This gym is great. The parking is fine if you're not one of those people that drives around in circles looking for the closest spot...just park anywhere and walk an extra 10 feet. Consider it your warm up. The staff is either very friendly or leave you alone to do your own thing, which is great. Equipment is sufficiently up to date and there is a section in the women's locker room for exercising (with treadmills, weights, etc...) for those days when you just want some privacy from the opposite sex lol.
The ONLY reason I gave it four stars instead of five is the shop/restaurant area. I am usually pretty exhausted after a work out and therefore think it's worth paying the very expensive cost of purchasing food there instead of driving to Harris Teeter or getting unhealthy fast food on the way home. With the exception of one lady, the restaurant staff is a bit rude. They are often cleaning, talking to someone, checking out their fingernails...doing anything but coming over to the register where I am standing with my yogurt and apple waiting for someone to ring me up.
I come to Dowd pretty much every day, there are many gyms in the area but this one is spacious and very reasonably priced.