This aerial photograph shows Duncan Garden, the show piece of Spokane’s Manito Park.
JESSE TINSLEY
THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
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PHOTO FROM PEAK 7 ADVENTURES
A group of youths revel in the power of Spokane River whitewater during a float trip with Peak 7 Adventures.
Come here and get out Outdoor recreation isn’t a pastime in Spokane, it’s a lifestyle Spokane has rightfully been mentioned in several national magazine lists titled something like “America’s Best Outdoors Towns.” It’s never been ranked No.1. Perfect. Being just off the hot-spot radar is the best thing that keeps happening to River City. Among this area’s most underrated assets is proximity to a wealth of outdoor attractions – without the crowds. Iconic national parks and other world-class attractions are outside of our immediate backyard. Although Rainier and Glacier are RICH LANDERS close, our favorite regional hangouts are spared from busloads of SPOKESMAN tourists, bear jams and COLUMNIST lotteries for access permits. We have plenty of elbow room for swimming and boating on a splashing number of lakes, large and small. We’re surrounded by millions of acres of public land ranging from local and state parks to vast Bureau of Land Management sagelands, Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area, federal wildlife refuges and national forests. Spokane is an easy drive from trailheads in the Selkirk Mountains, the Cabinets, Bitterroots, Blues, Wallowas and other places with drop-dead beautiful scenery as well as butt-busting challenges. Within a couple hours from town, we can be picking huckleberries or bugling in a bull elk. I was 25 years old when I left my native Montana and moved here four decades ago. I drove into Spokane in my Datsun hatchback, which was stocked with a wider variety of gear than the White Elephant Stores. Canoe, bicycle, skis for snow and water and a bag of duck decoys overwhelmed the roof rack. The interior was crammed to the ceiling with gear for backpacking, camping, climbing, hunting, fishing, paddling and more. Every bit of that gear was put to use within a few hours drive from my new home. Outdoor recreation isn’t a pastime for people passionate for getting out. It’s
RICH LANDERS/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
Ryan Porter, right, joins Merlin Walraven for a snowmobiling break on the shore of Priest Lake near Beaver Creek Campground. their lifestyle. They live here for it. Generations of families have etched their traditions and memories on the snowy slopes of Mount Spokane or at “the lake,” whichever one that may be. An angler can fish for native redbands in the Spokane river, for trout, bass, panfish and tiger muskies a few minutes from town or head south less than two hours for ocean-running salmon. Saltwater tuna and halibut charters are within easy reach. The Centennial Trail, Fish Lake Trail, Columbia Plateau Trail, Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes, Route of the Hiawatha and John Wayne Trail have made Spokane and Coeur d’Alene hubs for the most expansive rail conversion-type trail networks in the country. Spokane County residents sleep within a few minutes to a few hours from grizzly bears, gray wolves, cougars, bighorns, sturgeon, spring chinook, cutthroat trout, bald eagles and trumpeter swans. Vast areas of the country no longer have these icons of wildness or clean water, but we do. Their presence shouts, “This place is special!” Of all the outdoor assets Spokane-area residents relish, none is more significant than our signature river. It flows through town, linking us to the St. Joe River and the Bitterroot Divide at the Montana border
downstream to the Columbia River at Lake Roosevelt. Fish the Spokane River, swim it, float it or simply soak in the mist and power of the falls from the Monroe Street Bridge during spring runoff. Rowers and SUPers make ripples on early morning flatwater while thrill-seeking rafters and kayakers run a rodeo of whitewater rapids – all within the city limits. Adding to the region’s outdoor recreation foundation are clubs for virtually every outdoor pursuit, from the ATVers cruising the trails of North Idaho to the hang gliders soaring off Steptoe Butte. Spokane attracts people who get out. No group has modeled the region’s interest in outdoor recreation as long as the Spokane Mountaineers. Founded more than a century ago by five women librarians, the club has inspired and taught people to reach new heights in a spectrum of ways. John Roskelley and Chris Kopczynski rose from the ranks of the club’s annual Mountain School to climb the world’s highest peaks. They learned the ropes in Spokane Valley, at Minnehaha Rocks and Big Rock, before branching out to the American Selkirks, Canadian Rockies and beyond. Others have followed. Groups such as the Mountaineers, the Inland Northwest Wildlife Council and
RICH LANDERS/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
Fly fisher David Moershel, of Spokane, gets a sniff of approval from his golden retriever, Real, before releasing a trout on the Coeur d’Alene River.
Spokane Fly Fishers give enthusiasts the community as well as the skills. Spokane is a community that gives up its streets to 45,000 runners and walkers each year for Bloomsday and in the fall for a legion of cyclists in SpokeFest. Recreation profits from the enthusiasm that blooms from mass-participation events. Nordic skiers, most of whom will line up for the annual Langlauf cross-country ski race in February, were volunteering starting in July to clear the 36 miles of trails that will be groomed this winter at Mount Spokane State Park. Hikers are stepping up where Forest Service budgets have been cut short to maintain trails. Snowmobiling groups are splitting firewood for warming huts across the Panhandle. Priest Lake alone offers access to up to 400 miles of groomed snowmobile trails. And just beyond those routes are remote Selkirk Crest sanctuaries. A day or two of muscle power and sweat might put a backcountry skier near the tracks of a rare woodland caribou. Bucket list checkoffs for friends of mine have included climbing the vertical granite of Chimney Rock, SUPing the entire Spokane River, catching a steelhead on a fly rod, hiking the entire 45 miles of the Kettle Crest National Recreation Trail in a single day, drawing a moose hunting tag and hearing a gray wolf howl on Rathdrum Mountain. All of that’s within reach of here. Spokane is a mecca for fish, wildlife and outdoor recreation because we still have the water, land and people who understand its importance. A shining example is the Spokane County Conservation Futures Program, funded since 1994 by a voter-approved tax to maintain open spaces that would otherwise be developed. The 8,000 acres protected so far are wildly popular with hikers, mountain bikers, climbers, birders and nature lovers. They give teachers easy access to outdoor classrooms and help us find respite in our neighborhoods. The planet and its wildlife weren’t designed to deal with development on every acre, nor was the human psyche. Spokane has figured that out. CONTACT THE WRITER:
(509) 459-5508 richl@spokesman.com
JESSE TINSLEY/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
PHOTO BY CHRIS KOPCZYNSKI.
The 1980 Makalu Team. Clockwise, from top left: Jim States, Chris Kopczynski, John Roskelley and Kim Momb.
Henry Mayer pumps his way up the ramp to the raised trestle over Lake Coeur d’Alene at Heyburn State Park, along the 72-mile Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes.
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How to sound like a local Your Spo-kane-free pronunciation guide to odd words, accents If you are new to Spokane – welcome. Two things you should know. 1. We do not require that you sound like a local right away. 2. But with just a little help, you can. If you want to. Let’s assume, for the sake of argument, you choose to pursue the latter. Where do you begin? We’ll take for granted that you know how to pronounce “Spokane” and “Gonzaga.” And that you are familiar with our exhaustively chronicled “Going to the lake” code. Which is to say, never actually referring to a lake by name. PAUL So perhaps the best place to TURNER start is with the Spokane accent. Does it even exist? SPOKESMAN This has been debated for COLUMNIST decades. Some say Inland Northwest residents sound like Canadians. Others insist one hears linguistic echoes of the Midwest here. But the prevailing view seems to be, a few pronunciation quirks aside, Spokane residents do not speak with an accent. At least not in the same sense as, say, many in Boston or the South. A local woman once described our speech patterns as being as close to neutral as anywhere in America. Even if you think you detect evidence of the Spokane accent’s existence – say, pronouncing “fur” and “for” identically – the usage examples are far from universal. Years ago, a Spokane executive attending IBM management training sessions in New York was pressed into service as a translator when two other attendees, one from Brooklyn and one from Atlanta, found it difficult to understand one another. Oh sure, you can still hear debates about the authenticity and heritage of saying Washington as if it is spelled “WaRshington.” Same goes for referring to the neighboring city across the Idaho state line as “Cur d’Alene” instead of “Core d’Alene.” But that probably doesn’t qualify as an accent. Of course, there is more to sounding like a local than that. There’s vocabulary. Take, for instance, Spokane residents’ celebrated reputation for thrift. This can be expressed by simply referring to almost any prospective purchase as “spendy.” Let’s use it in a sentence: “The broken crockery and headless dolls at that yard sale seemed pretty spendy.” Language also describes the Spokane perspective on geography. That’s why you will sound right at home here if you refer to Wisconsin or Nebraska as “back East,” even if this practice baffles those originally from New England or the Atlantic Seaboard. If you are from certain parts of the country, you might not be familiar with “feed” as a description of fundraising meals sponsored by civic organizations or fraternal orders. You know, as in “Sausage feed” or “Hamburger feed.” But there’s no doubt place names are the undoing of many newcomers. The Northwest abounds with colorful tongue twisters. It’s easy to get tripped up. Here is my Top 5. Pend Oreille: Pond-o-ray, not any one of the 14 other ways you were thinking of saying it. Or just go with “The lake.” Cheney: Chee-ny, not Chay-ny. Moscow: Mos-co. Ends with the same sound as the last syllable of Idaho. Remember, “No cow in Moscow.” Boise: A reader shared this more than 20 years ago. “Real Idahoans pronounce the name of our state capital ‘Boy-see,’ whereas every out-of-stater I have ever met uses the pronunciation ‘Boy-zee.’” Colville: As if it were Callville, the town in “No Time for Sergeants.” There you go. That’s a start at least. Have fun getting to know the Lilac City. (Some say “Li-lack,” some say “Li-lock.”)
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How we came up with neighborhood numbers By Rachel Alexander THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
Dividing a region into distinct neighborhoods – and then calculating demographics for those neighborhoods – is more art than science. This guide is meant to be a rough overview of some of the more well-known and up-and-coming neighborhoods in and around Spokane. We’ve included demographics for each to give a snapshot, but those should be taken as approximations, not statistically rigorous analyses. For readers who are curious
about the nitty-gritty, here’s where our data came from. Housing prices, where available, are from Zillow estimates for the median home in a given city or neighborhood. Rent prices, where available, are estimates from RentCafe.com. Crime statistics within Spokane came from the Spokane Police Department’s CompStat numbers broken down by patrol blocks, which correspond with neighborhoods. We got numbers for the first half of 2017 and doubled them to get rough annual rates. The U.S. Census and annual American Community Survey
For others, we calculated population using a GIS analysis to figure out how much of each Census block group was within the neighborhood boundaries. Those neighborhoods were Audubon/Downriver, the Garland District, Hillyard, Logan, Rockwood, Southgate and West Central. If 45 percent of a block group was inside, say, Logan, we’d add 45 percent of that block group’s population to Logan’s total. This method assumes population is evenly distributed across a block group, which of course isn’t the case. For median age and income,
are the best sources of data for things like population, age and income. Census data is available for cities, ZIP codes, and smaller areas called tracts and block groups. The problem is that those areas don’t neatly line up with the neighborhood boundaries drawn by the City of Spokane. For some neighborhoods, a single Census tract was near enough to the city-defined neighborhood boundaries that we used data for that tract. In addition to the stand-alone cities in the guide, those neighborhoods are Manito, the Perry District and Shadle.
we then took the proportion of a neighborhood’s population that came from a given block group and calculated a weighted average of the Census median ages and median household incomes for those groups to get a rough median for the neighborhood. Averaging medians is very much a statistical no-no, so those numbers should be taken as rough approximations, not true medians or exact calculations. For a more detailed explanation with visuals, visit the Know Spokane blog at spokesman.com/blogs/knowspokane/.
NEIGHBORHOODS: HILLYARD FIGHTING THE STIGMA OF CRIME-RIDDEN AREA
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A classic car drives along Market Street at Wellesley Avenue in Hillyard. The mural depicts the rail yards created by James J. Hill, who founded the Great Northern Railroad.
HILLYARD’S HISTORY BUILT ON RAILROADS
ty’s poverty rate of 15.9. And the average median household income in Hillyard is $35,101, which compares to $42,386 for Spokane, according to census data. Despite those numbers, Hillyard continues to thrive on its past. The community’s historic storefronts have become a hub for walking shoppers looking through several antique shops, Griswold said. “Now we are developing more community elements that are beneficial,” Griswold said. “One of our biggest problems was we had no restaurants. Now restaurants are starting to come in.” Griswold, who has lived
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nearby Mead plant to fuel the nation’s war effort. Change didn’t take long as NorthTown Mall then opened in 1955 and took many anchor stores away from Hillyard, said David Griswold, 70, who continues to work to preserve the community. The transition to diesel train engines then spelled the end of the yards as hundreds of jobs were sent elsewhere by 1968. Since Kaiser closed its Mead plant in 2000, Hillyard has struggled to replace those jobs. As a result, Hillyard has one of Spokane’s highest rates of poverty, some 29.6 percent. That figure is almost double Spokane Coun-
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Hillyard Skateboard Park Hillyard Jim Aquatic Hill Center Park
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Spokane’s northeast border is home to a workingclass neighborhood built during the golden era of railroads and marred by decades of economic struggle that followed. Hillyard was founded as a tax dodge by railroad magnate James J. Hill, who founded the Great Northern Railroad. In 1892, Hill, nicknamed the “Empire Builder,” placed the massive rail yards northeast of Spokane to avoid paying city taxes. The yard became the biggest rail shop west of the Mississippi, including a 20stall engine roundhouse used to repair engines, according to newspaper archives. The Hillyard shops produced the largest and most powerful steam engine to date, the R-1 Mallet, based on the designs of Swiss inventor Anatole Mallet. The city annexed the homes and storefronts in 1924 and the community got its next great economic boost in 1943 when Kaiser Aluminum opened the
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The workers in Hillyard’s famed railroad yards produced the largest and most powerful steam locomotives in the world around the turn of the century.
Perry
By Thomas Clouse THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
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in the community since 1991, sits on the board of Hillyard Community Futures. The nonprofit has raised money to paint and restore several historic murals.
Despite those efforts, Hillyard continues to struggle against the stigma of a crime-ridden area, especially the neighborhoods on the eastern border that
locals refer to as “Dog Town.” “That’s a cliche we don’t like to use,” Griswold said. “We call it ‘Upper Canine Heights.’”
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SCHOOLS
Visit our website to see a video tour
www.PaulsenCenter.com
TYLER TJOMSLAND/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
Mark Hussein, right, presents Emerlynne Terrell with the Lewis and Clark High Tiger Fund Scholarship last June during the Move-Up Convocation at LC.
Principals’ principle pitch You won’t find a cookie-cutter approach to education at area high schools By Eli Francovich
North Central High School
THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
Enrollment: 1,424 4-year graduation rate: 86.6 percent Number of classroom teachers: 84 Percentage of teachers with at least a master’s degree: 77.4 percent Free and reduced lunch rate: 52.7 percent While North Central High School might be best known for its science program, Principal Steve Fisk said that is a manifestation of something bigger. “One of the things that has maybe really separated North Central from many others is our desire and passion to innovate,” he said. That included adding middle school programs geared toward STEM studies. As Spokane Public Schools moves to change grade configurations, Fisk said North Central will also add a sixth-grade class to their middle school science program. One area that Fisk said needs improvement is student attendance. “How can we continue to work fervently with our families and our community to always emphasize the importance of daily attendance at school?” he said.
Interested in bio-medicine? Art? Athletics? Whatever it is, the state’s second-largest school district, Spokane Public Schools, likely has it. Each of Spokane’s six high schools excels at something different. And, each school has a distinct culture. So, we asked Spokane’s high school principals what they think makes their school special. *all information as of May 2017 from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.
The Community School Enrollment: 157 4-year graduation rate: 95.7 percent Number of teachers: 7 Percentage of teachers with at least a master’s degree: 42.9 percent Free and reduced lunch rate: 50 percent A project-based school, the Community School puts the impetus for learning on the students. “We attract families who are interested in something that is different than the traditional high school,” said Principal Cindy McMahon. Project-based learning, which melds traditional subjects to real-world ideas, “empowers students,” she said. Instead of teachers, the school has “facilitators of learning.” The self-motivation required to be successful at the school can be a challenge, McMahon said. “The biggest challenge is transferring the locus of control for learning to students,” she said. “They really have to unlearn habits.” But the rewards are well worth it. “Our kids really want to be here,” she said. “They build strong relationships. And part of that is through our advisory system.”
Ferris High School Enrollment: 1,706 4-year graduation rate: 87.9 percent Number of teachers: 92 Percentage of teachers with at least a master’s degree: 77.2 percent Free and reduced lunch rate: 40.2 percent The community at Ferris High School, both for students and parents, is so strong that Principal Ken Schutz said many parents don’t want their children to graduate. “Some of these parents are bummed when their kids leave school,” he said. Beloved programs like Ham on Regal have created a tight-knit culture. On top of that the school has a strong music and arts program – frequently winning state, regional and national awards. Students can also choose from more than 30 clubs and activities – including bicycle club, stage crew and robotics, among others. Finally, Schutz said teachers at Ferris High School stick around. “Our teachers stay,” he said. “That gives us some consistency.” The school hopes to improve on student engagement. “We’re making sure that our kids that are in trauma and in poverty can make it through the system,” Schutz said.
Rogers High School Enrollment: 1,482 4-year graduation rate: 82 percent Number of classroom teachers: 104 Percentage of teachers with at least a master’s degree: 66.3 percent Free and reduced lunch rate: 78.3 percent Rogers High School is a generational place, said Principal Lori Wyborney. “Kids and families are really attached to neighborhood schools,” she said. And while that’s not totally unique to Rogers it has created a strong school culture. Rogers also offers a variety of specialized academic programs – including biomedical STEM. That’s made possible through a partnership with HollisterStier Laboratories. “You know in Spokane medicine is a big deal, so a lot of our kids are interested,” she said. The school has also expanded its advanced placement programs and AP enrollment. That effort was featured in the New York Times earlier this year. The schoolhas also doubled down on the Advancement Via Individual Determination program, which helps students figure out what they want to do after school. Those initiatives are particularly important for students at Rogers because of the school’s poverty. Eighty-one percent of students come from low-income homes, Wyborney said. That’s one of the school’s unique challenges. But, it also is a testament to the school’s growth. Graduation rates have climbed steadily over the past 10 years. “My kids are amazing tolerant and accepting,” Wyborney said. “I think kids that walk into my school for the first time can almost always find a place to fit in.”
Shadle Park High School
Enrollment: 1,303 4-year graduation rate: 88.6 percent Number of classroom teachers: 82 Percentage of teachers with at least a master’s degree: 78 percent Free and reduced lunch rate: 48 percent At Shadle High School, about 20 of the teachers graduated from the school. There are multi-generational families there, said Principal Lewis and Clark High School Julie Lee. Those deep roots give the place a Enrollment: 1,805 “family feeling.” 4-year graduation rate: 87.4 percent “I think one of the things that we’re really Number of classroom teachers: 103 working toward is having those deep roots be Percentage of teachers with at least a available to all students. Because not everyone master’s degree: 73.8 percent has grown up in Spokane,” she said. “We want Free and reduced lunch rate: 34.2 percent that family feeling to be felt throughout our With a big-city, urban feel the Lewis and school.” Clark High School campus is unique in Spokane. Shadle Park has a strong business and In addition to the ambiance, Principal Marybeth marketing program, one that goes to state Smith said Lewis and Clark High School has a competitions regularly. Additionally, the high particularly strong arts and musical theater school has a preschool on campus. That allows program. Shadle Park students to learn about early Additionally, the school offers a number of childhood education and helps them make STEM programs – including robotics. career choices. The school also has a robust world language “We pride ourselves on being a and English Language Development programs, comprehensive high school,” Lee said. “There is she said in an email. something for everyone here.” “I’m very proud of all Lewis and Clark teachers,” Smith wrote in an email. “Kids leave CONTACT THE WRITER: here as exceptional writers, close readers, (509) 459-5417 critical thinkers, and valued problem solvers.” elif@spokesman.com
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NEIGHBORHOODS: LOGAN MIXING THE OLD TRADITIONS WITH THE NEW VITALITY
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Tulips reach for the sky as the sun breaks out over the Crosby House on the Gonzaga University campus at the corner of Sharp Avenue and Addison Street on April 25.
LOGAN RESIDENTS LIKE VITALITY OF HIGHER ED
A pedestrian crosses Hamilton Street near Gonzaga University.
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Having so many young adults renting in the neighborhood poses some challenges, said Amber Waldref, a Spokane city councilwoman who lives in the area. Families interested in purchasing a home in the area are competing with investors buying up properties for rentals. Waldref sees opportunities for more multifamily housing in the Logan/University District, including townhouses and condos. However, “it’s going to be the same issue Browne’s Addition is grappling with,” she said. “How do you add new housing while keeping the area’s historic Victorian character?” Karen Byrd, who has been active in the Logan
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District, with Washington State University Health Sciences-Spokane and cooperative programs with Eastern Washington University, Community Colleges of Spokane and Whitworth University. Moody Bible Institute also has a Spokane campus in the area. Besides higher and graduate education, there is Logan Elementary School, Gonzaga Prep and St. Aloysius Gonzaga Catholic School, a private elementary. Large older homes, which have been turned into rentals, make the neighborhood popular with students attending Whitworth, Eastern and WSU-Spokane as well as Gonzaga.
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When Karen and Doug Byrd bought a Victorianera home near Gonzaga University in the late 1980s, they didn’t realize how big a role the university would play in their lives. Nearly 30 years later, they’re season ticket holders to the Zags’ men’s basketball games, and Karen and the couple’s 24year-old son, Giacobbe, attended the Final Four playoffs this year. Over the years, Zags team members have played street basketball at their neighborhood block parties. The Byrds also have enjoyed drama productions, concerts and lectures at Gonzaga, which is part of Spokane’s Logan neighborhood. “It’s our big backyard,” Giacobbe said of Gonzaga’s 152-acre campus along the Spokane River. “While it didn’t bring me here, I like being in a college neighborhood,” Karen said. “Seeing the youth is one of the things that keeps me here.” The Logan/University District neighborhood is among Spokane’s most educationally rich areas, with about 10,000 college students. Gonzaga has been a presence since the late 1800s. To the south is the emerging University
About 10,000 students attend classes at a variety of colleges and universities in Spokane’s Logan/University District neighborhood. Local residents enjoy the energy that students bring to the neighborhood, but investors’ demand for rental properties makes it harder for families to buy homes in the neighborhood.
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Neighborhood Association, said local residents have been open to higherdensity development along busy aerterials. She also likes the idea of small, neighborhood businesses sprinkled throughout the area, similar to the restaurants and coffee shops in Browne’s Addition. Her family patronizes the Clover Restaurant, just east of Hamilton Street on Sharp Avenue, which they can walk to for a fine dining experience, she said. While Byrd enjoys the
vibe students bring to the neighborhood, she also thinks the area will continue to attract families. She’s a nurse and her husband works in commercial real estate. They’re both short commutes from their work. Mission Park, which was designed by the Olmstead brothers, is one of the gems of the neighborhood, with Spokane River frontage and access to the Centennial Trail, she said. The tree-lined streets also are home to a number of
landmarks, such as the old Health Library and St. Aloysius Church. Over the years, she’s noticed more people accessing the Spokane River for recreation from the neighborhood. She may join them soon: An inflatable paddle board is on her wish list. “I can see more people moving here because of quality of life,” Byrd said. CONTACT THE WRITER:
(509)459-5466 beckyk@spokesman.com
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NEIGHBORHOODS: INDIAN TRAIL CLOSE TO SPOKANE, CLOSE TO NATURE
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The Indian Trail neighborhood from Five Mile Prairie to the east to Nine Mile Falls on the west, has small-town charms with the big city nearby.
FIVE MILE, NINE MILE HAVE MUCH IN COMMON
The Lakeside Eagles have captured 20 state Class 1A championships. Boys cross country has won six titles, followed by wrestling, which has won five. Volleyball has won three championships, girls cross country and girls basketball have two each and girls tennis and girls track and field have each won one state title.
Though minutes from downtown Spokane, both suburbs share small-town feel, values
By Steve Christilaw
forget that there is an urban boating. On Five Mile Prairie, it’s area just over the horizon. The people who love these part of a great Mead School communities love their District. At Nine Mile Falls, neighbors. They just like it’s the Lakeside School Diskeeping them at arm’s length. trict and all the school pride They may love coffee as that having a hometown much as the next person, but team implies. Both spots have history. don’t feel the need to have a Five Mile Prairie boasts Starbucks on every other the home of an original setstreet corner. And they probably don’t tler to the area. John F. care if a pizza restaurant can Strong. His Queen Anne get them a pie in 30 minutes structure was built in 1879. Nine Mile Falls has a piece or less. It’s a rural feeling without of area history that dates to 1810, the historic spot where being isolated. It’s more important to Spokane House was built as a them that they have the space fur trading post inside Riverto breathe and still have good side State Park. The bottom line attraction schools nearby for their kids. On the Five Mile Prairie, to both areas is the sense of community each inspires in it’s open spaces. At Nine Mile Falls, it’s an its residents. It’s small-town idyllic spot near a gorgeous charm in a community where lake – a perfect spot to get in you really can know most of some fishing, floating or your neighbors by name.
FOR THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
There’s a tired, old Spokane joke that goes something like this: What’s the difference between Five Mile Prairie and Nine Mile Falls? Four miles. It’s never been billed as a particularly GOOD joke. But it does spark a conversation over just what it is that makes the Indian Trail neighborhood, which stretches from Five Mile Prairie to the east to Nine Mile Falls on the west, special. In many ways, they have much in common – two unique neighborhoods connected by a stretch of classic, Spokane suburbia. In both cases, once you are inside on of these respective communities, you can easily
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MOLLY QUINN/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
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Spokane has four seasons. That’s what everyone says. That’s why we live here. Summer huckleberries, fall leaves, winter snow and spring lilacs. What bounty, but what we all know is there are way more than four seasons.
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By Nicholas Deshais THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
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Breathe easy, Spokane. It’s been a hazy summer, but we are leaving the SEASON OF SMOKE, when the thick brown air makes for the most beautiful sunsets and that tickle in yo
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And then, before you know, we emerge from our wintery comas for the always popular SEASON OF THE POTHOLE. But wait! The city of Spokane says they’ve canceled this season due to engineering prowess. We laugh. Silly city. You can’t take our seasons away from us so easily. We shall freeze and melt, and our potholes will come regardless of what you say.
Next up is the SEASON OF MUSH. First those bea our moods, as we don our sweaters and scarves. Tho huge brown paper bags? What fun! But who has th into slimy, slippery patches of mush. Gross, but
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In March, we’re distracted for a little, sometimes longer than others, by GONZAGA SEASON. We’re just mad for it and forget everything else. It’s a sweet time of year. And then it’s spring and it’s getting warm. Let’s wear short sleeves! Just kidding. It’s still cold. Is that snow?
Then snow. My, my, a wintry wonderscape. The first snow magical land. Everything gets so hushed and so magnific of a mantra during the SEASON OF CITY LOATHING Why aren’t the roads ever clear in a city where it snow
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our throat isn’t a cold. It’s a reminder that we don’t live in a bubble, but in a tinder region of timber. Why, you can smell the smoke from Oregon, Montana and Idaho. Even Canada!
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autiful fall leaves. Look how magnificent they reflect ose leaves are piling up. Where’s the rake and those he time for that? Instead, the leaves will sit and rot t have no fear, soon they’ll be covered in snow.
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wfall makes us the envy of the world. It’s like we live in a ent. Except the roads. “Plow. The. Roads.” It’s something G, when we ask the same questions over and over again. ws every year? How can it be, does the city hate me?
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The mush season corresponds every other year with the SEASON OF THE YARD SIGN, when names on signs suddenly appear everywhere. Names you’ve probably never heard running for offices you didn’t know existed. Soon they all blend together until you get your ballot, when you look out the window to your least favorite neighbor’s lawn and mark any name other than the one they’re pushing.
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The SEASON OF HANGING OUT IN LARGE GROUPS is upon us. Running with 50,000 people? Sure! Playing three-on-three basketball with complete (and kind of too competitive) strangers? Why not! Music festivals, art festivals, food festivals, lake festivals, stuff, stuff, stuff to do. It’s been dark and cold so long, I’ve been so lonely, let’s all hang out! I could do this forever.
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NEIGHBORHOODS: PERRY WORKING-CLASS AREA BECOMES TRENDY
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The McEachran building on the corner of 10th Avenue and Perry Street in the Perry business district, was built by William and Lillian McEachran in 1910. It was home to a succession of grocery stores and markets through the 1950s, then used as the Altamont Drug Store for more than 45 years. Today, it is home to Title Nine sportswear and the restaurant Casper Fry.
PERRY POP-UPS BRING NEIGHBORHOOD FORTUNES
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Starting at 3 p.m., shoppers start to populate the Thursday night Perry Street farmers market.
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And while highways from different eras isolated the community, the newly paved Ben Burr Trail, the University District Gateway Bridge and the extension of Martin Luther King Jr. Way are forging connections to the city’s core. It’s not all wishful thinking. South Perry was a quiet strip of potential not even 10 years ago, similar to East Sprague now but far smaller. After the Lantern Tavern opened down the block from the longtime neighborhood coffeeshop, The Shop, the street turned a corner.
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sense of pride, the area is being called Sprague Union, and its facelift is complete with a brand new street. With the historic Checkerboard Tavern just few doors down from newcomers such as Bennidito’s Brew Pub and the Ivory Table, there’s reason to hope. The landmark McKinley School was recently purchased and is being redeveloped with an eye to more retail and offices. Book-ending the street is an affordable housing complex by Community Frameworks and a Frontier Behavioral Health clinic, both built in the last year.
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The East Central neighborhood is a land of many faces. The continued growth and popularity of South Perry Street has driven houses prices to explosive heights. Off the hill, the area around East Sprague Avenue has spent generations being cut up and disconnected by roads, including the historic Sunset Highway, I-90 and the coming North Spokane Corridor. But the neighborhood’s fortunes are brighter, and not only due to Perry’s success. The reputation of East Sprague Avenue has long been troubled, despite many attempts to renovate and re-brand the neighborhood. A decade ago, advocates tried to get us all to call the business district the International District. More recently, some in the neighborhood pushed to call it Union Park, a historic name that fell into disuse long ago. But with unprecedented investment from city funding sources, and a renewed
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THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
Liberty Park was once a 21-acre park designed by Kirtland Cutter, architect of the Davenport Hotel, with a dedicated streetcar route and the city’s first public pool. In the 1960s, 19 acres were sold to highway planners and the park was destroyed to make way for Interstate 90.
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Now, residents can get pie at South Perry Pizza, eat southern food at Caspar Fry, grab a beer in the expanded Lantern or at Perry Street Brewing, gorge on deep-fried cheese curds at the nearby Wisconsinburger, buy clothes at Title Nine, tune their bike at the Bike
Hub and more. House prices followed the retail strip’s rise, with the area’s homes becoming nearly as coveted as those in Kendall Yards and other trendy parts of town. Since its inception in the late 1800s, East Central has always been a working class
neighborhood without the shine or influence of the upper South Hill or Browne’s Addition. But with the new shops, renovated homes, new trails for cyclists and walkers and a new outlook, the words “East Central” and “East Sprague” may take on new meanings.
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Katie Bell, 29, and her dog Rugby, 7, visit The Shop in the South Perry District. They live in the neighborhood.
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NEIGHBORHOODS: GARLAND MAINTAINING THAT THROW-BACK LOOK
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The Garland Theater, a popular destination for Inland Northwest movie-goers, was established in 1945 and got a makeover in 2013.
GARLAND DISTRICT HAS FEELING OF BELONGING Property owners help revitalize area by restoring old buildings, adding to quaint feel By Chad Sokol THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
If you want to watch a movie, shop for vintage clothes, eat classic diner fare or try your hand at improv comedy, pay a visit to Spokane’s Garland District. Tucked within the North Hill neighborhood, the Garland District began to take shape in the late 1920s, not long after the installation of a streetcar system. It’s now a popular shopping destination, with bars, restaurants, thrift stores, music stores and entertainment venues all within a few blocks. Some still have original neon signs dating back to the 1950s. Julie Shepard-Hall, who runs an insurance company
on North Post Street and a women’s clothing store, ZipperZ, on Garland Avenue, said the past several years have been a period of “revitalization” for the Garland District, with investors swooping in to restore and revamp old buildings like the Masonic Temple, built in 1922. “We’re very fortunate to have some really great property owners that are willing to invest and upgrade the buildings that are here,” said Shepard-Hall, who is also the director of the Garland Business District, a nonprofit created in 2007 to promote economic development. Parts of the Garland District have been featured in three movies: the 1985 com-
ing-of-age drama “Vision Quest,” the 1980 comedy “Why Would I Lie?” and 1993’s “Benny & Joon,” starring Johnny Depp. The area is home to several of Spokane’s iconic businesses, including the Garland Theater, a discount cinema at the corner of Garland and Monroe Street that screens both vintage and almost-new movies. The theater, established in 1945, got a makeover in 2013 and won approval to serve beer and wine in its two screening rooms. Drink orders are filled at the Bon Bon, a bar just off the main lobby that also serves sandwiches and appetizers. Just down the street is the Blue Door Theatre, which offers improv comedy shows as
Long before he played Captain Jack Sparrow in “Pirates of the Caribbean,” Johnny Depp jammed forks into a couple of dinner rolls and made them “dance” along the bartop in Ferguson’s Cafe, in Spokane’s Garland District, during a scene in the 1993 romantic comedy “Benny & Joon.”
well as improv classes for children and adults. Then there’s Mary Lou’s Milk Bottle, a diner at the corner of Garland and Post known for its housemade ice cream and bottle-shaped exterior. Built around 1933 as part of the Benewah Creamery Chain, the Milk
Bottle was nearly destroyed in a fire in late 2011 but reopened the following summer after extensive repairs. Beside it is another retro diner, Ferguson’s Cafe, which also had to rebuild after the fire. If you’re in the mood for something else to eat,
there’s Kim’s Teriyaki and the Garland Sandwich Shoppe, among other options. Bars include the Garland Drinkery, Beerocracy, Rick’s Ringside Pub and the Brown Derby. The Garland Business District also hosts two annual events: the Garland Street Fair in August and “Art on Garland” in May, which features live mural painting and other forms of street art. As the area grows and changes, Shepard-Hall said businesses have worked to preserve the Garland District’s “quaint” feel and accessibility to the surrounding neighborhood. “It’s important to feel that commonness with your neighbors,” she said, “so they feel like they belong.” CONTACT THE WRITER:
(509) 459-5047 chadso@spokesman.com
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Buckeye MOLLY QUINN/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
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NEIGHBORHOODS: WEST CENTRAL ECONOMICALLY DIVERSE AREA “CHANGING EVERYDAY”
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Sabrina Ryan grew up in the West Central neighborhood, as did her mother and grandparents. When she was younger, she was a drug user, but has gotten clean and is actively involved in the community. She believes her story is indicative of the neighborhood at large. Her son, Jackson, goofs off in the window behind her.
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Walter has lived in West Central for nearly 20 years. His writing has often drawn from the scenes and people of the neighborhood. And, like Ryan, he’s seen changes. “It’s an undeniable fact that the neighborhood feels better,” he said. When he first moved there, he often wished there was a nearby coffee shop or a restaurant. With the development of Kendall Yards, an up-scale condominium development, and the influx of small businesses, like Indaba and Batch Bakeshop,
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Central’s affordability, proximity to the river and downtown as well as its historic appeal. For Jess Walter, a bestselling novelist, and a resident of West Central, the neighborhood’s diversity is a central appeal. “I think the reason I like living in an economically mixed neighborhood is you can’t get divorced from your empathy,” Walter said. “You’re always seeing people who aren’t as well off as you are. If that doesn’t give you some sense of social responsibility,” then you have no empathy.
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Hers is the story of a neighborhood. Sabrina Ryan spent eight years in jail for nearly shooting a man. Before, and after, her time in prison she was addicted to meth – cycling in and out of sobriety. She lost her children. Lost her home. At points, she nearly lost her life. But on a Tuesday morning in early September, Ryan, the mother of seven children, a college graduate and a proud resident of West Central has sidestepped all of that. “This feels like where I’m supposed to be,” she said while standing on the porch of her 1902 home on Mallon Avenue. She’s been sober for three years and works as a house cleaner. She and her husband hope to buy the home they are renting. She helps felons make the transition from incarceration to freedom. Living in West Central, a neighborhood with a reputation for crime and drugs, puts her in a good place to make a difference. And, in her three years living there, she’s already seen changes. Changes, she said, that mirror her own personal transformation. “It’s changing every day. We take a vested interest in what goes on in our neighborhood,” she said. “We care. West Central cares.” Part of the neighborhood’s appeal, for Ryan, is its diversity. There are rich, poor and middleclass households. There are recent immigrants and people who grew up in the neighborhood, all living side-by-side. They’re drawn to West
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those things now exist. “I just think it’s too cool of an area to not take off,” he said. Still, there are problems. West Central’s approximate median income is $27,000. Residents’ average life expectancy was 74 years in 2012. More than 41 percent of pregnant women in West Central smoke, according to a 2012
TYLER TJOMSLAND/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
Justice Davis with River City Youth Ops sorts produce that she helped grow at the Kendall Yards Wednesday Night Market.
Spokane Regional Health District study. Kelly Cruz, the West Central neighborhood council chairman, feels that the city has neglected the neighborhood for years. He points to roads with potholes and a longvacant stretch of railroad track left untouched. He’s hopeful about the neighborhood’s future, but he thinks it will take concentrated city investment. “We’re at the point where we are going to need some pretty significant dollars,” he said. “It’s starting to change,” he added. “(But) it’s not changing as fast as a lot of people would like to see it.” Jessie Norris bought her West Central home in 1978. And, like Walter and others, she said she was blown away by the neighborhood’s amenities. Close to downtown, yet near nature. Cheap, but full of old solid homes with “good bones.” “I feel like this neighborhood is a gem and that it has all these positive attributes,” she said. “For so long it’s just been seen as this place to avoid. I think that’s changing. As I
said before, ‘What’s not to like?’” She describes the area as a “diamond in the rough.” One that’s changing, but slowly. She hopes the city starts enforcing housing codes and penalizing absentee landlords who don’t keep properties well maintained. Those sorts of changes would improve the overall feel of the place, she said. “It took a long time for the neighborhood to get into the shape it’s in,” she said. “That’s not going to change overnight.” And while some of that change could come from the outside – from city dollars, stricter code enforcement and continued development of Kendall Yards – Sabrina Ryan is committed to doing what she can to make the neighborhood a better place for her children. “It used to be like watching ‘COPS’ out of the window,” she said while staring out her front window. “Now it’s getting to be a little more like “Little House on the Prairie.” CONTACT THE WRITER:
(509) 459-5417 elif@spokesman.com
THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
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NEIGHBORHOODS: DOWNTOWN INTEREST IN CITY CORE BRINGS WELCOME CHANGES
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downtown, and the design documents, construction equipment and new storefronts bear that out. The Downtown Spokane Partnership – the neighborhood’s biggest booster at City Hall and elsewhere – reports that $300 million will have been spent on streets and other public facilities in a 7-year period ending in 2020, and an additional 500 downtown rentals are expected to become available this year, with hundreds more planned just in the Ridpath redevelop-
ment scheduled to open in 2019. The City Council is eying a lift of the building height restrictions next door to Riverfront Park, potentially opening Spokane Falls Boulevard to housing development on street-level parking lots. A reconfiguration of Main Avenue, in early discussions at City Hall, is also intended to promote housing development on a stretch of road linking downtown with the bustling University District. Those are all signs city
officials, developers and business owners are heading in the right direction to continue interest in the city’s core, Stromberg said. “To the city’s credit, and the Downtown Spokane Partnership, and the developers who are doing projects, they all recognize there is a benefit with trying things, and looking around to see what’s working in other places and being open to them,� he said. CONTACT THE WRITER:
(509) 459-5429 kiph@spokesman.com
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Goat, which opened its new $900,000 tasting room last year. Other options include Orlison and the brewery incubator in the old Luminaria Building on South Madison Street. “Literally, six breweries in a three-block area,� Stromberg said. “Beer people know that, but I don’t think the average citizen knows that.� Stromberg said the resurgence on his block is filtering into other parts of
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go.� Outside his businesses’ window on the Carnegie Block – the name an idea of Stromberg’s mother and downtown developer Julie Wells – there’s angled parking, which dates back to at least 1990. Commuters walk into work from nearby Browne’s Addition, stopping for breakfast at mainstay Rocket Bakery then staying after work to taste beer at one of several breweries in the district, including Iron
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Everything’s waiting for you. That’s the message of downtown Spokane boosters, or at least their vision of the future. Revitalized historic buildings, like the old Ridpath Hotel, transformed into housing for those working in a vibrant and varied economic core. New options to get around, like a high-speed electric bus and dedicated bike lanes. Green spaces that serve a purpose beyond public gatherings, covering massive tanks designed to prevent sewage from spilling into the Spokane River. Gage Stromberg, owner of River City Brewing on downtown’s West End, said the city’s center is booming through experimentation. “I’m a believer in downtowns,� said Stromberg, who operated a pension business out of the Eldridge Building at 1325 W. First Ave. for a decade before opening River City with his brother. “The downtown of a community is what makes it different than any other place to
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THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
Downtown’s oldest surviving building, built in the weeks after the catastrophic 1889 fire that leveled the city, is at 427 W. Main Ave. Originally called the Bodie Block, the three-story brick structure that now houses the Nectar Tasting Room on the street level was renamed the 1889 Building in the 1970s to signify its longevity. Look for the sandstone marker on the building’s third floor facing the Parkade garage.
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Conor Ellert, left, and Maddy Halverson have a beer at River City Brewing, a recent addition to the microbrew scene in Spokane.
Brighton Court Assisted Living Community / 7FSDMFS 3E t 4QPLBOF 7BMMFZ 8"
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THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
HISTORIC BUILDINGS
A city of Modernist gems historic architecture here,” said Megan Duvall, Spokane’s city and county historic preservation officer. “But the quality of architecture produced in Spokane during that post-war era is thumbnail biographies of the architects unbelievably high for a city of this size. who made it all happen. The document These architects and their work were getting national attention.” will be unveiled Tuesday during a 3 Indeed. An apartment building on p.m. presentation at the Washington the lower South Hill, designed by Cracker Co. Building, 304 W. Pacific McClure, Adkison and Walker in 1948, Ave. was selected by the Museum of “Spokane has a great wealth of Modern Art in New York City as a mid-century architecture, evidence of standing exhibit in the museum’s the hotshot young architects coming architectural division. A residence in from the East Coast – from places like northwest Spokane designed by Walker Harvard and MIT – to this little Western city in the 1950s,” said Michael was the winner in 1951 of the national Better Living home design contest. In Houser, architectural historian for the 1959, the American Institute of Washington State Office of Historic Architects honored the newly Preservation, which provided funding constructed Washington Water Power for the project. “These people were Central Operations Campus on East really rethinking design. They brought new ideas and they ended up changing Mission Avenue, designed by Brooks and Walker, as one of the best new how the city looked in a pretty short buildings in the United States. period of time.” Part of the purpose of producing the The “hotshot young architects” to Mid-20th Century Spokane report was whom Houser referred include Royal to call the public’s attention to McClure, William Trogdon and Bruce Walker, all of whom studied at Harvard Modernist architecture and acknowledge its historic significance. under the legendary Walter Gropius, Eligibility for listing on the National founder of the famed Bauhaus school Register of Historic Places begins when of design in Germany, before arriving in Spokane. There were many others of a property is 50 years old – and Modernist buildings are coming of age. this generation whose architectural Engaging the public and creating imprint helped reshape and refine the discussion about Modernist city – Warren Heylman, Kenneth architecture is a priority, Duvall said. A Brooks, Moritz Kundig and Thomas public presentation about the Spokane Adkison among them. Mid-20th Century project is planned for “To some people, Kirtland Cutter Tuesday at 3 p.m. at the Washington probably represents or even defines
Spokane has dozens of buildings, homes from 20th-century architectural movement By Mike Schmeltzer THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
Think of it as a Modernist treasure hunt – and be advised that what you find just might surprise you. Scattered throughout Spokane is a bounty of mid-20th century architectural gems – homes, churches, schools, corporate offices, restaurants, medical facilities and more – that stand today as testimony to a time of amazing change and creativity in our community. Your treasure map has been prepared by the Spokane Historic Preservation Office and the Spokane Historic Landmarks Commission, which used federal and state grants to identify and inventory some of the city’s most interesting and important buildings from the Modernist era, which extends roughly from the end of World War II to the time of Expo ’74. Research and documentation were done by helveticka, a Spokane marketing and communications design group, and architectural historian Diana Painter. Their collective effort resulted in the Spokane Mid-20th Century Context Statement and Inventory, an ambitious architectural survey report that provides a historical overview, a primer on Modernist architecture, a roster of more than 50 significant local buildings and
Cracker Co. Building, 304 W. Pacific Ave. Over the past several months, a social media campaign run by helveticka staff has generated online interest and conversation around a webpage, at midcenturyspokane.org, and weekly Facebook postings featuring properties from the survey. So what is Modernist architecture? It’s an umbrella term describing a time period as well as a group of styles that dominated post-war design in America. “There’s an emphasis in Modernist architecture on form – and that form can be very simple or quite sculptural but without the traditional embellishment of earlier styles – and volume,” said Diana Painter, the architectural historian who did the leg work of researching and recording the properties included in the Spokane Mid-20th Century survey. “Materials are also important. You often see concrete used in a very expressive way. You see a lot of glass and steel and, here in Spokane, especially in residential work, you see an emphasis on natural materials such as wood and volcanic stone.” The survey intentionally covers a wide range of styles found under the Modernist umbrella and includes residential, commercial and institutional works on a scale from humble to grand. Following is a sampler of local mid-century Modernist buildings, culled from both the Spokane Mid-20th Century report and the Spokane Register of Historic Places:
COLIN MULVANY/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
Constructed in 1967 for $3.5 million, the 10-story Parkade Plaza parking garage was designed by Spokane architect Warren C. Heylman.
PARKADE, 511 W. MAIN ST. (WARREN HEYLMAN, ARCHITECT)
Whereas some parking garages resemble concrete bunkers, the Parkade is a sleekly elegant structure significant not only because of its exuberantly modern design but also for the significant role it played in revitalizing Spokane’s downtown. This 10-story parking palace, completed in 1967, is built in a style known as New Formalism. The building is notable for its symmetry and striking vertical columns, spaced to allow for views of the sloping interior floors. The spiraling exit ramp on the southeast corner of the structure and the huge “Parkade” sign atop the building add a bit of visual whimsy. The Parkade was built as the centerpiece of an ambitious, privately funded urban renewal effort to combat a loss of downtown business to suburban shopping centers. Upon completion, the Parkade not only provided 970 parking spaces in the heart of downtown but also gave birth to Spokane’s central Skywalk system, with the original connections linking the parking garage to the Bennett Block and leading on to what was then the Bon Marche department store. The Parkade also features street-level retail space and a public plaza at its southwestern edge. The book “Spokane Sketchbook,” published in 1974 by the University of Washington Press, waxed poetic about the Parkade. “Architect Warren Heylman designed the structure with people more in mind than cars,” author Thomas Stave wrote. “The street level is given to small shops and the entrance and exit ramps are created so
as not to interfere with pedestrian traffic. But the real people place is outside the shops, beneath the Parkade’s spiral ramp and flared concrete columns, around the spilling fountain on the patterned brick floor of the plaza. Here on a sunny afternoon the whole mosaic of Spokane life appears: all ages, all types, all reasons. There is no more perfectly suitable
place in town to meet for lunch, stage a rock concert, talk over business, preach the end of the world, garner votes, bum a dime, or simply watch people.” Heylman, a Spokane native who began working as an architect here in 1945 and retired in the 1980s, won six American Institute of Architects awards over his career and a national award from the Concrete Institute
specifically for the Parkade. Other local Heylman designs include the Spokane International Airport terminal building, the clubhouses at Liberty Lake and Hangman Valley golf courses, Riverfalls Tower, Cathedral Plaza apartment buildings, and the Spokane County Health Services Building. See MODERNIST, 15
JESSE TINSLEY/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
The former site of the Pantages Theatre on Howard Street in Spokane is now the Parkade Plaza. The building was torn down in 1958 and the space used as a parking lot until the Parkade was built.
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DISCOVER SPOKANE MODERNIST Continued from 14
AVISTA HEADQUARTERS, 1411 E. MISSION AVE. (KENNETH BROOKS AND BRUCE WALKER, ARCHITECTS)
Modernist buildings can be defined in part by construction method. Avista Headquarters (formerly the Washington Water Power Central Service Facility) in north Spokane is an iconic example of curtain-wall construction. In brief, this means that the exterior skin of the building – in this case mostly glass and thin metal panels – hangs like a curtain from an interior structural framework. The five-story Avista corporate office building, completed in 1959, is a Modernist classic and widely regarded as one of the finest of its type in the West. Spokane
COLIN MULVANY/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
The Avista headquarters building on Mission Avenue was constructed in 1957. architect Kenneth Brooks won the commission to design the office building and the entire 28-acre suburban WWP headquarters campus along the
Spokane River. Brooks assembled a collaborative team to complete the job that included Bruce Walker, Spokane artist Harold Balazs and Lawrence
Halprin, hailed as the “single most influential landscape architect of the postwar years.” The result was the first project in Washington state to receive an
AIA national First Honor award. Balazs, well-known for his public art and architectural collaborations, designed the pebble mosaic in the reflection pool in front of the main building. Halprin, who designed the grounds of the corporate campus, was later the landscape architect for the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair, San Francisco’s Ghirardelli Square and the Sea Ranch residential development on California’s Sonoma Coast. Brooks, who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in architecture from the University of Illinois, came to Spokane at the behest of an uncle living in Seattle, who advised him that the city was ripe with opportunity. He opened his own architectural firm here in 1951 and was also heavily involved in civic affairs, including planning for Expo ’74. He received a second AIA First Honor award in 1978 for his design of the art, drama and music complex at Columbia Basin College in the Tri-Cities.
SHAW MIDDLE SCHOOL, 4106 N. COOK ST.
(LAWRENCE EVANOFF, ARCHITECT) Spokane County’s population boomed during the war years and immediately after, thanks largely to a growing military presence and two new Kaiser Aluminum plants. These new families created a need for new schools. Completed in 1959, Shaw Middle School in northeast Spokane represents a popular Modernist school design incorporating features that were quite progressive at the time and have since proven very serviceable. In fact, two other local middle schools – Glover in northwest Spokane and Sacajewea on the South Hill – are clones essentially built from the same plans. Long and low, single-story Shaw is a classic example of scholastic architecture’s “finger plan” – a series of narrow classroom wings extending from a central spine. This design creates a series of small courtyards between wing extensions, giving each classroom, through individual banks of windows, visual access to the outdoors. Inside, classroom spaces get good natural lighting and ventilation. The relatively low classroom ceilings are intended to create an intimate learning environment. The building’s central hallway spine allows students easy movement between classrooms and becomes a de facto social space. The Modernist motif is notably capped
COLIN MULVANY/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
John Shaw Middle School was opened in 1959 and is an example of mid-century architecture. by a butterfly-shaped roofline with an unusually shallow pitch and deep eaves. Viewed from the ends of the school’s four “fingers,” this creates a pleasing undulation. Shaw was designed by Lawrence Evanoff, himself a product of Spokane Public Schools. Evanoff graduated from Lewis and Clark High School in 1936 and, with no formal training, went to work for an architectural firm in Detroit. He
returned to Spokane and worked as a site planner for Whitehouse and Price, then as chief draftsman for architect G.A. Pehrson. In 1943, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Force, serving in the South Pacific. After the war, he enrolled in the architecture program at the University of Washington. Upon graduation, he briefly taught architecture at the University of Idaho before opening his own firm in Spokane.
Evanoff gained national attention as an advocate of Modernist design with articles in newspapers and magazine, including Arts & Architecture. His 1952 design for a residence on Spokane’s South Hill was featured in Better Homes & Gardens “Five Star Homes” series. Evanoff also designed the Publications Building and the Agricultural Engineering Laboratory on the Washington State University campus.
TROGDON HOUSE, 1918 S. SYRINGA ROAD (WILLIAM AND DOROTHY TROGDON, ARCHITECTS)
DAN PELLE/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
Stephan Dental Building is located at corner of Post Street and Indiana Avenue.
STEPHAN DENTAL 731 W. INDIANA AVE.
(ROYAL MCCLURE AND THOMAS ADKISON ARCHITECTS) This small commercial building has a clean, horizontal form that is elegant in its simplicity. The design offers a rich display of materials – wood, stone, concrete and glass – that provides texture and pattern in place of traditional architectural detailing and embellishment. Built in 1950 by brothers Walter and Robert Stephan to house their dental practices, the building is “one of the earliest expressions of modern architecture in Spokane,” according to a 1967 publication of the local AIA chapter. The flat roof over post-and-beam structural framework and large window banks are hallmarks
FARLINE HOUSE, 2205 E. GIRARD PLACE (FRANK TORIBARA, ARCHITECT)
Built in 1953, this is a handsome local version of a mid-century ranch style popularized in California by Joseph Eichler, a real estate developer who often contracted with disciples of Frank Lloyd Wright in his effort to bring high-end modern design to the masses. The low-slung house strikes
of Modernist design. A long stone wall, running north-south and enclosing a small courtyard at the rear of the building, further helps define the character of this style. Architects Royal McClure and Thomas Adkison were classmates at the University of Washington, receiving undergraduate degrees in 1941, then working together at a major Seattle firm. McClure went to Harvard’s Graduate School of Design for a master’s degree before the two reunited in Spokane, where they established their own firm in 1947. McClure and Adkison designed schools, hospitals, churches, civic buildings and homes throughout the region. In Spokane, their notable projects include the U.S. Courthouse and Federal Building, designed in collaboration with three other firms. After McClure moved to Seattle, Adkison was architect of the Expo ’74 site plan.
an elegant, angular pose that seems to flow across the wide lawns of its corner lot on the lower South Hill. The shallow-pitched roof with broad overhanging eaves, supported by exposed beams, the cedar siding with brick accents, and the banks of floor-to-ceiling windows both front and back are classic elements of this design type. Somehow, the single-story house seems more substantial than its 2,100-square-foot measurement. That’s part of the beauty of the best residential architecture of this era, when
Built in 1963, this home is an excellent example of mid-century modern residential design executed in the regional style. As is typical of the Northwest tradition, the home appears almost as if it has sprouted naturally from its forested surroundings. Constructed of concrete and wood, the three-level home’s east-facing façade offers asymmetrical window placement and minimal ornamentation, achieving a powerfully massive yet pleasing stance against a steep, wooded hillside. It has a low-pitched roofline with widely overhanging eaves. The north end of the home features full-width walls of glass on both the first and second floors, flooding interior spaces with soft natural light. Floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors on both levels connect indoor and outdoor living spaces, here a grade-level patio and an upper-floor balcony. The Trogdon House is listed on the Spokane Register of Historic Places not only because it embodies important architectural characteristics but also because it represents the work of a master architect – or in this case two. William and Dorothy Trogdon both earned master’s degrees in architecture in 1952 from Harvard University’s acclaimed Graduate School of Design. This home – which the Trogdons designed as their own family residence – is in many ways a crowning collaborative achievement of two highly successful practitioners. At Harvard, William Trogdon was a
KATHY PLONKA/THE S-R
Farline House was built in ranch style popularized in California. even middle-class homes had real high-class swagger. The couple for whom this house was designed and built,
KATHY PLONKA/ THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
Trogdan House is a prime example of mid-century residental design. favorite pupil of Walter Gropius, who since 1938 had been chairman of the architecture department at the Graduate School of Design. Gropius, founder of Germany’s famed Bauhaus School of Design, had fled to America after the Bauhaus was shut down by the Nazi regime. He hand-picked William Trogdon to study in his intimate Walter Gropius Studio and later hired him to work briefly at his firm in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Trogdons were married in 1952 and relocated to Spokane in 1953. William Trogdon had a long and successful architectural practice in Spokane. During that time, he was involved in various partnerships with the city’s other top architects and had a hand in many prominent commercial, civic and residential projects. In spite of her Harvard training, Dorothy Trogdon found it difficult to crack the men’s club that was the architectural field in the 1950s. She instead worked primarily as an interior decorator and home furnishings adviser, most notably for Joel Inc., from 1956 until 1976, where she helped the downtown store become Spokane’s leading modern furnishings shop.
Louis and Ruth Farline, were fairly ordinary folks. He was a railroad engineer who later worked as a maintenance supervisor at Kaiser; she worked for a time as a receptionist at KHQ but was mostly a stay-at-home mom to their son, according to the Polk City Directory. Clearly, they did have the courage and cultured taste to hire a good architect: Frank Toribara, who had recently moved to Spokane from Seattle to open his own firm. Toribara was a Japanese-American who
began working in Seattle after receiving his architecture degree from Washington State University in 1938. His career was sidetracked by a forced stay at the Minidoka internment camp during World War II. Toribara came to Spokane shortly after the war’s end and lived and worked here until shortly before he died in 2015. Along with numerous homes, his commissions include the Highland Park United Methodist Church and the former Farmers and Merchants Bank on East Sprague Avenue.
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SEPTEMBER 24, 2017
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CULTURAL ARTS
DAN PELLE/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
Bloomsday participants pound their way up Doomsday Hill on May 7.
Ten events, places to experience in Spokane Art, food, music, outdoor activities – there’s something for everyone By Azaria Podplesky THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
Since 2001, First Night Spokane has helped the city kick off the new year on the right foot with an eclectic mix of musicians, magicians, crafts, theater and dance throughout various venues downtown. Last year’s event, with the theme “Midnight in Wonderland,” also featured Kids Night Out from 3:30-5:30 p.m. Those braving the cold between events enjoyed hot chocolate and bonfires, which came in handy during the closing ceremony, which featured fireworks and, of course, a countdown to the new year. Last year, admission buttons were $15-$18, and children under 10 were free with adult paid admission. On the first Sunday in May, you can practically feel the ground shake as thousands of runners, chair rollers, walkers and stroller pushers of all ages and athletic abilities from around the world descend on the streets of downtown Spokane for the annual Lilac Bloomsday Run. Celebrating its 41st birthday this year, the 12-kilometer Bloomsday course is lined with people cheering participants on, with many selling bottled water and popsicles. There is also always plenty of entertainment along the way thanks to more than two dozen musicians set up at various points along the route. There’s still plenty of time to get ready for the 2018 Bloomsday run; lace up your shoes and mark your calendars for May 6. On the third weekend in May, when, appropriately, the lilacs are in full bloom, the Spokane Lilac Festival Armed Forces Torchlight Parade takes over downtown Spokane, a.k.a the Lilac City. The morning of the parade, the Cruzin’ the Falls Car Show, featuring hot rods and classic cars, is held along Spokane Falls Boulevard. It’s around this time that people stake out
the best spot for the Torchlight Parade, which begins at 7:45 p.m. The largest of its kind in the nation, the parade features nearly 300 entries, including floats and regional bands, all in support of local military heroes. The 2018 parade will be held May 19. For those who wish it was March Madness all year round, Spokane is home to Hoopfest, the world’s largest three-on-three outdoor basketball tournament. Every summer during the last weekend of June (the 2018 competition will be held June 30 and July 1), more than 6,000 teams in a variety of divisions, including elite, standard and high school elite, play 14,000 games on 450 courts spread out over 45 city blocks. All the while, 3,000 volunteers help things run smoothly while 225,000 fans cheer players on. Golden State Warriors star Kevin Durant stopped by the 2017 event, showing even pros can’t resist the Hoopfest hype. If there’s one thing that marks summer in Spokane, it’s music festivals. The week-long Musicfest Northwest kicks things off in May, culminating in a Festival Highlights concert, but things really get going in June. This year, Artfest, an art, music and food festival hosted by the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture, and Volume, a two-day festival, kicked off the local festival season. Volume brought acts like Built to Spill and Chastity Belt to town, while acts like the Donkeys and Dustin Thomas performed at Elkfest, held in Browne’s Addition, the next weekend. Unifest brought art, music and dance to downtown in July, and Grouplove headlined this year’s Gleason Fest, which was inspired by Spokane native Steve Gleason and benefits the Gleason Initiative Foundation’s mission to help those with ALS. The newest addition, the Tinnabulation Music Festival, closed Spokane’s festival season by bringing OK Go, American Authors, the
John Butler Trio and more to Riverfront Park in September. In the mood for bacon-wrapped burgers? Pig Out in the Park has a booth for that. Have a hankering for oysters on a stick? Pig Out can help. Want to try a deep-fried pickle or deep-fried caramel apple? Check and check. The annual food and music festival, which was held Aug. 30-Sept. 4 in Riverfront Park, features 44 food booths and 225 menu items, some more unusual than others. There are also three adult beverage gardens and 85 free concerts on three stages. There’s also a public market to browse while you’re chowing down. Oh yeah, and admission and the concerts are free. With five gardens, a conservatory, a duck pond, walking and biking paths, and playgrounds, it’s no wonder why Manito Park attracts more than 150,000 visitors every year. Located on the South Hill, the 90-acre park is truly a year-round attraction. Visitors can take in the Nishinomiya Tsutakawa Japanese Garden, Duncan Park or Rose Hill in the spring and find some space to lounge in the shade during the summer. The multicolored leaves are a striking sight in the fall, and in the winter, bundle up and head to the park’s Gaiser Conservatory, where plants are decked out in holiday lights. Since it opened in 1916, the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture has been a local institution, inviting curious visitors young and old to learn more about both the region and the world at large. The museum’s permanent collection features more than one million artifacts, including fine art and material culture from North and South America, Europe and Asia, and the neighboring Campbell House gives visitors a glimpse into the life of a prominent Spokane family. Current exhibits highlight the Spokane-filmed sci-fi show “Z Nation,” art by Melissa Cole and Ric Gendron, concepts of
chemistry as communicated through poetry and art from students at the Community School in Spokane, contemporary Northwest art and the life of an artifact. Though most of Riverfront Park is currently under construction, it still remains a popular attraction. And with so much to do there, it’s easy to see why. Paved walkways and the Centennial Trail draw in runners and bikers, and attractions like the SkyRide gondola and the Looff Carrousel, set to open this fall and early next year, respectively, and the Radio Flyer red wagon, created by artist Ken Spiering, appeal to the family crowd. Visitors can take self-guided tours of the sculptures in the park, and Expo ’74 relics, especially the Sister Paula Turnbull-designed Garbage Eating Goat, still make for impressive pit stops. Events like Pig Out in the Park, outdoor movies and the Tinnabulation Music Festival also keep Spokanites coming back to the park. Riverside State Park is just a short drive from downtown Spokane, but once there, looking at the river as it winds through the trees, it can seem like you’re much farther away. The 14,000-acre park draws thousands of visitors throughout the year who take advantage of all it has to offer. Mountain bikers and hikers can explore 55 miles of trails or check out the 40-mile mixed-use Centennial Trail. For equestrians, there is a horse-friendly campground, 25 miles of trail and an obstacle course with a 60-foot round pen. Boaters, anglers and water sport enthusiasts can hit the Spokane River, and there is a 600-acre off-road vehicle riding area for dirt bikes and snowmobilers. Weekend warriors and full-time adventurers alike will be happy to know Riverside State Park is open year round. CONTACT THE WRITER:
(509) 459-5024 azariap@spokesman.com
JESSE TINSLEY/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
The Bowl and Pitcher rock formations sit, covered with snow, around the rapids of the Spokane River at Riverside State Park near Spokane. Hoopfest teams play their three-on-three basketball games along Main Street. COLIN MULVANY/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
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NEIGHBORHOODS: MEAD BEDROOM COMMUNITIES HAVE RICH HISTORIES
7.3
1,013.6
$56,042
$269,400
$835
46
Square miles
Population density
Median household income
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Median age
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Mill Rd.
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Trading Company retains a general-store atmosphere. Today, the overall north region’s suburban neighborhoods attract both retirees and families, the latter often drawn to the Mead School District or nearby private schools: Northwest Christian and Saint George’s. It’s home also to Peone Prairie and Green Bluff, an agricultural-tourism destination with more than 30 small farms offering Upick produce and seasonal outdoor activities. Another visitor draw is Cat Tales, a wildlife park and zoo along the Newport Highway. The now-defunct, sprawling Kaiser Mead smelter plant rose during World War II and attracted nearby development by the 1940s. Although the plant is being removed in sections for commercial development, the TV show “Z Nation” is filmed regularly around its decaying industrial spaces.
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Neighborhoods to the north of Spokane — Mead, Colbert, Fairwood and Wandermere — have held on to their largely residential and rural feel through the decades. With agricultural roots, Mead got its start in 1887 when settler James Berridge homesteaded 160 acres. Historians say his selection for a town name was inspired by Gen. George Meade, briefly Berridge’s commanding officer in the Union Army. The lore falls short in explaining why the second “e” was dropped when Berridge opened the post office by late 1889. The town had a few early enterprises, including a blacksmith shop, hotel and general store. Today, Mead is largely residential, said Greg Anderson, a division chief at Fire District 9. He grew up in Whitworth Terrace when most
land to the north was vacant. “Really, the 1960s through the 1980s is when all the areas north became a bedroom community of Spokane,” Anderson said. Early neighborhoods in Fairwood drew residents some 50 years ago and led to the commercial hub of Fairwood Shopping Center. Along West Hastings Road, that center hosts a regular farmers market. More recent commercial development at Wandermere created a larger retail shopping and entertainment center, from restaurants to Village Cinemas and Wandermere Golf Course in the Little Spokane River Valley. Colbert originally was called Drygoon, but the name was changed in 1902 after early postmaster William H. Colbert. The town once boasted five sawmills, three saloons, and five stores among other enterprises. Today, it’s also mostly residential, though Colbert
Mead/ Fairwood/ Wandermere/ Colbert
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By Treva Lind THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
Elk-Chattaroy Rd.
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Mead, Colbert, Fairwood and Wandermere neighborhoods remain residential
Chattaroy
Five Mile
NORTH HAS RURAL FEEL
2 BEDROOM
Assembly
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Mead at its founding had an “e” on the end, historians say, because the name was inspired by Gen. George Meade, a commanding officer in the Union Army. It’s not clear why that was dropped a couple of years later when the town’s founder James Berridge opened its post office in 1889. Colbert’s name changed too, from early days as the town of Drygoon. Mead High School is seen as school ends on a recent day.
TYLER TJOMSLAND/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
NEIGHBORHOODS: SHADLE “FAMILY-FRIENDLY” AREA TAKES PRIDE IN HOMES
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5643.7
$39,858
$163,300
$816
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Square miles
Population density
Average household incom35
Median home price
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Average age
IN SQUARE MILES
3 BEDROOM
LASTING ’50s CHARM Division
Wall Ridgeview Elem.
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Glover M.S.
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Less than a mile south of Shadle Park is Drumheller Springs, where the first America-style school was built in the entire Oregon Territory in 1830. It's currently a 12-acre park and historical site.
Francis
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more sizable high schools in the Northwest. The site selected for the school and neighboring park was land donated to the city by Josie Comstock Shadle in 1944. The park, where the water tower is located, is one of the more popular picnic spots in town and often hosts concerts. The Spokane Public Library, baseball fields, tennis courts and the sizable pool, the Shadle Aquatic Center, are also in the park. In 1968, Shadle Park’s baseball field was the first in the city to offer lights for nighttime games. Loma Vista Park, which also offers picnic areas, a playground and a soccer field, is also in the area.
Dr
Shadle Park’s iconic drum-shaped water tower didn’t always bare the colors of its nearby high school. Ron Brooks, who graduated from Shadle Park High in 1973, remembers riding his bike past the 4.8million-gallon tank in the 1960s before it was painted green and gold. Brooks saw plenty more changes in the northwest Spokane neighborhood during his lengthy teaching tenure as the school’s 37year varsity baseball coach. From the erection of the Shadle Shopping Center – restaurants, grocery outlets and retail stores cur-
Salk M.S.
A St.
THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
rently pack the Wellesley Avenue location – to its ample parks and recreation facilities, it became more than a residential area of post-World World II ranch-style houses. If one thing has remained the same in the primarily middle-class area, though, it’s the third-generation homes, most still in good condition, giving this neighborhood its charm. “There’s a lot of togetherness and tradition,” Brooks said of the area. “There’s a lot of pride in those homes. Very family-friendly.” In the 1940s and ’50s, Shadle Park was one of the more booming areas in Spokane, warranting the structure of one of the
ile
By Ryan Collingwood
eM Fiv
Building boom supplied lots of ranch-style homes near green and gold water tank
Buckeye 0
2,000 feet
MOLLY QUINN/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
SEPTEMBER 24, 2017
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NEIGHBORHOODS: AUDUBON NEIGHBORS WATCH OUT FOR NEIGHBORS
2.57
3,568.1
$51,970
NA
NA
51.8
40
Square miles
Population density
Median household income
Median home price
Average rental
Crime rate
Median age
IN SQUARE MILES
CRIMES PER 1,000
PUT IT IN PARK
Issac Rogers, age 13, catches himself after slipping off his skateboard at Audubon Park during a break from his home school classes .
Tight-knit neighbors look out for each other By Mike Prager THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
DAN PELLE/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
One of the area’s notable residents was Olympic distance runner Gerry Lindgren, who used to run through the Downriver neighborhood as a teenager. Wellesley
Bowl and Pitcher
businesses. One of its defining landmarks is Audubon Park, which was established in 1905 and named after John James Audubon, a famous ornithologist. Each year, Spokane residents head over to Audubon and Shadle parks with lawn chairs, blankets and picnics for the “Concerts Under the Pines” series. In a neighborhood characterized by modest well kept homes, Frazier said, “The special sauce is that people are really tight and friendly.”
Sp
L.
AudubonDownriver
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2,000
Rivers ide State Park
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No
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.
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Go ver nm ent Wa y
N
Downriver Golf Course
Downriver Park
Shadle Park
Glover M.S.
Shadle Park H.S.
Garland Ash Maple
re y
Shadle Center
Finch Elem.
Audubon Park
Alberta Cochran
Au b
A St.
VA Medical Center
oll isc Dr
A fairly quiet neighborhood, the Audubon and Downriver area sits in the northwestern part of the city. Victor Frazier, outgoing chairman of the Audubon-Downriver Neighborhood Council, said the neighborhood is made up of a loyal community of neighbors who watch out for each other and are willing to help out. “First and foremost, I think it’s the people,” he said. A police crime analyst studied crime reports for the neighborhood and discovered that Audubon-Downriver has the highest apprehension rate for burglars, thieves and other types of criminals, he said. The neighborhood is home to Northwest COPS crime prevention office at Shadle Center. “Neighbors watch out for neighbors,” Frazier said. Under the city’s neighborhood council structure, Audubon-Downriver was part of the Northwest Neighborhood until 2015, when the neighborhood split off Audubon-Downriver because the previous arrangement was too big to keep well organized. Now, Audubon-Downriver is bounded by Wellesley Avenue on the north, Ash Street on the east, Fairview Avenue on the south and the Spokane River on the west Frazier has served as a neighborhood council officer under both arrangements since 2003 and will continue in the coming year as Audubon-Downriver treasurer. Frazier said the area is now blessed with a group of locally-owned small businesses with owners who support neighborhood projects, especially the summer concerts. Those businesses include River Ridge Hardware, Downriver Grill, the Flying Goat restaurant, Judy’s Enchanted Garden, the Little Garden Café and Fieldhouse pizza and brew pub among other
Courtland
Drumheller Springs . ach Park J . T en Audubon Me Elem. P
et te t
MOLLY QUINN/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
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THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
NEIGHBORHOODS: ROCKWOOD OLD SOUTH HILL HAS OLD MONEY, CHARM
1.19
3,675.6
$75,921
$312,700
$906
41.6%
42
Square miles
Population density
Average household income
Median home price
Average rental
Crime rate
Average age
2 BEDROOM
CRIMES PER 1,000
IN SQUARE MILES
N
Lincoln Heights Freya
Ray
Perry
Lincoln Heights shopping center
Adams Elem.
Regal
Crestline
37th
Dr.
rose
Lincoln Heights Elem.
Thornton Murphy Park
st
Hutton Elem.
Glen
Havana
Rockwood Blvd.
29th
High
All Saints Catholic School
Lincoln Park
Rockwood
Manito Shopping Center
Thor
Franklin Elem. 17th
a the Sou vd. Bl
Manito Park
d. Blv
wood neighborhood itself has only three small city parks – triangular patches of green along Garfield Road – although it has significant stretches of green space, particularly around the Hutton Elementary School, a stucco and tile roof structure built in the 1920s and renovated in 2014-15. But the neighborhood is sandwiched between two of
14th
18th
nd
rounded basalt pillars topped with birdhouses at Rockwood and 11th Avenue, and Hatch Road and Highland Boulevard. The pillars aren’t mentioned in books of the famous architect’s works, but they are similar to features he put in other projects. The Olmsteds and their company also designed the the city’s park system. Rock-
Rockwood Bakery
Gra
One of Spokane’s oldest and most storied neighborhoods starts on the lower South Hill, not far from where two of its oldest boulevards, Grand and Rockwood, nearly intersect at the edge of Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center. While Rockwood is the street that gives the neighborhood its name, Grand has what is arguably its most impressive structure, The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist. With its classic Gothic architectural styling, it would look at home in a “Masterpiece Theatre” miniseries on PBS. Rockwood Boulevard became the address for Spokane’s nouveau riche who were making fortunes in mining, retail and professional services in a city that saw its population swell from 37,000 in 1900 to 104,000 by 1920. The neighborhood surrounding the boulevard was designed by the Olmsted Brothers Landscape Architectural Firm, with curving tree-lined streets designed to take advantage of natural features like the basalt bluffs that overlook the city. Legend has it that Kirtland Cutter designed the
14th
Underhill Park
Ninth
Grant Park
Grand
THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
For 40 years, Eastern Washington’s congress had strong ties to the Rockwood Neighborhood. Democrat Tom Foley was raised in Rockwood, and his parents still lived there while he was in Congress. George Nethercutt, the man who beat him in 1994, lived just a few blocks from Foley’s parents’ old home on Rockwood Boulevard. The current member of the House, Cathy McMorris Rodgers doesn’t have a Rockwood Neighborhood address, but her Spokane home address is six blocks west of the boundary near Manito Park.
Bernard
By Jim Camden
Sacred Heart Medical Center
Perry
Rockwood is one of city’s most storied areas; Lincoln Heights homes display eclectic style
Freya
29TH AVENUE ANCHORS TWO HISTORIC DISTRICTS
Ferris Ferris H.S. H.S.
Chase M.S.
37th
0 1,000 feet
MOLLY QUINN/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
the city’s largest neighbor- relatively recent. When hood parks: Manito Park, originally built, it was served just across Grand, and Lin- by small “mom and pop” coln Park, across Southeast grocery stores. The last one, Boulevard where Rockwood Rockwood Market at 18th intersects. Lincoln Park has and Latawah, hung on until upper and lower sections 1998 and has been converted and lends its name to Lin- into Rockwood Bakery. Lincoln Heights, howcoln Heights, where home construction began in the ever, is bisected by 29th, mid-1920s and continued for which has stores, resdecades as Spokane grew taurants and offices along east and south, so the homes much of its route through are an eclectic mix of styles the neighborhood, including ranging from Craftsman to the shopping area at Regal rancher to midcentury mul- Street. The Lincoln Heights tilevels. Rockwood has little com- neighborhood starts below mercial development except Lincoln Park along Altaalong Grand and its south- mont and 11th Avenue, ern boundary of 29th Av- stretches to the city’s eastern enue, and some of that is boundary on Havana and
covers perhaps twice as much area as Rockwood. A second park, ThorntonMurphy, borders the Lincoln Heights Shopping Center, and its public elementary schools include Franklin, Adams and, of course, Lincoln Heights. Ferris High School is near Adams, just across the southern boundary of 37th Avenue, and Chase Middle School borders its southeastern tip. All Saints Elementary is at 18th and Freya, and All Saints Middle School is at 33rd and Perry. CONTACT THE WRITER:
(509) 879-7461 jimc@spokesman.com
NEIGHBORHOODS: MANITO DEVELOPED STREETS AND TREE-SHADED SIDEWALKS “THE EPITOME OF NEIGHBORHOOD”
4,795.9
$83,229
$277,900
$906
Square miles
Population density
Average household income
Median home price
CHURCH SUNDAYS’ SURGE
Cedar
Cataldo Catholic School Manito Park
d. Blv nd
Gra
Lincoln
st ea uth . So lvd B
Roosevelt Elem.
Cannon Hill Park
29th
Comstock Pool Comstock Park 33rd
Comstock Hi
17th
Rockwood Blvd.
Southside Christian School
Sacajawea M.S.
Manito Shopping Center Southside Montessori Elementary
an
. Dr
Jefferson Elem.
k ee Cr
Grand
gh
37th
Manito Blvd.
Manito
Wilson Elem.
m
kane
Roa d
195
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Dr.
The Creek at Qualchan Golf Course
High
Manito Golf and Country Club
N
Che
green spaces like Manito Park, Starbuck said. Though church attendance in Washington – part of the “Unchurched Belt” where lack of religious affiliation is common – and participation in community organizations and clubs is lower today than when Manito and Comstock first developed, Price said the move away from church Sundays doesn’t mean neighbors aren’t meeting in the park and being part of the community. Under his leadership, Manito Presbyterian has opened itself more to the community and actively engaged as a good neighbor through fun public events and community work, Starbuck said. Rather than try to recruit anyone, the church hopes to create an atmosphere of hospitality and act as a neighborhood gathering place, he said. “In these neighborhoods, there’s just a tremendous spirit of cooperation,” Starbuck said.
Average age
CRIMES PER 1,000
17th
ng
When Manito Presbyterian Church had its first Sunday service nearly 110 years ago, parishioners traveled along the dirt path that was 29th Avenue by horseback to the corner of 30th Avenue and Latawah Street where the church still stands today. While many people at that time lived in the city’s downtown, the church and most of its early members made their homes on the southern outskirts of Spokane, bordered by small farms and swampland, said Jim Price, a community historian and former contributor to The Spokesman-Review. “It was really a primitive area,” Price said. “Manito Presbyterian and (nearby) Manito United Methodist really grew up with their neighborhoods.” Primitive is not a word typically associated with the cozy and verdant neighborhoods that Manito Presbyterian Church straddles: Ma-
nito, Comstock and Rockwood. And this is no mistake, Price said. Utilizing a few different styles, Manito was deliberately built over 25 years as a residential community – requiring developed streets and tree-shaded sidewalks – to be “the epitome of neighborhood,” he said. Comstock, with its iconic ranchers, developed later in a different style following World War II on lands donated to the city by the Comstock-Shadle family, who owned the Spokane Dry Goods Company. Neighborhoods change gradually, but Rev. Scott Starbuck said he has seen his community – like the rest of the nation – become ever busier in the 15 years since he began leading Manito Presbyterian. But he said he also sees neighbors actively working to connect and get to know on another. Residents of Manito and Comstock are also strongly invested in their community, building lives around excellent schools and beautiful
Crime rate
2 BEDROOM
14th
Ha
By Drew Gerber
Average rental
Rosauer’s
Manito sees shift from ‘primitive’ to residential THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
44
Bernard
IN SQUARE MILES
26.8
Perry
.98
0
2,000 feet
57th MOLLY QUINN/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
Comstock Park opened in 1938. The Spokesman-Review reported residents could “witness every conceivable sport in the park in progress.” Spokanehistorical.org writes “people were playing touch football, tennis, horseshoes, cricket, volleyball, paddle tennis, checker names, and swimming.”
THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
SEPTEMBER 24, 2017
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NEIGHBORHOODS: SOUTHGATE STILL ROOM TO GROW
2.23
3,684.3
$59,721
NA
$975
61.6
38
Square miles
Population density
Average household income
Median home price
Average rental
Crime rate
Average age
2 BEDROOM
CRIMES PER 1,000
IN SQUARE MILES
DAN PELLE/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
Apartment construction near the corner of 57th Avenue and Palouse Highway is a sign of growth in Moran Prairie, Spokane’s only district center that isn’t already built out.
lan Road, and later the railroad, opened the area for pioneers and fruit orchards that spanned the Moran and Glenrose prairies. Barely 20 years ago, the Spokane city limits ended at 44th and Regal. Cows grazed at one corner and the nearest stoplight was in Lincoln Heights. The dining choices were upscale Luna and McDo-
nald’s, with almost nothing in between. Now there are 21 restaurants within half a mile of 44th and Regal. Three are inside the strip mall that’s anchored by a Target store – a project that was either long overdue or totally unnecessary, depending on your point of view. Yes, the Southgate neighborhood is growing up. East of the strip mall,
44th Shopko
Southeast Sports Complex
Pa l Target
ou
se
53rd
Hw y.
MORAN PRAIR IE
Ha tc hR d.
Glenrose
Southgate
Ferris Ferris H.S. H.S.
Havana
Thurston Regal
As the sun rises over Browne’s Mountain, it reveals everything Moran Prairie residents love about their neighborhood. Enticing parks, great schools, safe neighborhood and restaurants for almost every taste … the southeast corner of Spokane has it all. And it holds them in the best location: 8 miles to downtown Spokane and even closer to some of the best hiking and biking trails in Spokane County. Want to cool off on a hot summer day? The countyowned Southside Aquatic Center is among the best in the area. At 65th and Regal, canines and their owners enjoy one of the top dog parks in the county. From Glenrose to Hangman Valley to the bluffs off High Drive, trails beckon and hundreds answer, every day and all day long. That much has never changed despite a whirlwind of change in the Southgate neighborhood. Five generations ago, Mul-
Crestline
THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
When pioneer and farmer Joseph Morin (the namesake for the Moran Prairie) was killed by an angry bull in 1889, his neighbor and friend Mr. Weger donated land for Mr. Morin’s grave. The spelling was later changed to Moran. The land was eventually developed as the Moran Cemetery, located at the northwest corner of South Regal Street and 65th Avenue.
Perry
By Jim Allen
Adams Elem.
37th
Freya
Just 8 miles from downtown, southeastern neighborhood also boasts great schools, parks
Ray
MORAN PRAIRIE OFFERS HOT DINING, COOL POOL
57th Mullan Road Elem.
South Hill Dog Park
Albertsons
Moran Cemetery
Southside Family Aquatic Facility
65th
Moran Prairie Elem.
61st
N
South Palouse 0 1,000 feet
MOLLY QUINN/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
high-density apartment complexes straddle the Old Palouse Highway. Traffic is becoming highdensity as well, which poses a question: What next for the prairie? Ted Teske, chairman of the Southgate Neighborhood Council, points out that Moran Prairie is the only district center in Spokane that isn’t already built out.
“It’s one place where you have the potential to realize what that core can be,” said Teske, who hopes the city shares his group’s vision for a pedestrianfriendly, mixed-use neighborhood like Kendall Yards. “We’re doing what we do to encourage development to happen without vehicles, and there are some good people in the ci-
ty who want to work on that,” Teske said. The 44th Avenue Trail project is a step in that direction. It already stretches from Ben Burr Park to Freya; soon, apartment dwellers will have another enticement to walk to nearby businesses. CONTACT THE WRITER:
(509)459-5437 jima@spokesman.com
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NEIGHBORHOODS: LIBERTY LAKE “SPOKANE’S INLAND SEASHORE” MAKES SUCCESSFUL TRANSITION
6.1
1,354.4
$64,270
$313,800
$1,079
35.4
Square miles
Population density
Median household income
Median home price
Average rental
Median age
IN SQUARE MILES
2 BEDROOM
LIBERTY LAKE STARRED AS RECREATION SITE THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
Trent
Wellesley
290
SPOKANE VALLEY
Greenacres
Mirabeau
t Tren
Skyview Elem.
Starr
Progress
Wellesley
East Valley H.S.
Otis Orchards Elem.
Harvard
By Mike Prager
In 1959, Liberty Lake was measured at 781 acres with nearly 5.5 billion gallons of water. Its deepest spot was 30 feet, and its prime trout fishing back in the day was said to be the result of a bottom that was fairly even at 20 to 25 feet in depth, giving trout maximum forage. The regulated lake elevation is 2,049.51 feet.
Sullivan
City thriving on its own
N
Euclid
Euclid
Molter
Evergreen
Flora
Pines
Barker
The Spokane euphemism for “going to the lake” in the Indiana Spokane summer traces back to one of LIBERTY Mission Valley Mall Otis Orchards/ LAKE the most important early destinations for recreation – 90 Liberty Lake Broadway Liberty Liberty Lake. Lake ay w Central e l Today, the lake is lined Elem. 27 App Sprague Valley with private homes, but for H.S. LIberty much of the 20th century, it 0 4,000 Eighth Shelley Lake was truly a playground. Lake feet Prior to being settled, the lake was a gathering place MOLLY QUINN/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW for local tribes and summer celebrations. A few years earlier, the Homestead and Meadow“The story goes it was a county planning board wood, as well as commercial meeting place for American zoned the lake for residen- and industrial developIndian tribes,” said Pamela tial use, rejecting efforts to ment,” the city website said. Mogen, director of the LibThree golf courses probuild a shopping center on erty Lake Municipal Livide a major attraction. the lake. brary. Incorporation came in Today, the shopping is A French Canadian trapfound southwest of the lake 2001. per who took the Anglicized Major employers are itself, and homes line the name of Stephen Liberty trafound along Appleway Avarea around the lake. veled west on the Mullan There are only two public enue and north of Mission Road in 1863 and visited the access points – a boat launch Avenue. lake. Nearby Greenacres to the on the north shore and a In 1871, he homesteaded county park on the northeast west started out as an imthere with other families. portant agricultural area shore. By the early 1900s, it was a There was actually a ski with many fruit orchards. place for weekend recIrrigation works opened area and restaurant on what reation. was then called Holiday Hill, the area for growing. Liberty According to the city of now the Legacy Ridge devel- Lake was one source of the Liberty Lake website, “Libwater. D.C. Corbin, an imopment. erty Lake was once known as In the 1960s, algae portant developer and inves‘Spokane’s Inland Seashore.’ growths led to a community- tor in Spokane, led the way. With natural beauty and atIn 1905, one 10-acre farm inspired effort to clean up tractions like boating, enterthe lake by hooking resi- netted $1,374. tainment, dancing, and Today, the fast-growing dences to sewers. The LibFourth of July celebrations; erty Lake Sewer and Water area is occupied by homes, many were originally KATHY PLONKA/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW District formed in 1973, and schools, churches and a limbrought to the area by elecFour-year-old Vincent Amaro, left and his sister Mia, 1, have fun at Greenacres Park. the lake has since been re- ited amount of commercial tric train.” development. stored. The Spokane and Inland Greenacres, located west “The early 1990s saw a Empire Railroad built a park Resorts and an amuse- fishing was outstanding. By amusement park and the Paentrance to the famed dance ment park popped up 1959, there were four lake- villion, which burned in boom in housing develop- of Barker Road, is part of the ment with the creation of city of Spokane Valley. around the lake and trout side resorts in addition to an 1962. Pavillion.
NEIGHBORHOODS: CENTRAL VALLEY EVERYTHING YOU NEED WITHIN “A COUPLE OF MILES”
4.2
1,893
$60,054
$202,400
$852
40.1
Square miles
Population density
Median household income
Median home price
Average rental
Median age
IN SQUARE MILES
2 BEDROOM
COYOTES TO MALLS
Grill are also popular. Residential neighborhoods, apartment complexes and communities such as the Shelley Lake Estates make up an area, which also is a recreation hub. The YMCA, Spokane River and Centennial Trail are among this area’s more popular pursuits. In the Central Valley School District, which includes Central Valley and University high schools,
there are more than 13,000 students in 23 schools. Wilhite remembers 30 years ago when most of the Central Valley area was fields and acreage with a meatpacking plant near Shelley Lake, where around 1,500 people now live. “You could probably find the old bones at the bottom of the water,” she said. “It’s grown a lot since then.”
Sullivan
Spokane Spokane Valley Valley Mall Mall
St. Mary’s School
Sunrise Elem.
Sullivan
Adams
16th
24th
South Pines Elem.
Evergreen M.S.
Progress
Opportunity
Greenacres Elem.
Central Valley High School
Shelley Lake
Spokane Valley Adventist School
Saltese
32nd
40th
N
Otis Orchards/ Liberty Lake
University H.S. Chester Elem. Horizon M.S.
y lewa
App
ck
Adams Elem. McDonald’s Elem.
Greenacres M.S.
VE RADALE
Fourth Eighth
Flora
Central Valley
Sprague
27
90
Broadway
Progress Elem.
mro
North Pines Jr. H.S.
East Valley
Mission
Sha
Summit School
Greenacres
Barker
Indiana
Evergreen
Some days former Spokane Valley Mayor Diana Wilhite can hear howling coyotes from her home on Shelley Lake. Other days it’s the sounds of turkeys, geese or band practice at Central Valley High School, a skip away from her backyard. National retailers and restaurant chains on Sullivan and Sprague are just down the road. Downtown Spokane and Coeur d’Alene are less than a 20-minute drive. The Central Valley is a mix of semi-rural and suburban with a wide-ranging demographic of residents, commercial growth and urban development. “It’s a mixed area, a lot of diversity,” Wilhite said. “All your needs accommodated without having to go a couple miles in any direction, and that’s attractive.” The Spokane Valley Mall is the primary shopping hub with a host of restaurants, but local staples such as Dave’s Bar and
.
ane R Spok
R.R.
Mission
McDonald
THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
In 2005, two years after the Spokane Valley became its own incorporated city, the Spokane Valley Heritage Museum opened on East Sprague Avenue. It has cataloged over 150 years of artifacts, archives, photos and documents. The museum relies on donations from community members and from fundraising events.
Pines
By Ryan Collingwood
Mirabeau
Diversity in many forms makes fast-growing Central Valley an attractive landing spot
0
Belle Terre
2,000 feet
South Palouse
MOLLY QUINN/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
SEPTEMBER 24, 2017
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SPECIAL 23
MOVIES MADE IN SPOKANE
WARNER BROS.
Matthew Modine gets the upper hand on Frank Jasper in Vision Quest. The movie was based on a novel by former Shadle Park High School teacher Terry Davis.
Grapple with this made-in-Spokane list Vision Quest, of course, but Spokanywood has other ‘gems’ on the list (and Oscar nominated) turn in Sidney Lumet’s “The Prince of the City.” 10. “THE WARD” (2010) Sure, there are better movies by director John Carpenter. “The Thing” definitely. “Halloween” most certainly. “Escape from New York” and “Starman,” absolutely. “The Ward” might even be Carpenter’s worst movie. Who cares? The guy who brought Michael Myers to life in 1978 made a movie in Spokane and at Eastern State Hospital in Medical Lake. And that’s something.
By Carolyn Lamberson THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
It might be 1,200 miles from Spokane to Hollywood, but that hasn’t stopped Hollywood from finding Spokane. There have been a surprising number of movies filmed in the Lilac City, and more so since the North By Northwest production company launched in 1990. Many of those films, to be honest, have not been particularly good. But they’ve brought established actors to town, given work to local performers and crew, and allowed Spokane to show off on the big screen. In creating a list of noteworthy made-in-Spokane films, it’s important to lay the ground rules. First: We’re being Washington-centric. So sorry, “Dante’s Peak,” which brought Pierce Brosnan and Linda Hamilton – yes, James Bond and Sarah Connor – to Idaho’s Silver Valley. You don’t make the cut. Second: While the Nicholas Ray rodeo drama “The Lusty Men” (1952) with Susan Hayward and Robert Mitchum featured rodeo shots filmed here, it’s not enough to earn the “Made in Spokane” label. Third: They need to be made in Spokane, not just set here. That 2012 “Red Dawn” remake with Chris Hemsworth might have been set in Spokane, but it never filmed here, except for one aerial shot. Trust me. If Thor had been in town, I would have known about it. Finally, we’re talking movies. So while the SyFy series “Z Nation” takes up the bulk of Spokane’s production time these days, we won’t be including it here. And no matter how much we like that “Downtown” video from Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, that doesn’t qualify either. 1. “VISION QUEST” (1985). Of course this makes the top of the list. The high school wrestling saga was not only filmed here, but it was set here and based on a novel by former Shadle Park High School teacher Terry Davis. It’s 100 percent Spokane through and through. It’s also a sentimental favorite for many Spokane film fans. 2. “BENNY & JOON” (1993) Who can forget that scene in Ferguson’s Cafe, where Johnny Depp pays homage to Charlie Chaplin’s dinner roll dance from “Gold Rush.” Or the Buster Keaton-inspired hat routine filmed in Riverfront Park? Mary Stuart Masterson and Aidan Quinn? That supporting cast? Julianne Moore? William H. Macy? CCH Pounder? Dan Hedaya? Oliver Platt? That’s a ton of talent right there. 3. “SMOKE SIGNALS” (1998) Like “Vision Quest,” “Smoke Signals” has its roots in the Spokane area. Based on the acclaimed Sherman Alexie short story “This is What it Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona” from his breakthrough story collection “The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven,” Alexie adapted the screenplay and co-produced the low-budget and award-winning indie film. A signficant portion of the film was shot on
Honorable mentions METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER
Mary Stuart Masterson was one of many stars in the 1993 movie “Benny & Joon,” which included scenes from Ferguson’s Cafe and Riverfront Park. the Coeur d’Alene Reservation in Idaho, but several scenes were filmed in Spokane, including at the old Greyhound station on Sprague Avenue, and Riverfront Park. 4. “KNIGHTS OF BADASSDOM” (2013) A little something for fans of “Firefly,” or “Game of Thrones,” this film wins the “best title” sweepstakes hands down. A goofy little movie about a bunch of live-action role players (LARPers) who accidentally conjure up a demon from hell, it features Summer Glau (“Firefly”), Emmy winner Peter Dinklage (“Game of Thrones”), Steve Zahn (“That Thing You Do!”), Danny Pudi (“Community”) and Joshua Malina (“The West Wing”) cavorting in Riverside State Park. 5. “AT MIDDLETON” (2013) What do Oscar-nominees Andy Garcia (“The Godfather III”) and Vera Farminga (“Up in the Air”) have in common? This unassuming little romantic comedy about two people who meet while touring prospective colleges with their kids. It’s not a great film, but Spokane and Gonzaga University look pretty. For what it’s worth Garcia and Farminga won the top acting prizes at the Boston Film Festival. 6. “HOME OF THE BRAVE” (2006) Another film more notable for its credits than its actual quality, “Home of the Brave” is an Iraq war drama directed by veteran Hollywood producer Irwin Winkler (“Raging Bull,” “Rocky,” “Goodfellas,” “The Wolf of Wall Street”). It starred Samuel L. Jackson, 50 Cent (aka Curtis Jackson), Jessica Biel, Christina Ricci and featured many locals, including Jhon Goodwin, Jerry Sciarrio, Wes Deitrick, TV and radio host Dennis Patchin and Terrain co-founder Ginger Ewing. 7. “CAMILLA DICKINSON” (2012) Spokane stands in for 1948 New York City in this film adaptation of the Madeleine L’Engle coming-of-age novel “Camilla,” about a 15-year-old girl (Adelaide Clemens) who starts to find her own way in life when her parents’ (Cary Elwes, Samantha Mathis) marriage falls apart. Look for scenes shot around the Fox theater, the Davenport Hotel, and even the lobby of the Review Tower at Monroe and Riverside. 8. “GIVE ’EM HELL, MALONE” (2009)
This P.I. thriller, set in the 1940s, is notable for many reasons. First is it stars Thomas Jane, who was in my favorite genetically enhanced shark movie, “Deep Blue Sea.” Second is Ving Rhames. Because Ving Rhames. Third is it was directed by Russell Mulcahy, who directed Christopher Lambert and Sean Connery in “Highlander,” and a whole slew of top-notch ’80s music videos, including the landmark “Video Killed the Radio Star” by Buggles and a host of Duran Duran’s best, including “Rio,” “Hungry Like the Wolf” and “Save a Prayer.” 9. “WHY WOULD I LIE”? Spokane first really got movie mania when this 1980 film starring Treat Williams picked the Lilac City as a primary location. It was directed by Larry Peerce, who was an established director when he came to town, having done “Goodbye, Columbus” (1969), “The Other Side of the Mountain” (1975) and a bunch of TV, including six episodes of “Batman.” Williams, meanwhile, would follow up his work as the compulsive liar named Cletus with his career-defining
11. “DIFFERENT DRUMMERS” (2012), this family drama is another truly made-in-Spokane story, inspired by a real-life friendship. 12. “MOZART AND THE WHALE” (2005) is one of the few films to openly deal with Asperger’s syndrome, as Josh Hartnett and Radha Mitchell star as two young savants who must deal with their condition while trying to maintain a relationship 13. “THE BASKET” (1999) Rich Cowan directed Karen Allen, Peter Coyote and a ton of local talent – Ellen Travolta, Jack Bannon, Patrick Treadway and novelist Jess Walter among them – in this drama about finding acceptance through basketball. 14. THE CUBA GOODING JR. COLLECTION For awhile there a decade ago, you couldn’t turn around without running into this Oscar winner in Spokane. He filmed four movies here – “End Game” (2006), “Lies & Illusions” (2008), “Wrong Turn at Tahoe” (2009) and “The Hit List” (2010). 15. “WEST OF REDEMPTION” (2015) Cornelia Moore, who directed “Camilla Dickinson,” returned to Spokane to helm this thriller starring Billy Zane and Mariana Klaveno, who hails from Endicott.
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DISCOVER
Home of artists, authors and Crosby Plenty of celebrities of varying renown have lived in the Lilac City By Jim Kershner FOR THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
The list of famous people from greater Spokane would look like a solid roster of B-listers and C-listers if it weren’t for one of the biggest A-listers of all time: Bing Crosby. Why is Spokane so proud of Crosby? Because it would be ridiculous not to be. It would be like Liverpool not claiming the Beatles, or Hoboken not claiming Sinatra. This is no idle comparison. Crosby was, in fact, Beatles-big and Sinatra-sized. In Crosby’s era, three roads led to stardom. The first was music. Crosby was, by far, his era’s biggest recording star. The second was film. Crosby was, for a long stretch, the world’s biggest box-office draw, and the winner of a Best Actor Oscar. The third was radio, and his shows ruled the airwaves for decades. In other words, Crosby was the original King of All Media. It’s hard to imagine anyone ever knocking Crosby from the No. 1 position among famous people produced by Spokane. Yet the Spokane area has produced many other notables, in many fields. Some of them may not strike you as household names, yet they reached the pinnacles of their chosen professions, or close to it. Some were born here and stayed, others (such as Bing) spent their formative years here – or at least some time with a Spokane address. Tom Foley – The U.S. speaker of the House from 1989 to 1995, and Spokane’s longtime U.S. representative. Chuck Jones – The comic genius behind Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, the Road Runner and many other classic Warner Bros. cartoons. Patrice Munsel – A Metropolitan Opera star and Broadway star who had her own ABC variety show in the 1950s. Clyfford Still – The painter considered the father of Abstract Expressionism. Never heard of him? That just means you never took art history. Craig T. Nelson – The actor best known for his title role of the sitcom “Coach,” for which he won an Emmy, as well as a lead role in “Parenthood,” and movies including “The Incredibles.” Darren McGavin – One of the most popular dads in movie history – Ralphie’s dad in “A Christmas Story.” He was born in Spokane.
PHOTO ARCHIVE/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
Bing Crosby took a moment to pose with Miss Spokane, Glenda Bergen, at a benefit softball game held for Gonzaga High School in August 1950. A crowd of nearly 6,000 watched as Crosby and his sons lost 7-6 to an American Legion team of Gonzaga players.
NASA
Michael P. Anderson, astronaut/mission specialist, in a 1995 portrait. Animator Chuck Jones poses at the Warner Bros. St
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Tom Foley is a former Eastern Washington Congressman and Speaker of the House of Representatives. This is a 1989 photo of Foley reading in his office in Washington, D.C. This was taken by staff photographer Kit King shortly before Foley was sworn in as Speaker of the House.
udio Store in New York in this 1993 photo.
Hilary Swank – The Best Actress Oscar winner in “Million Dollar Baby” lived in Spokane from age 3 to 7. Spokane also has a paper-thin claim to the famous director of that movie … Clint Eastwood – The Oscar-winning actor/director lived in Spokane’s Rockwood/Hutton neighborhood for about a year when he was a toddler. Michael P. Anderson – The NASA astronaut who died in the space shuttle Columbia disaster. Mildred Bailey – A top-charting jazz singer in the 1930s, nicknamed Mrs. Swing. She was the first “girl singer” to front a Big Band outfit. She was also, as a recent film documentary pointed out, the first Native American to do the same. Ryan Lewis – A producer and DJ best known as the Lewis behind the hit-making duo of Macklemore & Lewis. Neil Everett – The ESPN Sports Center anchor known for making on-air references to Post Falls and Shadle Park and other places that may baffle the rest of the U.S. Chief Garry – A leader of the Spokane Tribe in the 19th century and an unwavering voice for justice. John Stockton – The Gonzaga University/Utah Jazz basketball star and inductee into the basketball Hall of Fame. Ryne Sandberg – All-Star second baseman and inductee into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Tom Sneva – Indy 500 winner and an inductee into the Motorsports Hall of Fame. Other sports stars – Maybe they aren’t all Hall of Famers, but Spokane has produced a number of other sports stars including Mark Rypien (a Super Bowl MVP), Steve Gleason (a George Halas Award winner), Jeremy Affeldt (a World Series winner), Jason Hanson (a Pro Bowl kicker) and Kevin Stocker (a World Series runner-up). Also seen on stage and screen: Seena Owen was a popular silent movie star. Much more recently, Julia Sweeney was in “Pulp Fiction” and was a cast member of “Saturday Night Live.” Cheyenne Jackson was on “30 Rock,” “Glee” and on Broadway in lead roles. Playwright and film director Neil LaBute has been shocking and challenging audiences for more than 20 years. Spokane can also claim a former head of the Motion Picture Association of America, Eric Johnston. Well-known writers: Spokane has a slim claim to Dashiell Hammett (“The Maltese Falcon”), but much stronger claims to National Book Award winners Sherman Alexie, and Timothy Egan, and National Book Award finalist Jess Walter. Patrick McManus has been making readers laugh out loud for decades. And if Kitty Kelley didn’t invent the snarky celebrity bio, she perfected it. More musicians: Nobody approaches Bing status, but we can claim Chad Mitchell, leader of the Chad Mitchell Trio; Myles Kennedy, vocalist for Alter Bridge; Michael Clarke, drummer for the Byrds; Danny O’Keefe, ’70s singer-songwriter and opera star Thomas Hampson. More artists: Kenneth Callahan was an influential figure in the Northwest school. George Nakashima, a woodworker/architect, was one of the founding fathers of the American craft furniture movement. And Harold Balazs is known beyond Spokane for his sculptures, paintings.
Actress Hilary Swank arrives at the Los Angeles Philharmonic 2015/2016 season opening gala at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.
RICHARD SHOTWELL/INVISION/AP
Neil Everett on the remote SportsCenter set at Duke University’s Cameron Indoor Stadium in 2015.
FILE/ASSOCIATED PRESS PHIL ELLSWORTH/ESPN IMAGES
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NEIGHBORHOODS: WEST PLAINS CHENEY, MEDICAL LAKE AND AIRWAY HEIGHTS
CHENEY MEDICAL LAKE AIRWAY HEIGHTS
4.3 3.4 5.1
2,569.6 1447.3 1254.1
$27,600 $41,542 $35,351
$209,500 $210,000 $166,500
$911 NA $895
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2 BEDROOM
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Keturah Al-Sweedy, 3, left, and her sister Myra, 2, walk away from Medical Lake after a morning swim. The lake was named for its supposed healing medicinal qualities.
Michael Anderson Elem.
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rheumatism felt better and his sheep no longer had scabies. The name followed. Today, the lake doesn’t share the same tall tales, but it does draw in hundreds of visitors each summer who camp along its banks and take a dip to cool off. Some stick around, adding to the town’s roughly 5,000 residents who enjoy the positives of rural living while only being about a10-minute drive from downtown Spokane. “We have fishing, hunting, boating, you name it,” said John Higgins, Medical Lake’s mayor of 12 years and a lifelong resident. “And we have four seasons. That helps.” Nestled between Medical Lake and West Medical Lake is Eastern State Hospital, one of the town’s largest employers and eastern Washington’s only psychiatric hospital. According to census data, the town’s population has plateaued at about 5,000. Doug Ross, city administrator, said that’s probably for the best because the Grande Ronde Aquifer, where Medical Lake draws its water along with many other towns south of Spokane, can’t support much more than what’s being drawn. “Water is a precious com-
Airway Heights
Fairchild Air Force Base
Mullinix
If city living isn’t for you, worry not – look just west of Spokane along the so-called West Plains and you’ll find a small nest of communities, each more different than the one before. There’s Cheney, with its signature “college town” look and feel, Medical Lake, with its scenic views and the home of eastern Washington’s only psychiatric hospital, and Airway Heights, a city that bears its name from the neighboring Air Force base and airport. Some have history dating back to the birth of Spokane County. Others are younger than our President. Yet all fit the bill of a remote small town, just without the hourslong commute that’s sometimes necessary to escape the slowly over the years. Achustle and bustle. cording to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Cheney’s Cheney When thousands of stu- 2016 population was about dents descend upon Cheney 12,000. That means there’s each fall, it’s easy to see how plenty of room for land and big of a role Eastern Washing- houses, which many residents have taken advantage ton University plays. For about nine months of of with multi-acre plots spanthe year, Cheney, which is ning the many country roads south and west of Spokane, is heading into and out of town. But because its population a college town. Apartment buildings are full. The bars is mostly students for most of downtown are raucous. Park- the year, Cheney’s rental ing is tough along the many market is remarkably similar residential and hilly roads to Spokane’s in price, but difleading to and from the ferent in availability. Places can be hard to find the closer school. “The town very much is a it gets to fall, but then units university town,” said Che- empty quickly as summer apney’s longtime mayor Tom proaches. Truelove. “Our seasons and our pace is really influenced Medical Lake by the school.” It’s nearly impossible to viFor the other three sit Medical Lake without months, and during school stumbling upon the four breaks, Cheney looks and nearby scenic waterholes, infeels like a small town. It has cluding the one in which the an old and scenic downtown town gets its name. core with local retail shops. It Word has it, the Spokane has a few grocery stores, but Tribe of Indians, who had no major retail outlets. It even long inhabited the area, behas its own police, fire and lieved the water and mud utility services. And it’s far from the lake had restorative enough away from Spokane properties. Then in the late to feel remote. 19th century, Andrew LeThough it was the county fevre, a failed French Canaseat for a few years in the late dian gold prospector, found 1800s, Cheney hasn’t bal- his horses and sheep drinking looned in population like its from the lake and after bathneighbor, instead growing ing in it himself, found his
Quest Casino
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Brooks
Had early Cheney pioneers gotten their way, Cheney and Spokane could look a lot different. One night in 1880, when most of the residents of Spokane (then Spokane Falls) were at a gala wedding, armed “Cheneyites” broke into the auditor’s office and stole the ballot results that named Spokane Falls as the county seat to the newly created Spokane County. The results stood for six years, until 1886 when another vote was held and Spokane Falls regained the seat. It has remained there ever since.
Richey
By Jonathan Glover THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
West Plains
Deno Northern
Airway Heights Corrections Center
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Three communities with big enterprises offer convenient alternative to Spokane
Rambo
MAKING IT EASY TO GET AWAY FROM BIG CITY
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modity out here on the West Plains,” he said. “There’s not going to be 500 new homes built because we just don’t have the water supply to support it. That doesn’t sit well for some people. But others like the size.”
Airway Heights Home to the Airway Heights Corrections Center, Northern Quest Resort & Casino, Spokane County Raceway and neighboring Fairchild Air Force Base and Spokane International Airport, Airway Heights is a land of many things. On one hand, it has the telltale signs of an up-and-coming city, with new retail stores and housing. On the other, it’s still small and secluded enough to have its own distinct flair, despite U.S. Highway 2 running through the middle of it.
Its steady growth in population has been spurred by the aforementioned employers and industries, which has drawn thousands of people and propelled development with multiple apartment buildings and houses being constructed over the years. Since 1990, the city’s population has exploded from about 2,000 to about 6,500, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Just west of town is the region’s largest Air Force base, which draws in hundreds of people every day who drive through Airway Heights to work. Around town, and in Medical Lake and Cheney, are many retired veterans who’ve settled close to the base for access to its tax-free prices. But even with all of that growth, Airway Heights remains small in some large
ways. It shares a school district with Cheney, with all of the middle schoolers and high schoolers traveling 13 miles south for class. The elementary kids attend Sunset Elementary, part of the Cheney School District, but located in Airway Heights. And while it has a Walmart Supercenter along U.S. Highway 2, the town’s residents covet the things that makes Airway Heights unique. “There’s a perception more so that Highway 2 and the casino are Airway Heights, and that’s good, it helps our community,” said Andy Gardner, a lifelong resident who now works for the city’s parks and recreation department. “But we have a community full of people who care and work to make this place better. I think that is what makes us who we are.”
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NEIGHBORHOODS: MILLWOOD “WE’VE GOT GREAT PEOPLE”
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Every Wednesday, stalls of the Millwood farmers market line Marguerite Road. The market is one example of the neighborhood feel in Millwood.
MILLWOOD ENJOYING A REJUVENATION
Area that spawned first Rocket Bakery seeing new life in neighborhoods, more businesses
TYLER TJOMSLAND/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
The Rosebush House’s carriage house adds to the historic charm of Millwood.
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Being in a neighborhood allows the business to be involved in community activities like Millwood Daze, Postlewait said. “It’s what makes business fun,” she said. “It’s just been a wonderful, supportive community. We love all our customers.” Freeman wouldn’t have it any other way. “It’s a wonderful place to be,” he said. “We’ve got great people.”
Millwood was founded as a company town for the Inland Empire Paper Mill in 1911. By 1912, there were two hotels, a restaurant, barber shop, general store and lumber mill. But housing was in such short supply the paper mill started a home loan fund in 1923.
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Millwood has the advantage of being both a distinct neighborhood and a city that incorporated 90 years ago. Millwood was founded as a company town that housed the families of workers at the Inland Empire Paper Mill. The mill is in operation today and its piercing whistle still sounds three times each workday: at 7 a.m., noon and 12:30 p.m. The mill is
lar Millwood Daze event, as well as an historic business district and close proximity to schools. In recent years the city has been improving roads, sidewalks and parking. The goal is to make the city more attractive to both families and businesses, Freeman said. “You actually feel like you’re in a neighborhooddriven area,” he said. It was that neighborhood feel that drew Jeff and Julia Postlewait to Millwood to open their first Rocket Bakery on Argonne Road in 1992. The business was a big success and now has six other locations in the Spokane area. “It has a neighborhood feel,” Julia Postlewait said. “There weren’t very many businesses there at the time.” Since then the city has become more vibrant, Postlewait said. New businesses are coming in and there’s a weekly farmers market every Wednesday just off Argonne. “These older neighborhoods, it’s lovely to see their rejuvenation,” she said.
Marguerite
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owned by Cowles Co., which also owns The Spokesman-Review. Part of the city’s cohesiveness is due in part to its long-term mayors, said current Mayor Kevin Freeman. There have been only nine mayors, including Bill Clearwater, who served for nearly 26 years. Jeanne Batson, who held office for 15 years, died last month, Freeman said. “We’ve had quite a bit of continuity,” Freeman said. The city has a park, which is home to the popu-
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DOWNTOWN SHOPPING
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River Park Square in downtown Spokane is anchored by the high-end retailer Nordstrom and features one of the Inland Northwest’s largest selections of shops.
Shop until you drop Everything from national stores to locally owned specialty boutiques There’s a lot of sparkle at Finders Keepers, which specializes in formal wear – for weddings, quinceaneras, proms, homecomings, the Cobra Polo Classic, Epicurean Delight, Furr Ball or any other fancy occasion. Don’t be fooled by the size of the front room; this West Main Avenue shop is long and deep, and its several rooms are jam-packed full of frills and sequins and bling. There’s jewelry and accessories along with dresses. And, perhaps better yet, Finders Keepers tracks who’s attending which event in what dress. Lolo, on West Second Avenue in downtown, is a highly Instagrammable store, with women’s apparel, shoes and accessories as well as home decor – from scented candles and ceramics to other housewares, gifts and kitchen utensils. Items and displays are carefully selected and well curated. Local artists consign work here, too. In the ever-growing Kendall Yards development on the north bank of the Spokane River across from downtown, Boutique Bleu offers California-casual weekend wear – from mini and maxi dresses to floral tops and artsy T-shirts.
By Adriana Janovich THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
Go ahead. Have a spree. From malls anchored with national department stores to locally-owned boutiques filled with new and gently used or vintage furniture, clothing, accessories, books and other gifts – both kitschy and refined – Spokane offers plenty of options for shoppers. Here’s a look at some of the shopping highlights in Spokane.
Gifts and Things Exposed brick and a mural with a shortened quote from “To Kill a Mockingbird” greet customers at Atticus Coffee and Gifts, an eclectic and comfy downtown shop that’s hip without being hipster, cool without being too cool for school. Here, find Vintage Spokane Prints by local artist Chris Bovey and apparel from the local designer The Great PNW, which specializes in T-shirts, sweatshirts and hats celebrating this region. Look, also, for scented candles and soaps, loose-leaf tea, books, Spokane-themed mugs, kitchen items, ornaments as well as gift cards and whimsical wrapping paper. Neighboring Boo Radley’s specializes in quirky gifts and trinkets – from silly socks, magnets and mugs to flasks, dish towels, puzzles, games, books, T-shirts and dashboard ornaments. Auntie’s Bookstore, founded in 1978 and located in the Liberty Building on West Main Avenue in downtown Spokane, is the area’s largest independent book seller. It carries new and used volumes as well as T-shirts and other gifts. Shop its sister store, Uncle’s, for games, puzzles and more. Kizuri, also on West Main Avenue in downtown, specializes in fair-trade and earth-friendly gifts as well as locally made items. Look for soap, baskets, jewelry, clothing, furniture, art and musical instruments. At The Kitchen Engine, in the old Flour Mill on the north bank of the Spokane River across from downtown’s Riverfront Park, customers can find cookware, cutlery, baking accessories and all kinds of kitchen tools. The store’s anniversary sale in mid September is a popular event, especially among its loyal customer base. Here, you can also take cooking classes and get your knives sharpened. Also downtown, historic Steam Plant Square offers several boutiques, including Paper Nerd, a stationery and gift store; White Lavender, which specializes in home decor, gifts and apparel, and carries products from Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia Market; and French Toast, which carries children’s clothing, toys, book and gifts. At the Davenport Home Store, inside the Historic Davenport Hotel, find the establishment’s signature peanut brittle, made in-house and pulled on a marble slab in the basement pastry shop. Shoppers can also purchase the famed Davenport mattress as well as high-end home accessories from linens to gifts. The White Elephant, founded in 1946 and easily recognized by its red and white paint, is a Spokane institution. Find toys as well as boating, camping, fishing and hunting supplies at both locations. The white elephant decoration in front of the North Division Street store used to be one of the rides at the old Natatorium Park. And the white elephant on top of the East Sprague Avenue store used to be
Malls
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Lolo Boutique, on West Second Avenue in downtown, has well-curated displays with women’s apparel, home decor, gifts and kitchen utensils among other items. motorized. (At one time, it even trumpeted.) The General Store, also founded in 1946 and located on North Division Street, is a one-stop shop for toys, household items, outdoor gear, gardening equipment, hardware and automotive supplies. And, on North Monroe Street, find the largest of the two REI stores in Eastern Washington, chock full of outdoor gear and clothing. Opened in 1989, the record shop 4,000 Holes on North Monroe Street specializes in used vinyl, CDs and more. Groove Merchants in the Garland District also specializes in used vinyl as does Resurrection Records on West Northwest Boulevard and Recorded Memories, established in 1987 and located on North Hamilton Street.
Vintage and Consignment Clothing and accessories at Fringe and Fray in downtown Spokane embrace a whimsical, boho-chic feel. The boutique specializes in vintage dresses as well as gently used designer jeans and boots. Look, also, for more modern, often patterned, sometimes floral dresses, skirts and tops as well as a limited selection of menswear, especially plaid shirts. Merchandise changes frequently and is often highlighted on the shop’s Instagram account or seasonal, special event sales parties. The shop also features locally made Coy jewelry, known for its clean lines, as well as the charm of Sarita Star Designs’ leather feather and fringe earrings. Items at nearby Echo are carefully
selected and displayed – and are generally in impeccable condition. Some – such as a St. John jacket and an animal print Ann Taylor sheath dress on a recent visit – still include their original price tags. In fact, it’s difficult to tell the clothing and accessories at this downtown Spokane boutique are here on consignment because the collection is so well curated. In the South Perry neighborhood, Veda Lux specializes in vintage and funky fashion, particularly handmade, eclectic jewelry – from necklaces and asymmetrical earrings to decorative bobby pins. Each piece, according to owner Summer Hightower on the shop’s website, is “a window into my romantic world of badassery.” Her teeny-tiny shop, known as The Dollhouse, is jam-packed with dresses, outerwear and one-of-a-kind finds. Tossed and Found on North Monroe Street offers a treasure trove of antiques and eclectic vintage pieces. Look for home furnishings from tables and chairs to cabinets to dressers as well as some clothing and other curios. Also on North Monroe Street, find 1889 Salvage Co., which specializes in reclaimed retro goods – from furniture to silverware.
Boutiques Jigsaw, a high-end boutique on West Main Avenue, specializes in contemporary statement pieces. It’s difficult to miss this stylish shop, located on a busy downtown corner with oversized windows stocked with well-dressed mannequins. Wardrobe consultations are available to help keep clients looking their best.
The Spokane area includes three main shopping malls populated with well-known national stores. River Park Square in downtown Spokane is anchored by the high-end retailer Nordstrom and features one of the Inland Northwest’s largest selections of shops. Tenants range from the home decor store Pottery Barn and kitchen outfitter Williams-Sonoma to Banana Republic clothier for men and women, The Gap and Gap Kids, beauty shop Sephora, women’s clothiers White House Black Market and J. Jill, the home decor shop To Market, hipster chain store Urban Outfitters and Bath and Body Works, among others. Across the street from Nordstrom, find Anthropologie, which specializes in boho-chic women’s wear as well as home accessories, and the boutique &Kloth, which offers women’s wear and jewelry as well as home decor and gifts. Tucked just inside the front door is the small coffee bar &Kup, which features select pastries as well as a few tables and chairs – giving tired feet a break from shopping. Nearby but not in the mall, find a Carhartt store for durable workwear. On the North Side, NorthTown Mall – anchored by Macy’s, Marshalls, JCPenney, Kohl’s and Sears – features clothing stores, including American Eagle Outfitters and Express, as well as Victoria’s Secret lingerie shop, Claire’s and Fuego for accessories and gifts, Barnes and Noble Booksellers, the plus-size shop Torrid, music-inspired fashion at Hot Topic, The Body Shop, Bath and Body Works, and more. Across the street in the NorthTown Square complex, look for the shoe retailer DSW, women’s clothing store Lane Bryant and beauty shop Ulta, among other offerings. East of Spokane, Spokane Valley Mall is also anchored by Macy’s, Sears and JCPenney. The complex features Nordstrom Rack, where shoppers can find discounted items from the department store, as well as TJ Maxx, with discounted home decor, clothing and miscellaneous household items. Look, also, for Bath and Body Works, American Eagle Outfitters, Areopostale, Hollister, H&M, Forever 21, Hot Topic and more.
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DINING
Dining options abound throughout Spokane
JESSE TINSLEY/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
Casper Fry is a restaurant on S. Perry St. near the corner of E. 10th Ave., where they have a menu that is inspired by Southern and European cuisine.
Restaurants are diversifying and becoming more chef-driven By Adriana Janovich THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
Spokane’s dining scene is growing, diversifying and becoming more chef-driven – so much so that metropolitan media outlets are beginning to take note. The Wall Street Journal included Spokane in a roundup of “6 Great Small Cities for Food Lovers” in 2015. And last year, the Los Angeles Times encouraged readers to “Wine and dine to your heart’s content in horn-of-plenty Spokane, Wash.” Today, there are even more options to explore. From fine dining and farm-to-table to fast food, here are some of the highlights of Spokane’s “horn-of-plenty.”
Chef-driven At chef Tony Brown’s Ruins, located in a vintage art deco diner on North Monroe Street, the themed menu changes pretty much every week. Popular menus might stick around another week or so. But, “I get bored,” Brown said. “So I like to switch it up.” One week the menu might be full of Southern fare. The next, Filipino. Ruins has offered Middle Eastern, British, Thai, Chinese, French, Italian and more. Sunday, it’s brunch, followed by ramen night. Monday, come in for McRuins, a popular once-a-week menu with cheap beers and the restaurant’s versions of fast-food favorites. The menu also changes often at the elegant Inland Pacific Kitchen, opened by husband-and-wife restaurateurs Jeremy and Kate Hansen in late 2016 in the old Washington Cracker Co. building downtown. Here, ingredients are plated by hand or with tweezers. The focus is on creativity as well as whole, healthful foods. Experimentation is a value. Many ingredients are sourced locally, and dishes – made from scratch – carry a theme. “It’s food around story,” chef Jeremy Hansen said. Early menus offered all-white fare, Japanese-inspired cuisine and dishes centered around healing spices – all with striking presentation. Reservations are highly recommended. Diners can put their dinners into the chef’s hands at Adam Hegsted’s Wandering Table in the Kendall Yards development. Guests let their server know how much they’d like to spend – from $25 to $65 per person, in $10 increments – and the chef will create a multi-course meal for the entire table. Everyone in the dinner party must participate – and make the kitchen
aware of any allergies or dislikes. On the menu: modern American fare. At Zona Blanca, the focus is on one of Chad White’s favorite Mexican dishes: raw, fresh fish cured in citrus juices. White, who appeared on Bravo’s “Top Chef,” loves ceviche for its brightness, freshness and flavor. He opened his ceviche counter, a new concept for Spokane, inside the Steel Barrel Tap Room in downtown’s Luminaria Building in spring 2016.
Downtown The Hansens’ flagship restaurant, Sante Restaurant and Charcuterie, specializes in local, seasonal cuisine prepared with traditional French techniques. The ambiance is sophisticated yet approachable, and breakfast, lunch and dinner is served. Wait for a table in the elegant Butcher Bar off of the dining room in the Liberty Building. For a more casual setting with the Hansens’ same attention to detail, there’s the elevated pub fare menu at their Hogwash Whiskey Den, located in the basement of the old Washington Cracker Co. building, or an assortment of biscuit sandwiches at their new walk-up counter eatery, Biscuit Wizard, in the Saranac Building, also home to the Hansens’ European-style Common Crumb Artisan Bakery. Across the street from the Saranac, Boots Bakery and Lounge specializes in craft cocktails, coffee and vegan and gluten-free fare in a comfy and eclectic setting. Vintage wooden doors are fashioned into cozy booths. And old blenders, turned upside-down, serve as light fixtures. Have a cupcake or the famous pumpkin waffle with chai “butter.” On West Main Avenue, Durkin’s Liquor Bar offers one of the best burgers in town – along with other kinds elevated American diner fare – in an turn-of-the-20th-century-inspired setting. Sit at the counter and watch the line cooks or opt for a cozy booth. Downstairs, the basement bar specializes in craft cocktails served by bartenders with beards and suspenders. Churchill’s, on South Post Street, offers a world-class steakhouse experience, complete with table linens and a piano player in the basement bar every night of the week. Mizuna, on North Howard Street, specializes in vegetarian and vegan dishes, but there are plenty of options for discerning meat-eaters, too. Wild Sage
American Bistro, on West Second Avenue, specializes in casual fine dining, including a gluten-free menu. Ingredients are locally sourced. Dishes are scratch-made. Reservations are highly recommended any night of the week. The Spokane-based chain Twigs Bistro and Martini Bar has several nearby locations. The flagship on the third floor of River Park Square features a 1,200 square-foot landing overlooking the mall’s atrium and heart of the city. Fare is casual modern and American. For more than 40 years, Clinkerdagger, located in the old Flour Mill building, has offered spectacular views of the Spokane River alongside its classic and hearty American fare. Frank’s Diner serves casual eats from inside a vintage railway car. Zip’s, a regional fast-food chain, has multiple locations throughout the region, including downtown. Look for fish and chips, huckleberry milkshakes and, of course, a variety of burgers. And, since 1965, Dick’s Hamburgers has been serving up burgers, fries and shakes in the shadow of its iconic sign, which encourages people to “Buy the bagfull.”
Kendall Yards Central Food, the first restaurant to move into this ever-growing neighborhood back in 2012, offers sweeping views of the city’s skyline from its perch on the north bluff of the Spokane River. Dishes feature local and seasonal ingredients. Look for pan-seared Idaho trout, mushroom terrine, lentil soup and an outstanding gourmet burger. Naturally leavened loaves of bread can be purchased to go. For wood-fired gourmet pizza with a See DINING, 31
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Customers enjoy the scenery at Central Foods in Kendall Yards.
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PARKS
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Avista and the City of Spokane's renovation of Huntington Park and City Hall Plaza was dedicated in 2014.
Parks aplenty to explore Riverfront Park is one of many options in a town that values green spaces By Kip Hill
An afternoon of sports?
THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
Whether you’re looking for traditional sports action or some X Games-inspired fun, the Dwight Merkel Sports Complex in northwest Spokane has you covered. Adjacent to Joe Albi Stadium, the complex is home to a sprawling BMX track that recently received an infusion of grant money to rebuild the starting hill and starting gate for races. Best of all, it’s free to use, as long as you’re not interrupting regular gate practices every Monday night. “We knew we had a national caliber track, we knew it needed a lot of help,” said Jay Brothers, track operator for Spokane BMX. The improvements, which also included paving the corners of the track for skid-free racing, helped the organization pull in a national contest last month. The complex, which was expanded and re-opened in 2010 after voters approved a park improvement bond several years earlier, also features six full-size soccer fields with real turf, two synthetic athletic fields, six diamonds for baseball and softball, a concession stand and skate park, in addition to a neighborhood park and splash pad. A paved trail runs the perimeter of the complex. Neighborhood: Shadle/Northwest, 5701 N. Assembly St. Size: 76 acres Amenities: BMX track, skate park, ballfields, picnic areas, splash pad, on-site parking, playground, concessions
With all the bulldozing, concrete-pouring and bridge-laying going on in Spokane’s Riverfront Park, you could be forgiven for forgetting a grand old time is there to be had in the city’s other 80-plus public green spaces. Aubrey L. White, who came to be known as the “father of Spokane parks” while overseeing a massive expansion of parkland in the Lilac City during the early 20th century, envisioned a metropolis where a park was never more than a 10- or 15-minute walk from your front door. That legacy is seen in the dozens of natural playgrounds Spokane has to offer, each with its own set of attractions for newcomers and longtime residents alike. Here are some options for your next park outing:
How about a picnic? Spokane’s Manito Park, boasting 90 acres of garden space, winding trails and playgrounds on the South Hill, has plenty of nooks and shaded spreads for a late spring or summer outing. Shelters are available on the park’s northern and southern borders, with ample green space and a splash pad available to the south. The northeast end of the park offers tennis courts and a reflecting duck pond. Gabi Tilley, a longtime South Hill resident and gardening volunteer with the group Friends of Manito that provides upkeep of the historic park, said it’s the variety of options available that make Manito a keen spot for picnickers. “You can go with all kinds of different age groups,” Tilley said. “If you’ve got little ones, you can find some shade near the playgrounds. For adults, you can go up by Duncan Garden or the Rose Hill, which is a little more romantic.” After lunch, stroll through Manito’s many gardens including the “sunken” Duncan Garden that is a popular spot for wedding photos. If the weather turns sour, Gaiser Conservatory – named after longtime park board member David Gaiser – opens its doors at 8 a.m. every day. And if you forgot your lunch, during the summer months the Park Bench Cafe is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., offering sandwiches, salads, pastries and coffee drinks. Neighborhood: Manito, 1702 S. Grand Blvd. Size: 90 acres Amenities: Shelters, playgrounds,
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Stuart Smith, left, Steven Schneider, Christina Smith, Ruby Flanigan and Helen Armstrong, right, enjoy a dinner setting before the Spokane Symphony’s Labor Day Concert in Comstock Park. splash pad, picnic areas, softball/baseball fields, restrooms, public gardens, conservatory, cafe
A nature hike? Come for the view at Spokane’s Palisades Park near the Indian Canyon Golf Course. Stay for the winding seven miles of trails that are suitable for walkers, joggers, bikers and equestrians, granting a view of the same Indian Canyon waterfall that enchanted White in the early 1900s. “It has some of the best views of the city and the whole valley that we’ve got,” said Brent Hendricks, president of the group Palisades that cares for the park. On a clear day, Palisades visitors can see Mount Spokane to the northeast and downtown Spokane rising around the river. Doubling as a conservation area, Palisades also offers a bevy of birding options, including many different types of owl, swallow, hawk and thrush. A Washington Discovery Pass is not required to park at Palisades. Palisades is also a short drive from downtown, and the group has put on guided tours that showcase some of the park’s unique geological and plant features, Hendricks said. Neighborhood: West Hills, 198 S. Rimrock Drive Size: Around 700 acres Amenities: Trails
Fun in the water? If you wanted to get wet at a city park in
1914, your only choice was Mission Park. Then-known as the Sinto Triangle Park, Spokane’s first public bathhouse opened there that year as well as two outdoor pools – one for men and boys, the other for women and girls. The bathhouse, an Italian Renaissance-inspired structure designed by Harold C. Whitehouse, still stands today on the banks of the Spokane River, and has been listed on the Spokane Register of Historic Places. It now houses equipment for a neighboring lawn bowling field. Mission Park hasn’t forgotten its roots, offering visitors several options to play in the water. It offers a unique splash-pad experience, one of four in the city that were built before the expansion of the kid-friendly water features that are now available in 17 parks citywide. Mission’s attraction originally opened in 1979. The Witter pool is just a short walk east, if you’re looking to truly take a dip. For those that don’t want to get wet but want to be near the water, the Centennial Trail on the eastern edge of Mission Park runs right along the Spokane River just south of the park. Neighborhood: Logan, 1210 E. Mission Ave. Size: 13.3 acres Amenities: Shelter, picnic areas, ballfields (including a baseball field for children with disabilities), splash pad, playgrounds (including a playground for children with disabilities), tennis courts, basketball courts, trail access
For the little ones? Several area parks have playgrounds geared specifically for small children. Historic Audubon Park, which existed when the Olmsted brothers visited Spokane in the early 20th century, combines splash pads, a smaller playground and scenic Ponderosa pines that remind you you’re in the Inland Northwest. And they make for great games of hide-and-seek with the young ones. For bigger kids, the park also features basketball courts and is home to North Central High School’s annual cross country meet in the fall. Neighborhood: Downriver, 3405 North Milton Ave. Size: 27 acres Amenities: Picnic tables, restrooms, playgrounds, splash pad, ballfields, basketball court CONTACT THE WRITER:
(509) 459-5429 kiph@spokesman.com
The turning leaves of trees along the edge of Cannon Hill Park’s pond reflect their vibrant palette of fall colors as pairs of wood and mallard ducks glide across the water.
COLIN MULVANY/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
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HIGHER EDUCATION
Spokane moving to head of the class
JESSE TINSLEY/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
The University District, also known as Riverpoint Campus, includes Washington State University medical school and classes from EWU, Gonzaga and Whitworth.
Two medical schools, a law school, adds to mix of choices undergraduate degrees, graduate degrees in education, counseling and theology, and master’s degrees in teaching, athletic training and business administration. Like Gonzaga, WSU and EWU, Whitworth also has a location on the Riverpoint campus.
By Chad Sokol THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
As the largest city in Eastern Washington, Spokane is a hub for higher education. Schools from across the state have operations here, and the city is steadily becoming a center of medical and technological research. Here’s a look at colleges and universities that work in and around Spokane.
Gonzaga Gonzaga is the school many people think about when they think about Spokane, probably because of its all-star basketball team, which nearly won this year’s NCAA Division I championship. Founded in 1887 by Father Joseph Cataldo, an Italian-born missionary, Gonzaga serves nearly 7,600 students and still has strong connections to its Jesuit roots. The university offers all levels of baccalaureate degrees and has a highly ranked law school. Additionally, Gonzaga has partnered with the University of Washington to run a medical school in Spokane. Gonzaga’s 152-acre campus has more than 100 buildings, including the three-story, $60 million Hemmingson Center, which was completed in 2015 and serves as a central gathering place. Students live on campus and in the surrounding Logan neighborhood.
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Whitworth University has invested more than $110 million in campus improvements in recent years, including this prominent entry on Hawthorne Road.
Washington State
recent years. In addition to its nursing and pharmacy colleges, WSU Spokane recently opened a medical school named after late university president Elson Floyd. Like the Gonzaga-UW medical school, it aims to address a shortage of doctors in the region. WSU also helps operate a teaching clinic for medical residents on the Riverpoint campus.
WSU was established in 1980 as a land-grant university with a focus on agricultural research. It now offers a wide range of degrees and serves nearly 30,000 students at its main campus in Pullman and its branch campuses in Spokane, Vancouver, Everett and the Tri-Cities. The Spokane campus, part of the Riverpoint campus near downtown, is devoted to health sciences, and the school’s presence in the city has grown in
This state school is based in Cheney, about 17 miles southwest of Spokane. It serves more than 12,000 students and boasts affordability and high rates of minority enrollment. Established in 1882, EWU says it offers more than 100 fields of undergraduate study, plus nine master’s degrees, one applied doctorate, one educational specialist degree and 11 graduate
DINING Continued from 29 thin and crispy crust, there’s Veraci. For coffee and pastries, there’s Paper and Cup, an outpost of the popular farmhouse-chic cafe Chaps on the southwest edge of town. Brain Freeze sells locally made ice cream in a variety of eclectic flavors such as Palouse Crunch, Malties Falcon and Rastachio. Hegsted’s Yards Bruncheon serves up modern American brunch, lunch and breakfast fare. Nearby, Bruncheonette, located just outside Kendall Yards on West Broadway Avenue, is run by husband-and-wife chefs Allen Skelton and Joile Forral. Wash down their chicken and waffles, tamale waffle or verde hash with a lavender mimosa or two.
South Hill Luna – with its secret garden of a patio – is dedicated to exquisite, scratch-made dishes using locally sourced ingredients – some of which come from as close by as the vegetable patch out back. Decor is modern French country. Bread is baked in house. Pizza is wood-fired. At Casper Fry in the South Perry neighborhood, executive chef Mike McElroy draws on his expertise – gained from years of cooking in Texas and Louisiana – to create
Eastern Washington
elevated Southern-inspired fare, such as gourmet fried chicken with subtle but complex layers of flavor. Ice cream is made like a science experiment at The Scoop, which uses liquid nitrogen and as few ingredients as possible. Flavors rotate and include favorites such as Nutella, fresh basil and Cinnachocashew with cinnamon, chocolate and salted cashews. Liege waffles are another specialty. Wisconsinburger serves big and juicy gourmet burgers inspired by the mom-and-pop burger joints in Wisconsin. Look, also for cheese curds and fried pickles alongside hearty hand-helds. There are 50 beers on draft at Manito Tap House, which serves elevated pub grub such as blackened macaroni-and-cheese and a bunch of different burgers. Republic Pi offers pizza for $10 on Tuesday and happy hour all day Sunday. Pizzas are wood-fired. Look, also, for a variety of appetizers and sandwiches.
University District Nestled into a Craftsman-style home near Gonzaga University, cozy Clover is known for its scratch-made dishes featuring locally sourced ingredients, house-made breads and dressings, and high-end cocktails. For a more casual atmosphere, including outdoor seating along the banks of the Spokane River,
certificates. Alongside WSU’s health sciences programs, EWU faculty teach occupational and physical therapy at the Riverpoint campus.
Whitworth Whitworth is another private liberal arts university affiliated with the Presbyterian church. Founded in 1890, the school boasts a high four-year graduation rate and says that 87 percent of its classes have fewer than 30 students. The 200-acre campus is just north of Spokane’s city limits, and the school says it has invested more than $110 million in campus improvements in recent years, including a dining hall expansion, a recreation center, a science hall, a visual arts center, three residence halls and an intramural sports field. Whitworth offers a range of
there’s No-Li Brewhouse, which serves hearty pub grub along with beer brewed on site. There’s open mic every Wednesday night at nearby Geno’s, popular with students and soccer fans. The restaurant is an official member of American Outlaws, which is dedicated to cheering on U.S. national soccer teams. There’s trivia, too. Decor is modern. So is the American fare. Geno’s is part of a locally-owned family of restaurants that include the Elk and El Que in Browne’s Addition and Two Seven Public House on the South Hill.
More neighborhood nooks In the heart of historic Browne’s Addition, just west of downtown, Italia Trattoria offers fine Italian fare with a modern twist. Mains include squid ink fettuccine, goat cheese ravioli and pappardelle lamb ragu. Weekend brunch is busy. Share zeppole, or Italian doughnuts, with maple cream before diving into a hearty farmer’s breakfast bowl with white beans, tomato ragu, eggs, and house-made Italian sausage. The eclectic Garland District is home to a couple of side-by-side gems: Ferguson’s Cafe, a classic diner and soda fountain, and Mary Lou’s Milk Bottle, an ice cream shop and cafe that’s shaped like an old-fashioned milk bottle. And in the Audubon neighborhood, find Downriver
Community Colleges of Spokane Two of Washington’s 34 community and technical colleges are in Spokane. They operate under the same district, Community College of Spokane, and together serve nearly 31,000 students, including those pursuing degrees or certificates and those taking classes just to bolster their skills, according to data for the 2015-16 school year. The colleges also aim for accessibility. This year, annual tuition and mandatory fees for Washington residents total $4,293 to $4,683. About 82 percent of students who earn degrees or certificates are employed within nine months of graduation. Spokane Community College was founded in 1963 and serves nearly 12,000 award-seeking students. In addition to its main campus in the Chief Garry Park neighborhood, on the east side of the city, SCC runs extended learning centers in five rural counties in Eastern Washington. Its top five degrees are automotive technology, criminal justice, business, diesel and heavy equipment maintenance, and electrical maintenance and automation. Spokane Falls Community College, established in 1967, is based in the West Hills neighborhood and serves nearly 8,000 award-seeking students. Its top five degrees are social services, information technology, physical therapist assistant, audio engineering and photography. SFCC also operates a learning center in Pullman that helps students prepare to transfer to Washington State University and other schools.
Grill, which offers approachable fine dining with Inland Northwest flare and a popular weekend brunch. Across the street, Flying Goat, lined with salvaged wood from a local 1910 grain elevator, specializes in gourmet pizza.
Ethnic cuisine Try tibs, a beef stir-fry with onions and green peppers, or yemeshir kik we’t, a vegetarian dish of red lentils in berbere sauce, at Almaz Ainuu’s Queen of Sheba restaurant, which specializes in cuisine from her native Ethiopia. It’s located in a corner of the old Flour Mill building. For a Taste of India – chana masala, chicken curry, chicken vindaloo – head to North Division Street. Azar’s, on North Monroe Street, specializes in Middle Eastern cuisine; its gyros and hummus are particularly popular. There’s bibimbab and more at the no-frills but authentic Kim’s Korean Restaurant. For no-frills but authentic Mexican food, head to De Leon Foods Grocery and Deli on East Francis Avenue. Part grocery store, part panaderia, part lunch counter, this establishment makes its own soft corn tortillas, tamales and more. Go for the Taco Tuesday special: two shredded chicken and two carnitas tacos. Try them at its newly opened taco bar outpost on North Division Street near Whitworth University.
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