Christopher Towers

Pros

• Christopher Towers is a very nice place to live in Five Points, Columbia, SC.
• The building has alarms and cameras on every floor to keep residents safe.
• Security guards monitor the building to deter intruders.
• There are many restaurants and stores in the Five Points area.
• It is a convenient 17-story high-rise to live and work in the Columbia area.
• The staff are great, and improvements have made the building nicer, including pest issues being addressed.

Cons

• The sprinkler system goes off regularly, flooding parts of the building, with roaches and mold everywhere.
• The management has horrible communication and won't check on residents when contacted.
• The place is horrible and feels like they want to control residents' lives, with problems in HVAC and water, frequent fire alarm evacuations, and roaches.
• There are roaches and bedbugs, and residents' family members report a lack of air for days, with smoke detectors going off and no timely response.
• The building suffers from bad management, including bed bug infestations and the need to throw out clothes and furniture, while residents can't afford replacements.
• Rent has increased twice in 14 months, there was a no-warning water outage for two days, laundry services are essentially nonexistent, and renovations have been promised for years with no action.
• They never answer phones, making it hard to reach residents, which is especially troubling for elderly occupants.
• Overall, the property is characterized by bad management and is not recommended.

Review

Christopher Towers in the Five Points area of Columbia, SC stands out as a building that many residents find appealing for its location and certain practical benefits, even as others highlight a long list of reliability and management concerns. It's described as a tall, 17-story high-rise that has become a convenient focal point for living and working in the greater Columbia metro area. In welcome contrast to most apartment complexes, some reviewers note free utilities - power, water, sewer, and trash pickup - that can ease monthly budgeting. The property is also praised for its security features, with alarms and cameras on each floor and security guards watching both inside and outside the building, contributing to a sense of safety for many residents. The surrounding Five Points hub adds a robust selection of restaurants and stores, making errands and social life more convenient for those who want activity and amenities nearby.

Despite these positives, there is a substantial wave of concerns voiced by many residents. A recurring theme is reliability and maintenance problems that disrupt daily life. The sprinkler system is described as going off regularly, flooding sections of the building and creating environments where roaches, mold, and soggy conditions proliferate. Several reviewers question the logic and effectiveness of the building's infrastructure when such incidents recur, leaving residents frustrated and exposed to property damage. This leads to additional pest and hygiene issues, with roaches and bedbugs mentioned by multiple people, and at least one comment about mold and general dampness on affected floors.

Communication and responsiveness emerge as another major area of dissatisfaction. Several residents report poor communication from management, including not checking on residents who have not heard from the property for weeks and a general sense that staff are hard to reach or unresponsive. There are explicit complaints about the inability to receive timely assistance when residents call for help or updates, and some reviewers describe feeling ignored as problems persist. The sense of being heard and valued seems to vary widely by experience, but the underlying sentiment is that improvements in communication would go a long way toward addressing many other complaints.

Management and governance concerns loom large in several accounts. A number of reviewers describe bad management and a governance structure - sometimes referencing on-site, corporate, and board leadership - that appears to be unresponsive to complaints. Complaints about rent increases - twice in 14 months - along with widely reported water outages and perceived delays in essential services like laundry reflect a broader worry about affordability and reliability. One commenter explicitly frames the situation as a failure to treat elderly residents with appropriate care, implying a mismatch between the needs of an aging population and the way the building is currently managed.

There are, however, pockets of praise that resist the overall negative frame. Some residents highlight a caring and effective staff presence, and one account notes that after an issue with bedbugs, the maintenance team took decisive action and an in-house exterminator was employed to address "bug issues" on a daily basis. For families and seniors, there are affirmations that the property can be a "safer, affordable place for seniors to live" with conveniences like lights and water included in the rent, and a sense that the area itself remains compelling due to its location and accessibility. A grandmother who enjoyed living there reportedly returned after trying out another state, underscoring that personal experiences can be quite mixed even within the same building.

In shorter, more reflective terms, Christopher Towers seems to offer a compelling combination of practical perks and risks. The appeal lies in its central Five Points location, the security measures that many residents appreciate, and the potential affordability and simplicity of life with included utilities in some configurations. The counterweight to that appeal is a catalog of persistent mechanical and environmental issues - failing sprinklers, pests, mold, and intermittent heating and cooling - as well as communication gaps, management frustrations, and concerns about how responsive the building is to residents' needs. For prospective tenants or family members evaluating this building, the current collage of reviews suggests a trade-off: strong conveniences and a favorable location, tempered by notable reliability problems and questions about ongoing maintenance and responsiveness.

Overall, experiences at Christopher Towers appear highly individualized. Some residents celebrate the community's strengths, the sense of safety, and the staff's positive moments, while others endure ongoing disruptions that affect everyday life, from health and comfort to personal belongings and peace of mind. As with many large, older properties that host a broad mix of residents, the key seems to be whether the management and maintenance teams can consistently address urgent concerns, maintain safe and functional utilities, and communicate clearly with residents - especially those who are elderly or on a fixed income. Potential residents and families would be wise to assess current status firsthand, ask specific questions about water reliability, pest control, HVAC performance, and responsiveness, and weigh these factors against the desirable conveniences that Christopher Towers promises in its Five Points neighborhood.

This part of Columbia, South Carolina offers a convenient and accessible location with a variety of amenities for seniors. With several cafes, pharmacies, restaurants, and physicians within close proximity, residents can easily access essential services and enjoy dining options. The area also features parks and a riverfront park for outdoor recreation opportunities. Additionally, there are transportation services available nearby for added convenience. For spiritual needs, there are places of worship such as St Joseph's Catholic Church and Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in the vicinity. Overall, this area provides a comfortable and well-rounded living environment for seniors looking to settle in Columbia.

Cafes

• Drip (0.2 miles)
• The Corner Blend (0.6 miles)
• Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea Park St (0.8 miles)
• Starbucks (1.2 miles)
• Starbucks (1.6 miles)
• Piecewise Coffee (2.4 miles)

Pharmacies

• Walgreens (0.2 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (0.7 miles)
• Palmeto Senior Care: John D Marsh (1.1 miles)
• Hawthorne Pharmacy (1.3 miles)
• Judy, Andrea (1.3 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1.6 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.1 miles)

Restaurants

• The Gourmet Shop (0.2 miles)
• Pawleys Front Porch (0.3 miles)
• Chick-Fil-A (0.3 miles)
• Bar None (0.3 miles)
• Waffle House (0.4 miles)
• Di Prato's (0.4 miles)
• Backstreets Grill (0.6 miles)

Physicians

• Eau Claire Cooperative Health Centers (0.6 miles)
• Parks III William Dr Critical Health Systems Of South Carolina Columbia (0.9 miles)
• Mopa (0.9 miles)
• Palmetto Obgyn Associates (1 miles)
• Pediatrix Medical Group (1 miles)
• Palmetto Pulmonary (1 miles)
• Greater Columbia Obgyn (1 miles)

Parks

• Hollywood Park (0.8 miles)
• Columbia Canal & Riverfront Park (1.8 miles)
• West Columbia Riverwalk (1.9 miles)

Transportation

• Enterprise Rent-A-Car (0.9 miles)

Hospitals

• Sleep Med (1.2 miles)

Places of Worship

• St Joseph's Catholic Church (1.7 miles)
• Good Shepherd Lutheran Church (2.7 miles)