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Key information
Merrill Gardens at Rockridge is a 150-resident assisted living community in Oakland. It has been licensed since January 2020.
It also offers memory care. The nearest hospital, UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland, which has an emergency room, is 0.9 miles away.
Inspectors have visited 8 times since November 2023, most recently on September 21, 2026. Regulators looked into 2 complaints in that time (2 unsubstantiated).
Rating and inspection report
Official rating
Care & pricing
Care available
- Licensed capacity
- 150 beds
- State license
- CA 019200879 · Active
Pricing
- Merrill Gardens at Rockridge: $5,100Assisted living
- Base rate: $5,100Assisted living
- Assisted Living - Studio: $5,500 per monthAssisted living
- Assisted Living - 1 Bedroom: $7,500 per monthAssisted living
- Assisted Living - 2 Bedrooms: $9,500 per monthAssisted living
- Independent Living - Studio: $5,000 per monthIndependent living
- Independent Living - 1 Bedroom: $7,000 per monthIndependent living
- Independent Living - 2 Bedrooms: $9,000 per monthIndependent living
- Memory Care - Semi-Private: $8,000 per monthMemory care
- Memory Care - Studio: $9,315 per monthMemory care
Payment types accepted
Room type
- Garden HouseMemory care · Only intimate, comfortable rooms in our Garden House
- Studio
- One bedroom
- Two bedroom
- 1 BedroomAssisted living$7,500 per month
- 1 BedroomIndependent living$7,000 per month
- 2 BedroomsAssisted living$9,500 per month
- 2 BedroomsIndependent living$9,000 per month
- Semi-PrivateMemory care$8,000 per month
- StudioAssisted living$5,500 per month
- StudioMemory care$9,315 per month
- StudioIndependent living$5,000 per month
Daily life
Details
Facilities
- Air Conditioned
- Arts and Crafts Center
- Barber Shop
- Beauty Salon
- Central Fireplace
- Computer or Media Center
- Fitness Center
- Full kitchen
- Game Room
- Handicap Accessible
- Indoor Common Areas
- Library
- Meeting Room
- Movie or Theater Room
- Outdoor Common Areas
- Outside Patio
- Piano or Organ
- Raised Garden Beds
- Wheelchair Accessible Showers
- Wi-Fi/
high-speed internet - State-licensed residential care facility for the elderly (California CDSS)
Activities
- Activities Off-site
- Art Classes
- BBQs or Picnics
- Birthday Parties
- Brain fitness /
Dakim - Community Service Programs
- Cooking Classes
- Day Trips and Outings
- Devotional Activities Offsite
- Devotional Activities On-Site
- Educational Speakers /
Life Long Learning - Forever Fit
- Happy Hour
- Holiday Parties
- Intergenerational Programs
- Karaoke
- Live Dance or Theater Performances
- Live Musical Performances
- Live Well Programs
- Montessori Programs
- Pet-focused Programs
- Planned activities
- Sensory-based Programs
- Stretching Classes
- Tai Chi
- Wine Tasting
- Yoga /
Chair Yoga
Services
- Bathing assistance
- Beautician
- Bed-bound residents
- Dementia /
memory care - Dressing assistance
- Grocery Shopping and Errands
- Help arranging medical and dental appointments
- Housekeeping
- Incontinence care
- Laundry Service /
Drycleaning - Medication management and reminders
- Non-Ambulatory Care
- Outside hospice allowed
- Staffing & Ancillary Services
- Wheelchair users accepted
Dining
- Anytime Dining
- Bar or Pub
- Café or Bistro
- Gluten-free
- Guest Meals
- International Cuisine
- Low /
No Sodium - Meals Provided
- No Sugar
- Private Dining Room
- Professional Chef
- Restaurant Style Dining
- Room Service
- Special Dining Programs
- Three meals a day and snacks, including diets a physician prescribes
- Vegetarian
Transportation
- Complimentary Transportation
- Property Convenient to Public Transit
- Resident Parking Available
- Transportation at Cost
Policies
- Accepts private pay
- Cats Allowed
- Dogs Allowed
- Pet Care Available
- Weight Limit (lbs)
Languages spoken on site
- English
Come and see for yourself
The best way to know if a place is the right fit is to experience it in person. Arrange a visit to explore the space, get a feel for daily life there, and ask any questions along the way.
Reviews and listings
What families and listing sites say.
Ratings on other sites
- 7/10
- 4.6/5
Reviews
- Google5/5
Christian gave us an excellent tour of Merrill Gardens, a beautiful retirement community.
Read full reviewOct 27, 2026
- Google1/5
Christian S. gave me a realistic price for assisted living with LOW level of care ( $5750 for a studio, $820 for care, per month. See photo, Exhibit II, “Established Fees and Services.” Christian, the Community Relations Director at Merrill Gardens, highlighted in yellow “$820 per month”. That is HIS highlighting). I told Christian on 10/1/26 that the skilled nursing facility (SNF) is requiring my mom to leave on 10/7/26, so I am looking to admit her to assisted living on 10/7/26. Christian told me yes, it is doable to complete their intake process in time to admit her on 10/7/26. I spent hours gathering my mother’s medical documents, personal information, filling out Merrill’s forms, and meeting (along with my mom) for 45 minutes with Merrill Garden’s nurse, Parinda (who had forgotten our meeting and arrived 45 minutes late. And, she had no idea that my mom needs admission on 10/7/26, she was completely clueless about that. In retrospect, that was a warning sign). Then, later, literally JUST HOURS before the skilled nursing facility (SNF) was going to discharge my mom on 10/7/26, suddenly Christian at Merrill Garden informs me that no, actually, the cost is much higher that what he told me, because now their nurse, Parinda, feels that my mom needs a HIGH level of care. So now the cost is $5750 for studio, but a whopping $4950 for care. But, says Christian at this last-minute juncture, I can negotiate the cost downward! This means I may pay for assisted living according to 1) my inadequate negotiating skills about a topic (assistance with daily living) that I know enough about to know what my mom needs, but not enough to negotiate costs and 2) the level of urgency of my current circumstances (the more urgent one’s circumstances, the bigger one’s disadvantage in negotiating). Clearly, I'm not in a position to knowledgeably negotiate, and Christian S. knows this, or ought to. I will trust an organization that 1) provides accurate rates up front and doesn’t change those rates on the day that we all agreed was the day of admission 2) provides a needs assessment that factually reflects the person's actual needs, not inflate those needs to get more money; and 3) tells me up front when they cannot meet my timeframe, instead of telling me, for days, that yes they can admit my family member on the date that I am seeking, but then, on the day of admission, suddenly they cannot admit unless I engage in a negotiation about costs. Merrill Gardens jerked me around, big time. Bait and switch. Christian S., Parinda, and the general manager overseeing this bait-and-switch are clearly untrustworthy. Christian S. told me he has been Community Relations Director at Merrill Garden for 3 years. Presumably, he has experience dealing with people trying to admit their family member under tight timeframes. But, probably, a tight deadline is his professional weakness; he is helpful and sensible only when the client has no time pressure to obtain assisted living care. Even though he should be able to do so, in fact he has no ability to foresee how the process does not fit a tight timeframe, so I, the cilent, had to find out for myself the hard way. So much for Christian S.'s professional experience. In my very first email and voicemail to him on Friday 10/1/26, I said and I wrote that I am seeking to admit my mom on 10/7/26. Christian should have told me, when he replied on 10/2/26: “Sorry, it is really unlikely we can meet that timeframe. We can aim for a later admission date, but 10/7/26 is too soon.” I would have appreciated it. Instead, he said yes we can absolutely complete the admission process in time to admit on 10/7/26. I proceeded to waste hours and my time and energy to this fruitless goal, when I would have been better off spending that time preparing to take care of Mom at home. Now my mom is at home and it will be at least 3 business days without home health care, because it takes that long to set it up. I hope I have a better experience with home health care, but who knows.
Read full reviewOct 8, 2026
- Google5/5
I will be moving into Merrill Gardens at Rockridge soon. I chose this place because of it's convenient location near Rockrdge BART, Rockrdige library, along with many shops & cafes along College Ave. I have been working with Christian S., Community Relations Director, for over a year to secure an apt. Christian has been my advocate to secure the type of apt. that I wanted & has been helpful whenever I had any questions. He was wonderful to work with. Residents that i have spoken with said the best thing about Merrill Gardens at Rockridge is the community of residents living there. I am looking forward to my move.
Read full reviewApr 12, 2026
- Google5/5
I rarely leave long reviews, but I had to make sure that people know this one. So I took my time to write a well deserving one. I am a frequent visitor to a friend at Merrill Gardens Independent Living, and during a recent visit, I had the opportunity to tour the memory care community. I was truly impressed by the environment and the level of care provided. Christian, the Relations Director, was incredibly knowledgeable, professional, and compassionate. He took the time to thoroughly answer questions and explain the programs and services in a way that was both informative and reassuring. His genuine care and dedication were evident throughout the tour. I would highly recommend Merrill Gardens to anyone exploring senior living options, especially memory care. My experience was very positive, thanks in large part to Christian’s guidance and the overall atmosphere of the community.
Read full reviewApr 1, 2026
We liked the public rooms and quiet spaces. Two friends of friends (who are residents) had lunch with us but we could not hear them because of the overwhelming noise in the dining room. We were not shown an apartment because they are all occupied. The rooftop terrace and garden is very appealing.
Read full reviewVisitor
Mar 29, 2026
- Google5/5
I was appreciative of my in-person introduction to the apartments, programs and benefits of Merrill Gardens at Rockridge. Manager Christian Saysourivong was respectful, informative, and never patronizing in answering questions and providing information. My daughter and I left the facility feeling that this is a place I should seriously consider when the time comes to make a move to senior housing.
Read full reviewDec 20, 2025
- Google5/5
Merrill Gardens is truly a magical place. I love how the residents have a lot of say in their activities, so much so that they converted one of the outdoor garden areas into a place where residents can work on their own projects. Christian is incredibly thoughtful and helpful, and the price point here is much more affordable than other locations. Ultimately, it wasn't quite the right fit for my mom, but it is definitely worth checking out.
Read full reviewDec 19, 2025
Overall a solid choice.
Generally, very happy with Merrill. Good amount of activities. Care is good. The caregivers get to know mom so that personal touch/relationship is good. I have gotten calls when they can't find her (in the roof garden or was checked out and system was down) or when she fell. Negatives - food isn't great. Chefs and servers don't seem helpful in helping with food allergies/sensitivities. Also, lots of turnover with staff, especially key people: (name removed), Head of medical, head of medicine, chef, activities lead, sales people (not as big of a concern).
Read full reviewFamily member
Jun 9, 2025
VerifiedMom is happy and well cared for
The staff is friendly and seems to like their job and the community. My mom is well cared for, and is safe and happy. There are limited activities in the memory care unit, but there are understandable limitations. The food is fine but not great, and that is the one consistent complaint. However, overall we are very happy
Read full reviewFamily member
Jun 21, 2024
VerifiedMerrill Gardens at Rockridge was expensive with a buy-in fee of $8K! Was told over the phone that rent started at $3700 but once we got there, it was $4500!!! There was absolutely no visitor parking available, even on the street. The tour was great, (name removed) was a very nice guy. I really liked this place because it was smaller. And everything was centrally located on the first floor.
Read full reviewVisitor
Jul 17, 2023
VerifiedHighly Recommend
We've had a very positive experience, and we feel very lucky Merrill Gardens at Rockridge had space available. We did our homework, and some of the other places we looked into were a little scary. I like the layout here. The staff is professional and does more than I was expecting. The facility is very nice, and the dining room is as nice as any country club. I really like the neighborhood - it's very pleasant, with shopping and restaurants close by. It could not have worked out better for us.
Read full reviewMike G. · Family member
Nov 1, 2022
VerifiedGreat Environment
The staff has been wonderful. They offer a variety of activities. They are a really wonderful, and welcoming community. They are always responsive, and interactive with my love done, and other residents. They seem to value the residents. I have nothing but good things to say. I picked this place because of the location, cleanliness, and overall the building is lovely.
Read full reviewFamily member
Sep 20, 2022
VerifiedOverall, very good, but pricey
My mother lived at MGR for nearly 2.5 years, [dates removed] She thrived there. The social aspect alone really made her blossom: she never missed a meal, because sitting with her friends was so appealing to her. The food was always good. The restaurant staff were friendly, personable, and accommodating. There were issues with delays answering calls for aides. Each resident wears a lanyard with a call button, and there are call buttons installed in the rooms and bathrooms, but there can be a delay up to a few hours sometimes. That was discouraging. The monthly cost was not small: started out about [price removed] for the 1-br (a perfect size for her), and rose to [price removed]. On reading other reviews, it reminded me of the horror that was the move-out process after my mother passed. The manager at the time was incredibly unhelpful (e.g. didn't point out that I could use the trash bin on the first floor) and at no time did she offer condolences, either in person nor with a simple card. Shocking.
Read full reviewFamily member
Aug 31, 2022
Our family had an in person tour and it was a really nice tour experience that staff were all very helpful with answering all the questions we had
Read full reviewVisitor
Jun 28, 2022
VerifiedOur Loved One Thrived Here
They were very caring, everyone there. They truly cared about the people who lived there. The building was very nice and clean, which is one of the main reasons we put her there. It didn't feel like a facility. It felt like a home.
Read full reviewFamily member
Jan 11, 2022
VerifiedOur family had an in person tour and the lady who showed us around was not the most knowledgeable - but to her defense she was subbing in for the lady who was actually supposed to give us the tour. The finishes are more down scale which we were not very impressed with, but we absolutely loved the rooftop gardens. We were able to sit up there for awhile and actually speak with another residents. However the residents told us the meals were dreadful, and if you need assistance and call a staff member for help it could take hours for them to come.
Read full reviewVisitor
Dec 16, 2021
Verified- A Place for Mom4.5/5
Cheerful welcoming community for senior living
We chose Merrill Gardens because it was modern and bright, it is a dog friendly facility, and the overall atmosphere and the location as well for us. She has a very nice 1 room apartment that is large and spacious and she has a large patio off her apartment. The director and the community relations director are very personable and friendly. I would absolutely recommend them to others who are looking.
Read full reviewMonica S. · Family member
May 26, 2021
Verified - Google5/5
I moved into Merrill Gardens on October 9, 2020 after being on the Wait List since they opened in September 2016. Although, Merrill Gardens was always my preferred Senior Living Facility, I had bypassed other vacancy offers over the years as I was not quite ready to move. But, this time the Apartment that was offered along with promotional incentives was just too good to refuse. I have a beautiful one bedroom Apartment on the second floor on the Bay Side of the building with a large Patio and a wonderful view of Oakland, San Francisco, and the Bay! The Apartment is well lighted with overhead lights in every room and wonderful natural light coming in from the Patio makes for a very uplifting and comforting environment. All of the personnel I have interacted with so far including the General Manager, Customer Service personnel, Maintenance and Service staff, have been outstanding! Each has been welcoming, kind, patient, understanding, helpful and professional and have made me really feel "At Home!" I am also getting spoiled not having to prepare my meals anymore, and there is a good menu of meals, and the food is well prepared and tasty. I am so pleased that I finally moved to Merrill Gardens! I look forward to a long, joyful, peaceful, nurturing and supportive environment in the years to come.
Read full reviewOct 22, 2020
- Google4/5
My mother spent two very good years at Merrill Gardens at Rockridge. It is a physically lovely facility. It was brand new when she moved in and there were some start-up issues in the early months. Management and Caregiving worked on them and made noteworthy improvements. Mom loved so many people at Merrill Gardens who cared for her—and did her hair. The food was very good. Impressive entertainment. Thank you so much.
Read full reviewSep 28, 2019
It was beautiful. I really liked the facility & I had an excellent tour guide.
Read full reviewVisitor
Apr 6, 2018
Location
5238 Coronado Ave, Oakland, CA 94618