Due to its location on the hill leading up from the Spokane River Valley, the street grid breaks down in many places around Rockwood.

The most notable of these is along the winding Rockwood Boulevard, which was designed by the Olmsted Brothers and weaves its way from the northwesternmost corner of the neighborhood through the center and across to the eastern border, highlighting the basalt bluffs and other natural topography.

Unlike many of the other old neighborhoods surrounding the Spokane city center, the vast majority of the large homes in Rockwood continue to serve as single-family housing.

Between Grand and Southeast Boulevards, about five block lengths of side streets act as the boundary between Rockwood on the south and East Central to the north.

[3] It features streets that curve around exposed basalt outcroppings and through old ponderosa pine and Douglas fir forest as they wind their way up the hill from downtown.

[5][6] The neighborhood's terrain is reflected in many of the street names, like the aforementioned Rockwood, Highland and Upper Terrace, as well as Crest Road and Overbluff Drive.

Development of the neighborhood continued when mining magnate Jay P. Graves acquired much of the Cook's land and extended streetcar service through the area.

This area is now preserved as the Rockwood Historic District and is known for its tree-lined streets and large homes set well back from the curb.

It was designed in a Spanish eclectic style, with stucco walls, red tile roofing, arched entryways and windows, and exposed wooden beams.

Its height, combined with its setting on a bluff at the crest of the steep hill leading up from Downtown, makes the cathedral a landmark visible from areas to the north, east and west.

[13] Grand Boulevard and 29th Avenue are considered urban principle arterials, the highest classification in the city for non-limited access roadways.

[15] The Spokane Transit Authority, the region's public transportation provider, serves Rockwood with seven fixed schedule bus lines.

Route 12, the Southside Medical Shuttle, has a stop across the street from Rockwood's northernmost point, but does not pass through the neighborhood directly.