Spokane, Washington has been dealing with an image problem
for quite some time now. It is aware that it is a sizable city with an
abundance of available buildings and land. Yet there isn't much about
the city that draws people. Its Riverfront Park, with the gushing falls,
is a spectacular sight. The city's people aren't exactly brimming with
hospitality towards diverse visitors; when you are in proximity to
Spokane, you've departed the liberal, anything-goes West Coast and
prepare to enter a libertarian/semi-overtly religious area. The down-
town could use some help.
Salt Lake City, Utah is barely eligible for me to review, as I have
not spent a great amount of time there. I couldn't leave it out, though:
this city is not what you think it is. True--over half of the population is
Mormon, but Salt Lake somehow manages (very surprisingly) to be gay
-friendly and, dare I say--edgy?
Albuquerque, New Mexico was on the short list for me when I moved
to the West in 2005. While I cannot comment much here, I find its location
and proximity to nature very appealing. Its neighborhoods are more
'querque' than what you might expect, although I stop short in calling this
place 'progressive'. Much of Albuquerque's scene is seemingly underground,
and a visitor gets the impression that the city possesses some potential, but
doesn't quite know what to do with it. The University district is fantastic.
