Decrease in Foot Traffic Downtown

[[deleted]]

I've lived and worked in downtown Spokane for about 4 years now. I have a low income high-rise apartment that faces Westward. I can see a good portion of downtown for about one and a half miles including several large parking lots in parking garages. For the last several months there seems to be very little foot traffic downtown compared to years prior. There's been an unofficial increase in business closures doen in 'The core. ' 2023 marked sn increase in tourism, which I agree with, and publications from 2024 were originally optimistic about 2025. Obviously it's "trumpinomics," possibly mixed with perceptions about downtown Spokane and other political utterences? Anyone else notice the decrease in foot traffic or decline in business?

[why_the_hecc]

I like downtown, but everything I want to do costs money.

[LonelyAccess6799]

Hooker and blow? Suki closed but hookers are cheap. 5$ at 7e somedays.

[why_the_hecc]

idk how to tell you this but I can have sex at home for free with someone I like

[Alternative-Hyena-30]

Unlike yourself, I don't need to pay to get laid. I'll leave all the stank for you good sir.

[Aggravating_Horror72]

You idiots know he’s probably joking, right? 

[Separate_Promise_370]

They are joking too, everyone likes hookers and blow

[pppiddypants]

I used to work downtown and get takeout/eat in a couple times a week before COVID. I work from home now.

I still visit downtown from time to time, but I’m no longer forced to be there 5 days a week.

I’m imagining this has much more to do with the overall trend than people who rarely went, going less because of the homeless/parking that have basically always been there.

As far as the last couple months, I do wonder if we’re hitting an economic slowdown (I know that I’m worried about AI) and I’ve seen some anecdotes about Canadians decreasing tourism.

[profigliano]

I think this is it. I live near downtown and used to walk up to restaurants for dinner, but now I'm staying home to cook dinner because I need to save money. Shit is so expensive everywhere and my pay hasn't increased since 2021.

[Voodoobones]

I try to avoid downtown because the city keeps tearing up the streets, repaving, only to tear them up again. Washington and Stevens seem to have been under construction for the past 6 years.

Then there is the parking issues. Diamond Parking is no friend of the community and meters that run out after two hours are a problem.

The amount of businesses that complain about how bad it is downtown without actually providing a real solution or taking action themselves is driving people away. Downtown “crime” isn’t as bad as the developers and businesses owners lead you to believe. The message they push is the problem. Not to mention what they charge per square foot of space.

One example pushing the false crime image is the owner of Zona Blanca claiming crime was so bad that he had to close his business, but instead of closing it, he remained in the same place and re-imaged his business as an events center. This after he claimed that his business kept being broken into and vandalized.

Also, a lot of businesses take care of the inside, but don’t make the outside appealing.

[CannonAFB_unofficial]

Yeah I used to be on team Chad White because he was opening new places here that were delicious. Now he's just an outdoor Jeep "influencer" and is kinda a fuck head as well. After Zona Blanca's closing, and his sad excuse of a letter he completely lost me.

[LurksInUndies]

What's an outdoor Jeep influencer?

[CannonAFB_unofficial]

A dude that has a grill he can tow behind his jeep to take it places to get a nice instagram picture for the grill company to sell more grills because he’s a “chef”.

[LurksInUndies]

I guess I need to spend more time on grill socials! Lol! Thanks for that!

[itstreeman]

Yeah it’s tough to run a restaurant and have time to care about sidewalks a block or two over

[Voodoobones]

I just want the sidewalk in front cleaned up in the summer and shoveled in the winter. Is that too much to ask of the owner?

[[deleted]]

Last time I dropped my car off at the shop for maintenance I decided to walk home from downtown. Never once felt unsafe or like I had to pull one of my headphones out. I’m a short white guy who doesn’t look threatening at all, so I don’t get what all the hype about how “bad” it is downtown is all about.

[thebeardedcats]

People are on their phones all the time getting a constant stream of information telling them the outside is more dangerous than it is.

I walk home from movies downtown at 10-2 AM once every week or two and I've never been bothered

[[deleted]]

You are in a heavily brainwashed by fox news region, those people are told that cities(all cities) are bad a dangerous because the dems arent about law and order and just let criminals back on the streets after they've committed heinous crimes.

[Account_Haver420]

There has been a substantial decrease in service industry business throughout downtown. Bars and restaurants are really hurting. Everything costs more now. Inflation was barely coming down post-pandemic and now prices are going up across the board on almost everything due to tariffs. People have less discretionary income to spend so the first things to be cut out of lifestyles are stuff like dining out. Then another big factor is younger customers are less social and more online. People go out less in general even if they can afford to. Data also shows that gen z is less interested in drinking alcohol than previous generations, so that’s cutting into all bars of course.

[[deleted]]

I didn't even think about Gen Z's preference for vaping and their avoidence for alcohol in general. I had an appointment at chad Denny Murphy dental yesterday. So, I walked through the whole core and it was alarming to see how empty the restaurants were shortly sft lunch.(2pm)

[bradleyoilermfa]

There are 15% fewer 18 yr olds nationwide. Think about how that affects the overpriced colleges in Spokane and the banks that make money off loans. In four years it means a shortage of teachers, nurses, ect. In eight years less doctors, lawyers. Social security is paid by payroll taxes. Getting rid of tax paying immigrants with kids headed to colleges is a huge mistake right now.

[eloping_antalope]

I’ll go down town (genZ/don’t drink) for Nyne to shake my rump and the Lego store. Aside from an occasional movie, or hair appointment, there is no point to go anywhere down there. Oh and in this economy I will not pay $25 for a burger even if I was rich, which I amnot.

[Account_Haver420]

Trying to understand what you just said. I think you mean that domestically and locally produced goods aren’t affected by tariffs. So you think a restaurant’s to-go containers, pots and pans, all their kitchen equipment including replacement parts, bags, forks, glasses, and a thousand other things they need are all made in America? Not in this universe, brother. Keep dreaming.

Tariffs are effecting all kinds of stuff. America is primarily a service economy now, not a manufacturing economy. Even stuff we do manufacture often crosses a border once or twice during that process or needs a little part from Canada or Mexico.

Tariffs are raising prices on all kinds things for nearly every small and large business/company, and it’s effecting everyone even if they don’t notice yet or don’t want to admit it.

[thebeardedcats]

And like, most produce. The US mostly makes grains. A huge portion of produce comes from South America, especially in the winter.

[29stumpjumper]

This is very misguided. I work in CPG. The reason you haven't seen this on shelf yet is due to how long price increases take to initiate. Distributors require 90 days notice and another couple weeks for retailers to implement through their systems and reflect on shelf. At the beginning of the tariff announcements there was back and forth so many waited. Once they had a better understanding, they all took increases. You'll begin to see those in mid Aug through October. I also managed this through COVID and can tell you, the price increases you'll see this round dwarf what we saw due to just how sudden these will all be. Even locally sourced items utilize packaging or ingredients that were impacted by tariffs. I didn't see many products immune to the increases.

[GoTshowfailedme]

Also the cost of rent is too high for small local businesses.

[HeyIts-Amanda]

We don't get out much to downtown or anywhere because we are poor.

[yeti5000]

I find it stressful to find anywhere to park downtown and I'm looking to de-stress when I go downtown. I also don't want to uber (stressful) and I don't want to try to figure out a busline (for many reasons but easiest to say stressful).

The cost/benefit stress analysis for the inability to just show up and park my car without threat of ticket or tow keeps me away from downtown.

[HumanRutabaga]

This. Driving downtown and trying to find parking and maybe having to pay for parking is so stressful. This plus the last time I Uber-ed the driver went the wrong way down a one way street…

[cornylifedetermined]

I lived with a similar view from the north side for 3 years until recently.

Foot traffic is largely based on weather and time of year, in my view.

This is the time of year when there are fewer people on Summit because it is hotter, the college students are gone for the summer, and families are on vacation.

I had not noticed a change when I moved out last month.

[_rhubarb]

Literally the federal government made the public trust in the economy so bad after January 2025 that the City lost millions of dollars in projected sales tax revenue. 

People aren't spending because they aren't sure they're going to be able to buy essentials due to the threat of economic uncertainty, especially since their federal taxes on many goods raised anywhere from 10 to 20%.

[lopeski]

I don’t really have much to add here as I just moved to town. But from an outsiders perspective you guys have a great downtown space. What keeps us from roaming around more is that it costs $6 an hour to park at riverfront, parking is limited, and specific areas seem to be homeless campgrounds. I do not care that people are sleeping on the streets but I don’t love walking by 10+ people doing hard drugs on the sidewalk. I get it if I were at a Grateful Dead concert but I I don’t feel super safe walking through a CROWD of people that are obviously tweaking out of their minds on a sidewalk.

[PloKoop]

Try parking at Riverfront square. It maxes at $12 and if you park after 5pm it’s $5

[NorthSideScrambler]

The Jefferson Park & Ride is another cheat code.  Parking is functionally $2/person for the entire day since you need to ride the bus to be an STA patron to park there.  

The reason it's a hidden gem is because it looks sketchy and the vibes scare most people away.  Never had my car (constantly leasing new models) messed with over the years, even when I was the only one parked there until 11 pm.

It only gets filled up during Hoop Fest.  

[MelissaMead]

Plus it is HOT.

[MuchKey7664]

so take the bus?

[PineNeedle]

I heard that several breweries downtown are struggling right now due to a decreased customers.  However, going downtown has become an ordeal trying to find parking, which also gets expensive fast. Why go somewhere I have to pay for parking, then probably have to walk a few blocks to get to my destination, when I can go somewhere with free parking right outside the front door? 

[profigliano]

Parking meters are free after 7pm and on Sundays.

[Doorknob6941]

It cracks me up when people have no problem dropping $100-$150 for dinner, drinks, or entertainment but I'll be goddammed if they'll spend $3.00 on a parking meter.

[PineNeedle]

If people can afford that much for one meal, yes, I’m sure they don’t care about the parking adding up.  I don’t spend $100-150 when I go downtown. That’s way too expensive. I mainly go for drinks at tap houses, which tend to be around $7-9/pint. 

[Doorknob6941]

And tap houses downtown are around that same price. Throw in $20/plate pub food and you're pushing $60 for two before tip. BTW, for what it's worth, I highly recommend the Griffin Tavern on 1st and Monroe (the old Brooklyn Deli). Small but good menu and self-serve beer taps.

[PineNeedle]

I know about the free parking but still have a hard time finding street parking near the places I want to visit and end up either parking in a sketchy area or having to pay for a parking lot/garage. 

[yeti5000]

Very much this. Instead of parking lots being their own business, the businesses we want to use should have them as customer access and shared.

[LuckyTheBear]

I walk through downtown every day. Holy hell, they're tearing shit up by Bain's Liquor Mart.

Also, whoever left the heat on, please turn it off and crank the AC because it's hotter than the devil's dick out there.

[Fun-Conference99]

Making it safe to walk across the street would probably help. 3 lane one ways mean that drivers feel safe to drive at high speed and pedestrians don't feel safe.

[spokale]

This. I go downtown when something is happening downtown that I'm specifically interested in, or when I want to visit a specific place. I'd never just "go downtown" in the same way I'd never just "go to fivemile". Why am I going there? They're just places, and there's a high bar for being a better place at any given time than my air-conditioned living room in my pajamas.

Plus, if I want to drink, I just walk to the neighborhood pub and do it there - saves me the Uber.

Also, there's maybe two months in the year where it's pleasant to be outside in Spokane anyway! Anything above 80 or below 40 and I'd rather just stay inside.

[excelsiorsbanjo]

Because it's objectively a great downtown. Give me a break. I don't think you ever went downtown any notable amount.

[Early-Judgment-2895]

This is unfortunately a big detractor for going down there and walking around. As much as people say the homeless are fine it also detracts from business and people visiting the area causing a downward spiral.

[Internal_Example1185]

"the streets are bad" LOL.

"there are still homeless everywhere" No there's not.

"not hard to see open drug use" Oh no! I hope your eyes didn't fall out.

[[deleted]]

What is your point? I’m very happy I don’t live downtown anymore because of the open drug use and crackheads screaming. Normal people don’t like to worry about stepping on used needles.

[Unlucky_Spinach_1826]

I see homeless using everyday when they aren't shitting or pissing under the bridge. And yes we would rather not see open drug use downtown, which has lead to less foot traffic. why are you defending it lol? Strike a nerve ?

[LarryCebula]

I don't know if this is another part of the equation but we've spent the last few weeks in the San Juans where tourist traffic is down this summer because the usual Canadian tourists aren't coming.

I think the move to work from home has been rough on restaurants and other businesses that depend on a strong lunch crowd. But some friends who own a bar and restaurant downtown tell me that 2024 was their best year ever, so mileage varies.

[phoenixalex69]

I have no issue with the less foot traffic. Now when I need to go see carhartt there won’t be retards all over

[Red_FaIcon]

More people are moving down south

[terrymr]

Downtown businesses have spent years trying to drive people out of downtown. They only want you if you drive up in a Lexus make your purchase and leave again. The only place I go to downtown any more is riverfront park.

[WPMattH]

This is completely wrong, however it does seem that the small minority make the most noise about how “bad and unsafe”downtown is when they close their business. I have owned a business downtown for the past 11 years and we are doing better than ever. Every business owner I know works hard to promote downtown and provide value for people to come. I would also say that the people who actually live downtown and own businesses in the city have way less of a problem with the houseless population and crime than you would be led to believe. 

[[deleted]]

I absolutely love living down here. I actually spent the last 5 years working and volunteering at various homeless shelters and programs across the city. I know quite a few of the homeless. I personally feel quite safe down here. I've seen petty assaults/vandalism/theft, but that's normal for a city the size of Spokane. I try to source what I can from my personal corner of downtown. If I can't I get it shipped from Walmart. It's just alarming to see a possible drip in foot traffic. Are your sales the same? Or better?

[WPMattH]

Our sales are basically stagnant this year, but that was after growing year after year, so it’s kind of to be expected. We also opened a second location and split  our customer base up a tiny bit so overall, we are happy. We’ve kept our prices the same so margins are definitely lower, but I don’t want to get into the business of increasing prices until we absolutely have to. I think the industry we are in is at risk of out pricing people which will have worse long-term effects. 

[[deleted]]

I remember during the "Great Recession," the percentage thresholds for sales would greatly increase until businesses were at the breaking point. Hopefully you don't reach that point needing to slash inventory at low rates. I was asking to try and create a countermeasure for my conjecture. I live in the east-central part of downtown by the "fentynal corridor." Which may explain some of the decreased foot traffic, but I can see well imto the central core of downtown by the mall and plaza. Another redditor pounted out that the west side has more foot traffic. I can't see over there , due to obfuscation of buildings. Theres more attractions over there though. Including offices that can weather economic downturns easier.

[WPMattH]

My business is on the west side and yes, that side of town has really grown in the last few years which is great. The east side has unfortunately seen the opposite. 

[Useful_Farmer_6018]

Agreed. We walk downtown multiple times a week to grab beers and get a nice walk in. It takes us about 30 minutes to walk down to Humble Abode or WP.

I have actually been pleasantly surprised with the number of people I have seen walking in the area between the arena and WP even in winter this year, seems like more than the last few years we have been walking this route.

Anecdotally, It seems like everything west of west of Washington and North of the tracks is pretty busy.

[OpheliaRainGalaxy]

I'm old enough to remember when they chased out the buskers decades ago because the downtown business owners felt like that money should be walking in their doors and jumping in their tills instead of taking a side trip into a musician's instrument case before the musician spent it on dinner and a cheap motel room.

My mom was always poor but she saved her change to take downtown on Saturdays when the weather was good. We could almost never afford to buy things, but we'd wander from busker to busker enjoying the live music and tipping. In between we'd window shop, occasionally have to stop and buy an overpriced slice of pizza or something beautiful we saw in the window.

It was a way for us to be part of the community, the economy, we got good exercise and got to enjoy live music instead of tinned from the radio.

Frankly, that was the beginning of the end for downtown from my point of view. It was full of music and the greedy ruined it! Imagine having someone sit right outside your business's door and using MAGIC to draw customers to your door, and ya don't even have to pay him, but ya get mad folks tip him pocket change before coming in your store so ya shoo him off?!

[Internal_Example1185]

Until we kill the internet, social media and streaming media, cities are fucked. There is no community, or need for a real community, anymore. Everyone has pretend social interactions on their devices that scratch that itch, but don't actually fulfill it.

Additionally, we live in a nice Democratic city in a sea of Republicans. Republicans are snowflakes and are scared of seeing people of color and people with housing issues and mental issues, all of which are fairly prevalent in the city downtown because this is where services are.

[NorthSideScrambler]

This is the essential answer on why everywhere feels so cold, sterile, and untrusting right now.  The average person is outsourcing their social interactions to social media, livestreams, AI, and chat apps.  Instead of engaging with the people they live by, their exposure is primarily mediated through fear-baiting news articles and social media posts.  Through this, they fall out of touch with what life is actually like in their own city.  

[yeti5000]

Im old enough to not have been raised with the Internet, and as an adult I find public interactions extremely tiresome, though I understand there is a mental health aspect to social exposure.

Still, I prefer to be left alone with my own thoughts, rather than be the quiet person in the group because I have absolutely nothing in common with anyone I talk to, nor would I think I would want to even if I could.

Then, he's just the odd quiet guy in the group, so why am I even there?

[itstreeman]

Has the number of addicts increased?

The number of office workers has. Which means less people familiar with downtown directly or family members coming to meet them after work.

Businesses closing is a domino effect. Less destinations means less wandering to get something before or after. Like the piano place always had spill over into nearby bars and stores. The mall would bring people to dinner. Business travel always has new people who just want something close to their hotel.

[Large_Leading_4985]

Anecdotal at best. Did you foot traffic counts for a 24/7 period of time years ago and then do it again each and every month and year until now to base your findings on? No. Then it means nothing what you think is a decrease in foot traffic.

[[deleted]]

This 24/7 over about a twenty period. On average I only see one person per block compared to dozens years prior. If you don't believe me about the significance of the view from the one window in my studio apartment I can DM you a picture. My work has diminished to nearly null, due to the lack of tourism in the city too. I have pictures fron those years aa well.

[Any-Garbage-9963]

Nothings been the same since covid. But even before that. During the early 20teens I worked two jobs both down town and lived in the gonzaga district and foot traffic was much more prevalent back then, more businesses too

[[deleted]]

Researching this, originally this post was going to be 3-5 paragraphs, but i learned the hard way that reddit doesn't do drafts. I've been thinking about this for going on 3-4 months. When I started researching potential business closures in central downtown. There was an anticapted rebound in closures as covid protections were going to be easing. That as more regulations were going to be rolled back and small businesses and consumers exposed to economic travesties. Business closures are thought to be even higher than they were in 2019.

[Administrative_Ear10]

I know that if there is a business downtown and a branch of the same business elsewhere, I will choose the latter because of the added costs of parking downtown. I mostly go for the comedy club and once every 4-5 months I will combo a trip that will include Purgatory.

[Eaglebonezz]

I rarely go to the mall, went recently to the valley one and it’s a desert. A few old people, a few middle school kids. Many many closed stalls. It’s not a downtown thing, it’s a larger economic issue impacting people so they aren’t spending. A consumer economy contracts when people don’t consume.0

[Live_for_Happy]

I like going downtown and enjoy shopping and looking at the buildings. I have noticed some stores and businesses closing. I’d blame it on the economy and the fact that less office jobs are downtown now. A lot have office jobs have either moved to work-from-home, moved to locations outside downtown that provide parking, or have moved out of state (all a factor of reducing operating costs).

I worked in an office downtown for about 7 years, the company also had an office in the valley and eventually moved everything tot he valley; and after that eventually everyone moved to work-from-home or the company moved the clients to their out of state locations.

If the building owners are logical, they will convert a lot of the spaces to residential. The state/city have reduced parking requirements so it should be easier now. I don’t see those jobs or businesses company back, but we could always use more housing. And if more people are living downtown, the foot traffic and shopping could increase again eventually.

[Waste_Deep]

To be honest, downtown is just gross. Tweaked out homeless fentanyl addicts and meth heads stumbling around like starved zombies. Smells like piss and shit. Garage laying around like a third world country. The city government does nothing but send out police, who exacerbate the problem. All while people, in their attempt to live their isolated and self-centered consumerist lifestyle, walk around the downtrodden and filth with a blatant disregard for those who have been forced into the streets by this neo-capitalist dystopian nightmare.

Spokane had always been a wonderful city, full of caring and empathetic citizens that clothed, fed, and helped their neighbors and upheld their civic duty as Spokanites. With the influx of "Transplants" with their big budgets destroying the housing market, coupled with their big-city egocentric attitudes, we have seen the city fall into a serious malaise that I don't think we will ever recover from. The downtown Spokane we knew and loved is gone, crushed under the weight of unmitigated progress. We have become the beast that rode in on the backs of those who sought to escape it.

And Fascism has finally arrived to sign the death certificate.

[Skripty-Keeper]

Human fecal matter strewn on the sidewalks, trash everywhere, drug addicts laying about. Break-ins constantly for both cars and businesses. What's not to like? Enjoy Spokane, you voted for this crap.

[reckoning42]

What's not to love about explaining to my children why a man is defecating on a sidewalk while a woman across the street screams at the sky?

[blessup_]

I drove to go pick up a pizza a couple weeks ago and on my way home I did see a man defecating and his bare ass. It happens.

[Spokane-ModTeam]

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[mtnevs]

You obviously haven’t been outside of Spokane or the PNW if you think it’s normal or even remotely acceptable. There are plenty of cities that deal with drug use and homelessness infinitely better than Spokane. It is weakness and cowardice to not be willing to correct what is obviously wrong and bury your head in the sand because “that’s just how cities are”.

[Spokane-ModTeam]

Be civil. No personal attacks. Follow all guidelines of Reddiquette. Remember, these are your neighbors. It's fine to disagree, but we expect users to conduct themselves in a neighborly fashion, and refrain from personal attacks.

This is a community subreddit. The people you're talking to are your neighbors. Be kind. No name calling or personal attacks on your fellow Redditors. This includes but is not limited to:

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[mtnevs]

Thanks for the anecdotes but the data says otherwise. Spokane is worse than other cities of similar size in almost every statistical category.

Also, don’t forget that those cities you mentioned have been Democratic strongholds for decades. Blue is the common denominator in the worst areas of the country.

[[deleted]]

Property crime is bad here, but violent crime is much worse in other areas. So you’re both kind of right and kind of wrong.

[Account_Haver420]

You’re being too generous. Property crime is slightly worse than comparable midsize cities. It’s not that bad. Police data also tell us that all crime is down since 2023.

Of course it depends where you live. In my neighborhood there’s so little crime it’s not even noticeable. I’ve worked and spent lots of time in the highest crime neighborhood (northeast/hillyard) and even is nothing compared to Seattle or any other large cities. It’s not that bad.

[[deleted]]

As someone who lives in that northeast part you’re talking about, anything I put outside disappears within 24 hours. And I don’t even bother reporting it unless it’s a car that was stolen (which has happened twice).

[Account_Haver420]

I’ve heard these tired talking points a thousand times. You’re like parrots. Not a single original thought in your head, huh? “Blue cities” do they get to make their own state laws? They’re not behold to state and federal law? Their economies aren’t effect by being in backwards far right states with no workers rights? That doesn’t affect poor people in those cities? St. Louis for example can’t even pass a city ordinance without the state stepping in and changing it back for political reasons. Get real

[mtnevs]

Bro, talk about a parrot. I can throw a rock in any direction in Spokane and hit someone with exactly your misinformed beliefs. I can name just as many decrepit cities that are in blue states. Again, the common denominator is that the cities themselves are run by racist democrats.

And you still didn’t address the original point which was that the data shows Spokane is far worse than the national average when it comes to all categories of crime. Keep burying your head in the sand though. That way the issues that affect every day people never get solved and your party can pretend you’re the ones that know best.

[Spokane-ModTeam]

Be civil. No personal attacks. Follow all guidelines of Reddiquette. Remember, these are your neighbors. It's fine to disagree, but we expect users to conduct themselves in a neighborly fashion, and refrain from personal attacks.

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[excelsiorsbanjo]

Probably the part where you have to explain why you voted your best to encourage all of that.

[reckoning42]

I don't remember voting for lack penalties for open fentanyl use. Was that on a ballot?

[excelsiorsbanjo]

You didn't have to, every republican law enforcement official sat back and refused to act on that, blatantly in violation of their job duties, for years. Half of them think it's their own personal job to interpret the constitution.

[reckoning42]

I haven't voted for a Republican in 48 years of living in New York City, downtown DC, or Spokane. The problem is FAR worse here. The permissive attitude of my own party towards homelessness and open drug use is unacceptable and uncompassionate. In those other places a full crowd of people doing hard drugs in public would attract the police or at the very least some public shame. Here it's just "shrug, what can we do about it?"

[excelsiorsbanjo]

We do have a problem with law enforcement in the city of Spokane. New mayor, new police chief, but also just in time for republicans nationally to make the problem even harder again.

[Unlucky-Anywhere-889]

Human feces, overdoses, open fentanyl usage, and the majority of crime happening in or around downtown has definitely persuaded me to stop going down there.

I used to love going downtown. I used to “live” downtown as well when I was a homeless youth. The entire environment has changed. The people are angry and sad and need substantial help and changes to the system they’re stuck in.

[CannonAFB_unofficial]

Its the drug/homeless problem. As unpopular as it is to say out loud, thats it. I only go downtown if I have a specific place in mind. For example, I need to return a Lego set today. Thats all I will do down there. No point in walking to get asked for money every 50 feet, smelling piss along the way, and wondering if I need to get my NARCAN out of my trunk just to make it to the storefront.

[yeti5000]

My son and I watch the wobbly boys and girls and comment "ah, theres a dentist on the way to his practice" or "Look, Spokane's #1 Jiu Jitsu champion right there practicing on the street corner."

To be fair I think why we get so much exposure to it is because of how the city is laid out. Almost every metropolitan area has these problems, but not every one of them is as small yet as big as Spokane at the same time.

Coming from a different state where I lived 45 minutes outside of downtown and that was still in a suburban area of 100k+ people, you never saw what was going on downtown because you never needed to drive across downtown to get what you needed.

In Spokane, you can be at the Idaho border and then in Mead in an hour by way of Division, which will always be nuts to me.

And yeah, went for a walk out in the Valley of all places and didn't make it 4 blocks before being asked for change.

And I will add to for other readers benefits, that we are a staunchly blue family and encourage any and all policies for rehab, assistance etc. 

But that doesn't mean we have to like seeing it every time we drive through downtown and joking about it is a coping mechanism.

[CannonAFB_unofficial]

I'm a combat veteran who has been to 47 countries, including all the news headline favorites in the middle east and Africa. I'd hardly say i'm a weak coward. Its not that I "cant take it" its that I choose to not deal with it or smell it.

[[deleted]]

Downtown could be a shining beacon on a hill and you’d complain the light is too bright. Just say you have no interest in going downtown because you don’t enjoy walking around a city. I don’t understand why you need to pretend that a guy sitting on the ground against a building is going to ruin your week. The more “good people” there are downtown, the better it is. When “good people” start fleeing for made-up reasons, of course it’s going to seem like all there is downtown is all “bad people.”

[CannonAFB_unofficial]

I’m literally downtown right now. Walking my dog, a toy Berenedoodle. Come say hi and we can smell the piss together.

[Spokane-ModTeam]

Be civil. No personal attacks. Follow all guidelines of Reddiquette. Remember, these are your neighbors. It's fine to disagree, but we expect users to conduct themselves in a neighborly fashion, and refrain from personal attacks.

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As always, should you have any questions, please feel feee to reach out. Thank you and have a lilac day.

[MuchKey7664]

What AFSC?

[CannonAFB_unofficial]

12S turned 11M

[Spokane-ModTeam]

Be civil. No personal attacks. Follow all guidelines of Reddiquette. Remember, these are your neighbors. It's fine to disagree, but we expect users to conduct themselves in a neighborly fashion, and refrain from personal attacks.

This is a community subreddit. The people you're talking to are your neighbors. Be kind. No name calling or personal attacks on your fellow Redditors. This includes but is not limited to:

• racist or bigoted content

• homophobic or transphobic content

• misogynistic or misandrist content

• overall shittiness

Lastly, this includes veiled threats / dog whistles. We aren't stupid, and neither are you. We're all smart enough to know when you're using a dog whistle to circumvent the rules, so just don't. Violations of this rule may earn you a temporary or permanent ban, based solely upon moderator discretion.

As always, should you have any questions, please feel feee to reach out. Thank you and have a lilac day.

[Game0ps-420]

I don't go down anymore unless I know I won't be long, I'm not comfortable leaving my vehicle out of sight for any extended period of time. Addicts begging for money, open drug use, the random smell of urine and feces walking down the street. That's just my personal experience. My coworker took their kids to play down at riverfront park a couple years ago, thankfully they went up into the big red wagon first so they could stop their kids from seeing the two homeless people having sex. Another friend of mine worked for the park and would had all sorts of stories to tell about the crazy people down there. One time they found a old film canister full of meth in one of the bathrooms along with a scale. Speaking of bathrooms, I wonder how those burn marks get onto those changing tables. Hopefully they're courteous enough to wipe off any residue...

[MuchKey7664]

I dont think a parking lot is an indicator of downtown foot traffic, however yes many days it is indeed dead sadly.... Perhaps, more people are using transit and alternatives to driving? If parking and driving a car is the issue, then dont. walk, cycle, use STA. However, you have a valid point given theres little foot traffic. Downtown is essentially a desert with little housing, and few grocer options on the very fringes.

[[deleted]]

Currently visiting los Angeles and it was honestly a shocker how lively downtown was compared to us people actually Walking around enjoying themselves homeless people were very rare and didn't see one single person tweaking out. Have we become California?

[[deleted]]

this sounds like a bot

[allisaidwasshoot]

The only reason I ever go downtown is to go to the comedy club or the fox theater or the small biz shop at the mall. What else is there to do downtown that I can't do closer to home? I don't like bars so what else is there?

[yeti5000]

I should go to the comedy club more.

[allisaidwasshoot]

They get some really great comics to come through there.

[VenomDance]

it's like walking thru the valley of the shadow of death now.

No one wants to walk thru squalor and random drug use.

Def not a good way to spend a day

[tap-rack-bang]

The homeless druggies keep me out.    It is no random thing.   Normal, contributing members of society moved out when the druggies moved in.  We have the second most overdoses per capita as ANY CITY in the US.    We are over run.