What's up with the Spokane hate? (Liberty Lake: hotel, neighborhoods, luxury)

[dmacfour]

Is there a contingent of west side realtors being paid to trash Spokane?

All joking aside, 70% of the negative statements about this city are hyperbole.

Are there meth heads? Yes

Are there sketchy people in Walmart? Yes

Are there panhandlers next to the Division St. off-ramp? Yes

Do the downtown roads suck? Yes

Can you avoid most that? Of course! The nastiest streets are restricted to the downtown core, and most neighborhoods outside of north Spokane feel perfectly safe. A couple of the sketchier areas have turned into trendy neighborhoods for young professionals and hipsters, and a few high profile construction projects are making downtown a compelling place to hang out.

Some areas of Spokane are really nasty, but they're easy to avoid and not really a deal breaker (IMHO). If you take Coeur d'Alene and the surrounding tourist attractions into account, a compelling case can be made that Spokane is nicer than many other mid-sized cities. If you're worried about crime, live in Liberty Lake or north Idaho - there isn't much of a commute to deal with.

Spokane's biggest drawback, in my mind, is a general lack of excitement. WSU is over an hour away, so big time college sports are inconvenient, and there are no professional teams to speak of (I don't count the Shock). We don't have any widely recognized corporations, celebrities, buildings, or landmarks, either.

But really, who cares? If you want to be in the middle of all the action, mid-sized cities are the wrong places to look.

[PS90]

Well stated.

To me, Spokane is similar to many other cities in it's size-range and climate-region. It has no singular qualities that make it stand out extremely negatively or extremely positively.

Then again, if you take things into account like the surrounding outdoor activities, then Spokane does have some great attributes.

[Yeledaf]

Originally Posted by PS90

Well stated.

To me, Spokane is similar to many other cities in it's size-range and climate-region. It has no singular qualities that make it stand out extremely negatively or extremely positively.

Then again, if you take things into account like the surrounding outdoor activities, then Spokane does have some great attributes.

I like the fact that I can get on my motorcycle, ride for fifteen or twenty minutes to the south or west, and be in complete solitude. Nothing around me but bluebirds and the sound of the breeze in the trees and the ripples on a lake. That's certainly an attribute...

[st33lcas3]

I spent my first 26 years of life in Spokane. I moved away in 96.

The thing that gets me about Spokane other than the usual complaints is the fact that the skyline hasn't changed in decades. I know there are plans for some new skyscraper by the Convention Center, but that would be the first one in how long? Everyone says "I love coming into town and seeing the downtown area!" All I see is a dead downtown core. No one is willing to invest big money in downtown Spokane. City leadership has never been able to get big companies into town, why?

It's the largest city in a large area, it can be so much more but no one is willing to take a chance.

[PS90]

Originally Posted by st33lcas3

I spent my first 26 years of life in Spokane. I moved away in 96.

The thing that gets me about Spokane other than the usual complaints is the fact that the skyline hasn't changed in decades. I know there are plans for some new skyscraper by the Convention Center, but that would be the first one in how long? Everyone says "I love coming into town and seeing the downtown area!" All I see is a dead downtown core. No one is willing to invest big money in downtown Spokane. City leadership has never been able to get big companies into town, why?

It's the largest city in a large area, it can be so much more but no one is willing to take a chance.

Maybe it's my redneck side showing, but I just don't understand why this kind of thing results in Spokane "hate"?

I can understand that a stagnant downtown can mean a lack of a few low-level jobs, but other than that, why is there a need for a "new skyscraper"?

Do people always need something new-and-exciting to make it better? What happened to the notion that a good-sized town with decent amenities and a decent neighborhood is a good place to live?

Maybe it's because I have a good job, or maybe it's because I'm old, but I don't want Spokane to grow out-of-control and create more and more urban sprawl.

[Count David]

Spokane doesn't need any improvement. I'd hate for it to be discovered by the masses.

[John2064]

Spokane has one of the greatest schools anywhere--Gonzaga!

[Yeledaf]

Originally Posted by PS90

Maybe it's my redneck side showing, but I just don't understand why this kind of thing results in Spokane "hate"?

I can understand that a stagnant downtown can mean a lack of a few low-level jobs, but other than that, why is there a need for a "new skyscraper"?

Do people always need something new-and-exciting to make it better? What happened to the notion that a good-sized town with decent amenities and a decent neighborhood is a good place to live?

Maybe it's because I have a good job, or maybe it's because I'm old, but I don't want Spokane to grow out-of-control and create more and more urban sprawl.

I agree. The new Grand Hotel on Spokane Falls Boulevard has effectively blocked the view of the park, the river, and the falls -- the three things which consitute the crown jewels of the city. And all so more high-rollers can enjoy luxury suites cleaned and maintained by minimum wage workers -- or below-minimum-wage if they are foreign nationals on work visas.

A time is coming when every downtown in America will be basically the same, with only different city names to identify them. I find that dispiriting.

[PS90]

Originally Posted by Yeledaf

I agree. The new Grand Hotel on Spokane Falls Boulevard has effectively blocked the view of the park, the river, and the falls -- the three things which consitute the crown jewels of the city. And all so more high-rollers can enjoy luxury suites cleaned and maintained by minimum wage workers -- or below-minimum-wage if they are foreign nationals on work visas.

A time is coming when every downtown in America will be basically the same, with only different city names to identify them. I find that dispiriting.

Well said.

[O.C. Ogilvy]

Other than the former local president of the NCAAP was white?