Downtown living suprises, suits Spokane native

When Jonathan Smith returned to Spokane after a 16-year hiatus in the Bay Area, he was surprised to learn that people were living downtown.

“When I lived here before, lofts and condos were unheard of,” the Spokane native says. “When I left, all of these old brick buildings were boarded up and the Davenport Hotel was a crack house. Who in their right mind would want to live downtown?”

Ironically, Smith now counts himself among those living in Spokane’s urban core.

A casualty of the California dot-com bust, Smith returned to Spokane in 2004 in search of a new job and a new life. Today he is one of a growing number of young, active, single professionals who want the convenience of urban living without the hefty price.

After taking a job with Hunt Mountain Resources, a Liberty Lake firm specializing in gold and silver mining exploration, Smith was ready to take the mortgage plunge. Although he initially sought an older home on the South Hill in the $160,000-to-$200,000 range, downtown condo listings began showing up in his online real estate search.

“There were lots of fixer-uppers on the South Hill, but I did not want to deal with all of that,” he said. “These condos were brand-new.”

Unfortunately it wasn’t long before he realized most of the loft and condo units were beyond his budget.

“Even though they had amenities – hardwood floors, stainless steel appliances – these were in the $350,000-to-$400,000 range,” he says. “I knew off the bat I wasn’t going to spend that much.”

Then he found the Minnesota-Oakley Buildings on west First Avenue.

Although the unit wasn’t as glamorous as some of the more high-end lofts – it had white appliances and wood laminate floors – the one-bedroom unit had central air and heat, high ceilings, and the kind of exposed brick and ductwork that gave it a “loft” feel.

And best of all, it was well within Smith’s budget.

“This was the easiest, most convenient option for me,” he says. “When I’m not working I do not want to be building a fence or caring for a backyard.”

Instead, Smith spends his downtime golfing with his dad, enjoying his Zag’s season tickets, watching movies and eating out with friends.

“I do not cook,” he says, gesturing toward his gleaming white kitchen. “That stove will not see any use.”

A self-described “sushi fan,” Smith admits his condo’s proximity to Raw Sushi & Island Grill was “sort of a selling-point.” Smith says he was surprised at the success of local sushi and other ethnic food restaurants upon his return.

“It’s proof to me that there’s a lot of outside influence in Spokane,” he says. “It tells you that the city is starving for new and cool things to do.”

Smith says he is looking forward to in-line skating -in Riverfront Park this summer, taking in the Lilac Parade from his third-story living room windows, and meandering around downtown.

“It’s kind of cool to see it all take hold,” he says. “That’s one of the reasons I decided to set down roots here instead of going back to San Francisco or moving to Seattle.”