MetroSpokane

As good as it looks? Free Rent on South Hill...

We spotted an outstanding rental listing on Craigslist this evening.

It starts out a little odd, but innocent enough:  "Females only.  I have a new house I am moving into next week. It is rather big. I am offering the downstairs and the use of a car. You also do not need to pay any untilities or groceries."

Let the nausea begin:  "I am really not into all the drama of a relationship right now, but I do have needs if you know what I mean. So I figured what the hell, if a female out there who has needs she wants met as well, them we can make arrangements. Works out grreat for both of us.  Please send a pic and your number.  Dog or car and a small child are okay as you have the entire bottom of the house." 

Excuse us while we go shower off the filth.

• Free rent and utilities use of car. Roomy with benefits [Craigslist]

See a special listing that you'd like to nominate?  Send it to [email protected]

Spokane's least known park?

You've all heard of Manito, Corbin, Comstock, Lincoln, Liberty, etc.  The names represent some of Spokane's most sizable park lands.  At the other end of the spectrum is Spokane's oft overlooked .28 acres (12k sqf) Skeet-so-mish Park.  If you've ever visited (not sure why you would) Skeet-so-mish park it's easy to understand why nobody pays any attention to it.  It amounts to two city parcels 1/2 block east of Maple St. on Maxwell Avenue and other than the 10' of basalt that fronts Maxwell, the park has little apparent significance. 

Based on our extensive research on Google over the past 10 minutes, Skeet-so-mish is the name used in the journals of Lewis & Clark to refer to the tribe of the Coeur d'Alenes whom they encountered in 1805.  Regardless, the question still is why does a nub of a park exist in this location?  Especially one that is absolutely inaccessible to everyone, and why use Skeet-so-mish?  Check out the park sometime.  It's an odd and overlooked public place - and as a citizen feel free to use at your leisure.

Sneak Peek: D&B Trading Company Interior

Following up on Friday's post, Quizno's is certainly down for the count as figured.  A quick glance inside by a MetroSpokane operative spotted multiple mirrors, soothing red walls and loads of oak barrels strewn about.  Just what the 'and more' in the 'wine tasting and more' tag line refers to, we're not sure, but at the rate they're moving on the interior, a day-after-Thanksgiving opening has to be the plan.

• STOREFRONT: Quizno's, no?  D & B Trading Company, yes?

Bucky Fuller STILL owns the friggin' lower South Hill

LOWER SOUTH HILL - The Buckminster Fuller saga continues.  Not content with a mere 8.5"x11" sheet of paper, the wheatpaster has gone big this time on the Bernard St. Wall.  A full 5'x8' layout of an elder Bucky casting a spell on the evening commuters as they wind their way up the South Hill.  The meaning?  We're not sure.  Perhaps Spokane is part of a global movement to spread Bucky's philosophies on architecture, or simply a cry out for better design.
 

STOREFRONT: Quizno's, no? D & B Trading Company, yes?

DOWNTOWN - Above the papered front of what used to be a Quizno's on Wall St.  The sign on the door says Quizno's is "closing for remodel."  However the sign sitting on the sidewalk says otherwise - "D & B Trading Company, Inc.-Wine Tastings and More."  A quick peak inside saw multiple oak barrels and a work crew.  Either Quizno's is expanding their product line, Pita Pit ground them out, or they're subletting their space.  Converting the space to a wine purveyor could mean another shot in the arm for life after 5PM downtown. 

Better informed people encouraged to leave your knowledge in the comments section below.

Do you GoLoco?

Combine ridesharing with social networking on Facebook and you get one pretty cool way to reduce your transportation costs.  The site is called GoLoco and it leverages Facebook by turning your social network into a transit network.

According to their site, here's how it works:    

1. Post some trips -- want to go to the game? shopping? daily commute? out of town?
2. Invite your your friends, colleagues, and classmates to join GoLoco.
3. View profiles of people whose trips match your own. Decide if you'd like to travel with them.
4. Accept a trip as is, or negotiate changes online.
5. Meet up at a specific location and time.

You can use GoLoco to share rides for free. Or you can choose to share trip costs quickly and easily online before the trip without the awkward money discussion or exchange in the car. GoLoco collects each passenger's share of the total trip costs before the trip begins and transfers it to the driver using online accounts. We charge a 10 percent transaction fee.

Anyone out there used it yet?  Would you?

The Grizzly Condos roar onto the MLS - Browne's Addition trembles

The 1960s and 70s weren't kind decades to Browne's Addition.  One glimpse at the Broadmoor apartments is evidence enough.  Today the tradition continues.  The people who brought you this down in Peaceful Valley have unleashed their designers on Browne's Addition-The Grizzly Condos

Looking more like an extended-stay Howard Johnson, they're asking $598K for 1,900 sqf.  The description boasts, "Single floor construction with impeccable upgrades of the highest quality!"  We're going out on a limb here but when do vinyl siding and sheet metal roofing reflect "impeccable upgrades" (and yes vinyl siding has its place)?  Especially at an astonishing $315/sqf?  We're fairly certain the local chapter of AIA wasn't on a retainer.  Grizzly not included.

Lights Out Spokane...

When was the last time you even considered looking up at night and viewing the stars while in the city?  Could you even see them or was the neighbor's mercury-vapor light buzzing away and flooding your backyard? 

Last Saturday (10/20) San Francisco held its first ever Lights Out event.  From 8pm-9pm people across the city were encouraged to turn out all their lights, and while they're at it, replace an incandescent bulb with a compact-fluorescent.  The event gained some significant press worldwide and now is now planning a national lights out event next Spring cleverly titled:  Lights Out America.  They even received the backing of the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA), but that was to be expected.

Looking at the list of participating cities, we're saddened by the lack of mid-city involvement.  Sure there's Boulder, but is that much of a surprise?  This got us thinking that this would be a fantastic opportunity to really test our community's belief in the "Near Nature, Near Perfect" motto.  Anyone game for organizing the first ever Lights Out Spokane?  If not for us, if not for the night sky, do it for Jack Horkheimer. 

• Remember this date:  3/29/2008 8pm-9pm
• They're even on Facebook...
• ...so are we

STOREFRONT: Cafe Dolce servin' up coffee after dark

EAST END - As if having the greenest commercial building in Spokane wasn't enough, securing that late night coffee fix will get a little easier down on the East End.  The remodeling is done, the menu is up, and if all goes well, Cafe Dolce will be opening it's doors this week.  South of Fast Eddies in the Bell Franklin Building, the cafe   will be open until 2AM Wed-Sat; a full 8 hours later than The Rocket on Main.  Late hours are a bold move, but if it works it could mean a shift in the evening scene down there and an effort to tap into the students/employees over at the Riverpoint Campus [they even have a couple meeting rooms].  As it stands now, options for after 6 activity is confined to one of four bars/lounges.  Coffee before a movie at the Magic Lantern?  Why yes!  We like options.

Cafe Dolce
221 N Division St. [GMAP]
747-5364

On the Market: Trying the Big Flip on Cliff Drive

Cliff Park - In Spokane, appending the words 'Cliff' and 'Drive' to your real estate listing can set you apart from the rest of the chaff in a hurry.  If you thought things had settled down, take a look at 743 W Cliff Drive.  The new listing is testing the theory of whether or not you can sell a property at an 82% price increase less than one year after purchase.  According to Trulia, the 2 bedroom 1 bath home built in 1947 sold last year for $412K.  Now it's rocketed to $750K.  Granted it's on a big corner lot that could be subdivided, but the house looks like something Bear Grylls cobbled together with a stone and a pocket-knife.