by Brad Sondahl 

(around 2005) 

Downtown Spokane is a mixture of skywalky malls and fine old architecture, combined with a great downtown falls and park system.
This is the front of the River Park Square mall.

Some parts are quaint by design.  The Spokane Falls Street cars are just buses with retro exteriors, traveling on modern cobblestones.

But it all ties together nicely, such as this skywalk from Macy's to the 1890 Block building.

Fountains are prolific in the warm months

The Old National Bank building has a very nice facade.

The City Parking Ramp has a great facade as well, incorporating nice blue ceramic elements.
 

A lot of fine detail is up high on the buildings...

Auntie's Bookstore, in a pleasant unprepossessing 4 story building, is the intellectual  heart of Downtown--books, lectures, concerts, coffe, and games all in one casual collection.

The Opera House and adjoining Convention Center handle a lot of the big events of downtown.

The Davenport Hotel is elegant inside and out...
 

City Hall (with metal Bloomsday  joggers fleeing from it) handles the rest of Spokane (in a very nice facade as well)...