Getting to know the Avenues
If you’re the kind of person who color-codes their sox and
undies, hangs up their shirts by sleeve-length and organizes their books by
author, living in The Avenues will help keep your OCD-anxiety at bay. That’s
because the story of this pricey-but-worth-it neighborhood goes that The Aves
(as the locals call it…) gets its descriptive moniker from the precise
grid-layout of many of its streets. Indeed, not all, but bunches of the streets
are named with letters (‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’, etc.) or numbers, making it simple to
get around, even sans today’s can’t-live-without-it GPS systems.
Homes in this affluent neighborhood include well-aged Victorians, renovated bungalows, restored mansions and architecturally significant residences. As with many Salt Lake enclaves, mature trees line the streets and the area boasts plenty of beautiful parks and green space. Along with its prim and proper homes, The Avenues (one of Salt Lake’s oldest neighborhoods) owes some of its popularity to its easy commute to the downtown business and financial districts, Capitol Hill, the airport and the University of Utah.
Homes in this affluent neighborhood include well-aged Victorians, renovated bungalows, restored mansions and architecturally significant residences. As with many Salt Lake enclaves, mature trees line the streets and the area boasts plenty of beautiful parks and green space. Along with its prim and proper homes, The Avenues (one of Salt Lake’s oldest neighborhoods) owes some of its popularity to its easy commute to the downtown business and financial districts, Capitol Hill, the airport and the University of Utah.
The Feel
Rich with a wealth of history and besotted with significant character, The Avenues is visually charming, extremely historic, kinda artsy and gloriously walkable — if you don’t mind feeling the proverbial burn on a steep incline. On a daily basis, you’ll find residents enjoying the area’s numerous neighborhood pubs, homey brunch spots, ethnic eateries, galleries and jonesing-for-java coffee shops. Lush and hilly, this extraordinary neighborhood also features a scattering of nightlife hangouts and similar see-and-be-seen Cheers-style venues. But the most important thing about The Aves are the homes — so regal, so gorgeous — that we can’t help but extend a much-deserved curtsy and chef’s-kiss to these architectural masterpieces. And while it is primarily residential, a number of churches and schools are located in The Avenues, as are several stunning parks that are as ideal for a picturesque picnic as they are for walking, hiking, biking and after-a-storm sledding.
ADJECTIVES
ADJECTIVES
- Historically significant
- Architecturally important
- Character-rich
- Pricey-but-worth-it
- Hilly but walkable
An Incredible Location
The Avenues Properties For Sale
Things To Do
As with so many Salt Lake City enclaves, The Avenues neighborhood boasts
tree-lined streets and plenty of beautiful parks and green space. Along with a
kick-back-and-relax lifestyle vibe, The Avenues (one of the city’s oldest
neighborhoods) owes some of its popularity to its easy commute to the downtown
business and financial districts, Capitol Hill, the airport and the University
of Utah.
Here’s a sampling of what there is to do and see in the lush, hilly and very walkable Salt Lake City neighborhood known as The Avenues.
Picturesque parks
The Avenues is home to several stunning parks that are as ideal for a scenic picnic as they are for walking, hiking, biking and after-a-storm sledding. The most talked-about are Red Butte Garden, Memory Grove Park and Popperton Park, with a few details about each below.
Red Butte Garden
Encompassing more than 100 acres in the Wasatch foothills, Red Butte Garden is Utah’s Botanical Garden. Themed gardens include the Herb Garden, Children’s Garden, Medicinal Garden, Water Conservation Garden and many more. Red Butte Garden also hosts a variety of events, including popular summer camps for the kiddoes, while the older crowd definitely enjoys chilling-out to the top-act concert series held in the outdoor amphitheater at the mouth of Red Butte Canyon.
Memory Grove Park
This park was dedicated in 1924 as a memorial to America’s fallen military men. In years hence, the park has added a number of monuments and memorials. There are many more, but some of them include:
The Pagoda
Harbor of Beauty
Meditation Chapel
Popperton Park
Dedicated to outdoor recreation and nature preservation, this grassy-green park, which is graced with gently rolling hills, features a number of amenities including:
Speaking of hiking trails, three of the most popular hiking trails in Popperton Park are:
As with so many — if not all — of the plethora of public parks in Salt Lake City, Popperton Park is under the auspices of the Salt Lake Parks Department.
Museums
The state’s flagship university, the University of Utah, is home to a number of museums open to the public. In addition to a variety of art and art history galleries, two of the most popular venues are:
Utah Museum of Fine Arts
Natural History Museum of Utah
One of the hikes most Salt Lake Citians have done
The ‘Living Room’ hike
Boasting a prime perch in the foothills above the Natural History Museum of Utah, the Living Room hike is a super-popular 2.5-mile trail that provides a great workout topped off with panoramic views of the Salt Lake Valley. This dog-friendly outdoor scene is heaven for hikers and trail runners who like to socialize, especially since there’s lots of back-and-forth banter occurring among the folks who regularly hike here.
What you need to know before you go:
Fun fact:
It’s time to eat! Comfy-cozy coffee shops to high-end restaurants
Here’s a sampling of what there is to do and see in the lush, hilly and very walkable Salt Lake City neighborhood known as The Avenues.
Picturesque parks
The Avenues is home to several stunning parks that are as ideal for a scenic picnic as they are for walking, hiking, biking and after-a-storm sledding. The most talked-about are Red Butte Garden, Memory Grove Park and Popperton Park, with a few details about each below.
Red Butte Garden
Encompassing more than 100 acres in the Wasatch foothills, Red Butte Garden is Utah’s Botanical Garden. Themed gardens include the Herb Garden, Children’s Garden, Medicinal Garden, Water Conservation Garden and many more. Red Butte Garden also hosts a variety of events, including popular summer camps for the kiddoes, while the older crowd definitely enjoys chilling-out to the top-act concert series held in the outdoor amphitheater at the mouth of Red Butte Canyon.
Memory Grove Park
This park was dedicated in 1924 as a memorial to America’s fallen military men. In years hence, the park has added a number of monuments and memorials. There are many more, but some of them include:
The Pagoda
- Classic marble structure made of eight columns
- Marble is from the same Vermont quarry that provided marble for the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C.
Harbor of Beauty
- Honors the memory of fallen American sailors
Meditation Chapel
- Memorial to sons of Utah who died in World War II
Popperton Park
Dedicated to outdoor recreation and nature preservation, this grassy-green park, which is graced with gently rolling hills, features a number of amenities including:
- Playgrounds
- Multi-purpose fields
- Picnic tables
- Walking paths
- Hiking trails
Speaking of hiking trails, three of the most popular hiking trails in Popperton Park are:
- Bonneville Shoreline Trail to Bobsled Trail Loop (6.6 miles)
- Bonneville Shoreline Trail to Valley View Ridge Loop and Terrace Trail (8.3 miles)
- Bonneville Shoreline Trail to Valley View Trail (9.6 miles)
As with so many — if not all — of the plethora of public parks in Salt Lake City, Popperton Park is under the auspices of the Salt Lake Parks Department.
Museums
The state’s flagship university, the University of Utah, is home to a number of museums open to the public. In addition to a variety of art and art history galleries, two of the most popular venues are:
Utah Museum of Fine Arts
- Includes regular exhibitions plus an outstanding permanent collection
Natural History Museum of Utah
- Showcases expansive exhibits devoted to the natural world
One of the hikes most Salt Lake Citians have done
The ‘Living Room’ hike
Boasting a prime perch in the foothills above the Natural History Museum of Utah, the Living Room hike is a super-popular 2.5-mile trail that provides a great workout topped off with panoramic views of the Salt Lake Valley. This dog-friendly outdoor scene is heaven for hikers and trail runners who like to socialize, especially since there’s lots of back-and-forth banter occurring among the folks who regularly hike here.
What you need to know before you go:
- The hike is relatively steep
- The difficulty is considered “moderate”
- There’s an elevation gain of 967 feet
Fun fact:
- The name of the hike is said to come from a set of rocks arranged into seating configurations, a la a living room
It’s time to eat! Comfy-cozy coffee shops to high-end restaurants
- Ranging from homey to upscale, from brunch spots to fragrance-filled ethnic eateries, The Avenues is home to a number of popular restaurants, a few of which are:
- Avenues Bistro on Third
- Saffron Valley Indian Restaurants and Catering
- Oasis Cafe
- Cucina Wine Bar, Deli and Fine Dining
- Avenues Proper
- Hatch Family Chocolates