with their cars, and parking is available. However, most of our residents are happy to rely on Arden Wood’s shuttle buses and cars to get to church, shopping centers, activities and outings. Pre-arranged transportation is also available for individual appointments within a reasonable distance. Being chauffeured means no longer needing to think about gas, oil changes, car insurance, parking, or directions!
There is a delightful neighborhood shopping area just around the corner (within walking distance) with all the necessities of life and then some! You’ll find very good restaurants and ice cream shops, dry cleaners, banks, florists, and a book store, dentists and opticians, Walgreens and a hardware store, antique, boutique clothing and toy stores, and a Christian Science Reading Room. A major shopping mall is several blocks away and includes a movie theater, Apple Store, Target and Trader Joe’s. Our public transportation system (MUNI) is a convenient way to get to this mall or to downtown San Francisco.
Many residents enjoy the services of our own hair salon in our main building. There are also several salons and barbershops within walking distance.
We offer an array of interesting and diverse activities to our residents! Excursions include touring the beautiful San Francisco Bay Area, taking in cultural events, such as museum exhibits, symphonies and plays, eating at a variety of restaurants, visiting State and National parks, going for bus and boat rides around the city, walking along the Pacific Ocean or through a grove of redwood trees – the list goes on! There are also many activities at Arden Wood. Residents enjoy hymn sings, dance classes, art lessons in our Art Studio, all of our public special events, including Bible workshops, book talks, a Christmas concert, and more. We have special BBQs and ice cream socials, tea parties and fire-side chats, a book group and a weekly current events lunch. Time alone in the Bible Research Library or taking a walk in our gardens and Eucalyptus Grove is equally popular!
Yes. Volunteering is a wonderful way for residents to support our healing mission. Residents usher for our special events, read aloud to patients, play the piano for hymn sings, tend our gift shop, stuff, seal and stamp envelopes, lead discussion groups or special activities (like a quilting bee, an art workshop or a movement class). Many residents volunteer in the neighborhood Christian Science Reading Room and at San Francisco International Airport (SFO), they serve on the State Institutional Committee, and actively participate in branch church work. We welcome volunteers!
The San Francisco Bay Area is graced with a temperate climate. City temperatures range from 45 to 60 degrees in the winter, 45 to 65 degrees in the spring, 55 to 75 degrees in the summer and 50 to 75 degrees in the fall. High humidity and snowstorms do not happen here! A normal rainy season lasts from December through March. Morning fog keeps our summer temperatures refreshingly cool. Clothing is simplified by our moderate weather – just add or subtract an extra layer as needed!
Absolutely! Guests and friends are always welcome to visit and share a meal. We have a private dining room that can be reserved for special celebrations or gatherings with family and/or friends. Overnight guests are welcome to stay in one of Arden Wood’s Rest and Study rooms (see Rest and Study Rates), or they may rent a roll-away bed to be set up in a resident’s apartment.
Residents have a lot to say about living at Arden Wood!
- “The feeling here is one of so much love. It’s family, bigger than what I was used to. I had a real sense of home right from the start.”
- “In March, I made a two-week visit. Loved it! Sold my house in April, six days after it went on the market; moved into my apartment in May; and I’ve been pinching myself ever since.”
- “My sense of home has grown. When you live in a group situation, you have to adjust. You have to be willing to say, okay—new experience. It will be different, but it will be expansive.”
- “I’ve grown since I arrived. All the things that I was used to having and thought I needed…they’re not so important to me now.”
- “Here you’ll find walking shoes, not rocking chairs!”
Give us a call or email us here, and we’ll send you a packet of information, including an application. Complete the application in full and return it to the Director of Residential Programs (the address is in the packet or at Contact Us). After reviewing your application, we will arrange a two-week trial visit for you so that we can get to know each other better. Then we can both decide whether moving to Arden Wood is your next step. “Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need” (Science and Health 494:10) means to us that your needs are already met—here at Arden Wood or wherever your Father-Mother God takes you. We look forward to meeting you!