Spokane Shopping

Spokane is the retail hub for the whole Inland Northwest — people drive in from across eastern Washington, north Idaho and western Montana to shop here. Three large malls, a walkable downtown and a scatter of neighbourhood centres cover most of what you need, and Washington has no state income tax, which buyers relocating from elsewhere tend to notice quickly.

NorthTown Mall

At the corner of Division and Wellesley on the north side, NorthTown is the largest enclosed mall in the region — well over a hundred stores, a cinema and a food court, with more retail immediately around it along the Division corridor.

Like most American malls its anchor tenants have turned over in recent years, so check current listings before making a special trip for a particular store.

River Park Square

Downtown at Main and Post, anchored by Nordstrom. What makes River Park Square genuinely useful is the skywalk system — enclosed walkways connecting the mall to much of the downtown shopping district and most of the office buildings around it. In January, that matters.

Inside you will find a large AMC cinema, a food court, national retailers and a good number of independent shops and restaurants, with more spilling out onto the surrounding streets.

Spokane Valley Mall

On the north side of I-90 between the Evergreen and Sullivan exits, serving the Valley, Liberty Lake and anyone coming in from the Idaho side. A cinema, the usual national chains, and a dense ring of big-box retail and restaurants surrounding the mall itself — for most Valley residents this is the default shopping trip.

Neighbourhood Centres

Most day-to-day shopping happens closer to home, and where you land affects which of these becomes yours:

  • Shadle Center — north side, on Wellesley a few blocks west of Ash. Groceries, pharmacy, everyday retail.
  • Franklin Park — on Division just north of NorthTown. Discount department stores and restaurants.
  • Northpointe — on the Newport Highway at the Division “Y”. The north side’s big-box cluster: electronics, home goods, sporting goods, pet supplies and a run of chain restaurants.
  • Manito — 29th and Grand on the South Hill. Grocery, pharmacy, banks, local businesses.
  • Lincoln Heights — 29th and Regal, the South Hill’s larger centre. Two grocery stores including Trader Joe’s, restaurants, a bowling alley and a genuinely good small hardware store.

If you are weighing up neighbourhoods, ask us — which centre you end up using daily is the sort of thing that matters more after you move in than it seems beforehand.

The Flour Mill

At 621 W. Mallon, across the river from downtown next to the arena, the Flour Mill is a converted brick mill well over a century old, now holding specialty shops and restaurants. Clinkerdagger, one of Spokane’s longest-running restaurants, is here, with views over the falls.

Cross the Monroe Street Bridge from downtown and turn right at the second light onto Mallon, or simply walk through Riverfront Park — it sits on the park’s north edge.

Antiques

Spokane has a real antiques scene, clustered in four areas:

  • North Monroe — from just over the bridge north toward the Garland district, the densest run of shops.
  • Hillyard — North Market just beyond Wellesley, with plenty to work through.
  • East Sprague — a few shops around the 1300 block.
  • Downtown — a handful on Main and Riverside between Division and Washington.

Outdoor Gear

Given what is on Spokane’s doorstep — skiing, hiking, lakes and rivers all within an hour — outdoor retail does well here. REI is at 1125 N. Monroe, about twelve blocks north of downtown, and there are several independent ski, bike and fly-fishing shops around the city, along with the big-box sporting goods stores out at Northpointe and in the Valley.

Working out where to live?

We have worked only for home buyers in Spokane since 1997. Tell us how you actually spend your week and we will tell you which neighbourhoods fit. Call 509-795-0367 or send us a note.