John Knox Towers

Pros

• Michelle is wonderful to work with and always helpful to work out problems.
• Michelle spent over an hour with guests, giving a full tour and going well beyond duty.
• Michelle made visitors feel welcomed and at home, answering all questions and explaining paperwork.
• The lobby is clean and the new management team, especially Michelle, is bringing a positive change.
• Renay is pleasant, and the staff provide outstanding customer service.
• The new management team seems cool, with progress that is real, especially Michelle.
• Michelle is by far the most helpful, caring, upbeat person at John Knox Towers.
• The staff are friendly, helpful, efficient, and work to keep residents safe and comfortable.
• The location is AMAZING, in the heart of Ghent, with easy parking and close to the hospital.
• John Knox Towers is a respectable and loving neighborhood for seniors, with caring management.
• Miranda the housekeeper does a great job keeping the place clean.
• The staff know every resident personally and truly care about them, with ongoing activities for those who may be lonely.
• The completion of requests is super fast.

Cons

• The place is almost a nursing home.
• The facility is antiquated with poorly maintained care everywhere.
• For the money paid, it's a dump.
• There are mice and rats, roaches, and black mold, with no air conditioning.
• The staff were very unprofessional, taking several attempts to arrange a walk-through and failing to return calls.
• The manager on duty had a non-manager friend show an apartment, answered zero questions, and spent only about ten minutes with them.
• Walk-throughs were sometimes wasted because two-bedroom availability wasn't clarified beforehand.

Review

John Knox Towers sits at the heart of Ghent as a senior living community that sparks a wide range of experiences among its residents and visitors. Across many comments, people describe a place that can feel welcoming and well cared for when the right staff are at hand, while also facing frustrations linked to aging facilities and mixed management. The common thread is that individual interactions often make a substantial difference in how people perceive the community as a whole.

One thread runs strongest around a single staff member who stands out for many reviewers: Michelle. In several accounts, Michelle is described as the bright spot that transforms the experience. She reportedly took the time to give a full tour during her lunch break, greeting both the prospective resident and their guest with warmth and a readiness to answer every question. She explained the paperwork and deposits clearly, reassured anxious visitors, and even apologized for past treatment some had experienced. The consensus is that Michelle made people feel welcome, at home, and valued, turning what could have been a standard tour into a meaningful introduction to the community. The sentiment is echoed by multiple residents who still mention her positive energy and helpful, upbeat attitude as a key reason for returning or choosing John Knox Towers.

Beyond Michelle, other staff members earn praise for their professionalism and friendly service. Renay is noted as pleasant, as are the overall impressions of a newer management team that is bringing visible progress. Residents point to the collaborative spirit of the team - professionalism, courtesy, and a willingness to help - that contributes to a sense of safety and support. The maintenance side gets positive mentions too: LaVasha, the Maintenance Supervisor, is described as efficient and timely in handling issues; Emery is noted as a new maintenance tech on whom residents have only positive, if incomplete, impressions yet; and Miranda, the housekeeper, is remembered for doing a great job maintaining cleanliness, even humming while she works. These day-to-day touches - clean hallways, responsive upkeep, and staff who remember individual residents - help create a sense of reliability and community.

Several reviews highlight the advantages of the location and the overall living experience when everything clicks. Prospective residents and families note the 55+ emphasis, the absence of steps in certain areas, and the convenient downtown Ghent setting. The building shares a parking lot with Harris Teeter and is close to Norfolk General Hospital, adding practical value to the lifestyle. For families who have moved relatives in, the experience can feel reassuring: one reviewer mentioned moving a mother-in-law into John Knox Towers and being impressed with the value for the price, the apartment quality, and the location. The surrounding sense of community - staff who know residents personally, activities that foster social connections, and a generally caring atmosphere - appears repeatedly as a significant positive factor.

Yet the picture is not universally rosy. A number of comments reflect serious concerns about the condition and management of the property. Several reviews describe the building as antiquated with poorly maintained spaces, and some residents express frustration that more substantial renovations or improvements are needed. Phrases like "almost a nursing home," "antiquated," and calls for closure and total renovation appear in the conversations. There are strong negative experiences as well: instances of unprofessionalism, repeated delays in walk-throughs or responses, and miscommunications about apartment availability - particularly with regard to two-bedroom units. One father's experience, where a tour was scheduled but did not lead to a viable option, underscores how miscommunication can sour what should be a smooth process. These voices emphasize that, while the staff can be exemplary, systemic issues and aging infrastructure still require attention.

Pest concerns also surface in several testimonials, with phrases like "mice and rats really really bad" and other harsh reminders that comfort and safety include a clean, pest-free environment. In this spectrum of feedback, some residents balance the criticisms with credit to the staff's care and attentiveness, suggesting that a strong team can do a lot to offset the challenges - but the problems are real and persistent for many. The overall message is nuanced: there is evident dedication and compassion among the people who work there, especially on the front lines, but the building's condition and management processes need ongoing improvement to fully realize the community's potential.

In the end, John Knox Towers emerges as a place of contrasts: moments of exceptional warmth and effective service led by standout individuals like Michelle, paired with ongoing questions about aging infrastructure, pest management, consistent communication, and timely, thorough tours and responses. For prospective residents and their families, the experience suggests a need to engage deeply with the current team, request a thorough tour that matches their needs, and evaluate whether the long-term maintenance and renovation plans align with the comfort and safety standards they expect. The presence of caring staff, a convenient location, and a growing sense of organization provides a hopeful thread, while the criticisms remind potential residents to seek clarity and concrete assurances about improvements and upkeep before moving forward.

Cafes

• Cafe Stella (0.3 miles)
• Starbucks (0.3 miles)
• Panera Bread (0.5 miles)
• Coalescence Coffee (0.6 miles)
• Starbucks (1.1 miles)
• Panera Bread (1.3 miles)
• Starbucks (3.7 miles)

Physicians

• Galan-Dejesus Mariam Np (0.3 miles)
• Willis, Erica Pediatric Associates (0.4 miles)
• Dr Robert F. Castle, MD (0.5 miles)
• Duncan Yoder M.D. (0.6 miles)
• Collins Jay N MD-Eastern VA Medical School Department (0.6 miles)
• The King's Daughters Milk Bank at CHKD (0.6 miles)
• Ivor Barry Kaplan (0.7 miles)

Pharmacies

• Rite Aid (0.4 miles)
• Walgreens (0.5 miles)
• Mac Arthur Pharmacy (1 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1.2 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.5 miles)
• Walgreens (3.5 miles)
• Drug Center Pharmacy (3.6 miles)

Hospitals

• Chkd (0.5 miles)
• Naval Medical Center Portsmouth (1.5 miles)
• Portsmouth General Hospital (1.7 miles)
• Bon Secours Maryview Medical Center (3.5 miles)
• Maryview Medical Ambulatory Surgery Recovery (3.5 miles)

Restaurants

• Chick-Fil-A (0.5 miles)
• Sanctuary (0.6 miles)
• Handsome Biscuit (0.6 miles)
• Tap House Grill At Ghent (0.7 miles)
• Orapax Restaurant and Bar (0.8 miles)
• Chen Garden Chinese Restaurant (1 miles)
• Brick Anchor Brew House (1 miles)

Parks

• The Pagoda & Oriental Garden (1 miles)
• Portsmouth City Park (5.5 miles)

Transportation

• The Tide MacArthur Square Station (1.2 miles)
• The Tide-Newtown Road Station (4.7 miles)
• Norfolk Airport USO (5.4 miles)
• American Airlines Ticket Counter (5.5 miles)
• Norfolk International Airport (ORF) (5.5 miles)

Places of Worship

• Twine Memorial Holy Temple (2.5 miles)
• Tabernacle Church Of Norfolk (2.9 miles)
• Westhaven Baptist Church (4.1 miles)
• Third Presbyterian Church (4.9 miles)