If Spokane were a glass, one could spend days arguing whether it were half full or half empty. Truth be told, there’s a strong case for both. The half-full Spokane has a quiet upscale downtown nestled picturesquely on the banks of the Spokane River. It has snazzy new restaurants, old brick buildings, coffeeshops, and cinemas, as well as Riverfront Park and Spokane Falls. There is a thriving local music scene attracting concerts and events. People remark on how it feels like a small community, but has the advantages of a mid-sized city. Not too far from this is hiking, climbing, swimming, and skiing aplenty. The half-empty Spokane is notable for low-rent housing, ugly and abandoned buildings, and congestion. It easily falls into the white trash stereotype with poverty, drug abuse, and mullets being endemic. This is the Spokane that has an influx of meth houses and sexual predators.
Gonzaga is positioned somewhat between the two. The campus is on the river and only a 15- or 20-minute walk from downtown, Riverfront Park, and all the sports and concert venues. But it is also surrounded by the somewhat impoverished Logan neighborhood, and one can quickly run into the depressed and ugly sections of town. The campus itself, however, is clean and beautiful. It’s entirely possible to live only in the nice Spokane, mainly on campus but enriched by excursions to downtown or the South Hill. But to think that’s all there is to Spokane would be blatantly false.
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Local Atmosphere at Gonzaga University
jurbina11
Criminal Justice and Safety Studies '15
4.6
A
Spokane a Great Little City
Downtown Spokane is within walking distance of campus. Once you are downtown you don't feel like you are in a small town. It is the 2nd largest city in Washington and has lots of stuff to do and see.
May 28, 2012
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Local Atmosphere at Gonzaga University
B
Great Campus, Bad City
The campus itself is very nice -there are a lot of on-campus activities to do and because the school is small you really get attached to the community that GU offers. Now, the city itself (Spokane) is another story. Spokane is dangerous at night (there has been several violent incidents). Lets just say It is not safe to venture off campus at night.
Feb 20, 2012
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Local Atmosphere at Gonzaga University
A+
Sports
There are all types of intramurals here such as soccer, basketball, dodge ball, etc. The biggest event is when the Zags play basketball everyone is spirited and always excited to see a good game.
Jan 10, 2012
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User rating for Gonzaga University - Local Atmosphere is
3.5 out of 5
based on 26 user reviews.
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