Salt Lake City’s Avenues can be defined as the area bordered by South Temple Street on the south, City Creek Canyon on the west, 18th Avenue on the north, and Virginia Street on the east. The Avenues lies on Salt Lake City's foothills between the Capitol Hill neighborhood and the University of Utah.
The north-south streets in the Avenues are designated alphabetically east to west from "A" Street to "U" Street and then Virginia Street. The east-west roads in The Avenues are designated numerically from 1st Avenue just above South Temple to 18th Avenue. The Avenues deviates from Salt Lake City's ten-acre block system, with blocks about half that size.
History and Landmarks
Settlement in The Avenues began in 1850 and continued to about 1930. From its beginnings, the area was an attractive residential area for middle-class families. The area was a bustling suburb consisting of Victorian-style homes and served by trolley systems throughout the late 1800s and early 1900s. As development shifted to the city's outlying areas, however, The Avenues began to deteriorate and by the 1960, the neighborhood was run down. Much of the neighborhood has been renovated in the past 30 years or so, and today The Avenues is considered one of the city's most progressive, trendy and desirable areas.
The Avenues is mainly a residential neighborhood, and businesses in the area cater mostly to neighborhood residents. Prominent buildings in The Avenues include the Utah Governor's Mansion, the Cathedral of the Madeline, and LDS Hospital.Demographics
The Avenues neighborhood is attractive to young single professionals and students, many of whom rent apartments or portions of homes in the area. Some sections of the neighborhood contain large homes and attract wealthy urban families. There are fewer children in The Avenues than average for the Salt Lake Valley. Despite the prevalence of students, household incomes in The Avenues are slightly higher than the Utah average.
Homes and Apartments
Many Avenues homes are restored Victorians, and the neighborhood's quaint homes are one of its attractive features. Homes in The Avenues are somewhat more expensive than in other parts of the city, with two-bedroom cottages starting at about $200,000, and prices going up from there. There are a number of historic mansions in The Avenues with prices in the millions.
There are plenty of apartment buildings in The Avenues, and in many cases larger homes have been turned into apartments. A nice 2 bedroom apartment rents for about $800.
Schools
The Capitol Hill neighborhood is in the Salt Lake City School District, and its public high school is West High, ranked by Newsweek as Utah's best high school. The Catholic Madeline Choir School serves students in kindergarten through eighth grade.
Government
The Capitol Hill neighborhood is in Salt Lake City Council District 3 and is currently represented by Stan Penfold. The neighborhood is also served by the Greater Avenues Community Council.
Dining
The Wild Grape Bistro features innovative American West cuisine and was named Best New Restaurant by Salt Lake Magazine for 2008.481 E. South Temple
801-746-5565
Entrees $14-$28
Events
The Greater Avenues Community Council sponsors the popular Avenues Street Fair every September.
