The Ave

Ohhh, the Ave. I’ve fended off fellow drivers to snatch up that final parking spot, I’ve loitered outside Thai Tom for half an hour in pursuit of a table, I’ve stuffed myself silly with cheap Mongolian BBQ food, and I’ve almost been knocked over by skateboarders.
Suffice to say that something’s always up here.

Meh.
I had several people tell me that I needed to visit The Ave. while I was in Seattle for my birthday.
The Ave. is merely okay. It’s mostly cheap food for poor college kids (DOZENS of noodle restaurants). I was told to visit for the shopping, but honestly? The shopping was/​is pathetic. The area has one vintage/​retro clothing store, a Buffalo Exchange, A Crossroads Trading Co., and one or two other second hand stores.
My husband and I were able to walk up and down the street within an hour and a half.

I love how convenient it is along the Ave, but I hate the parking situation because I don’t live within the walking distance. I’ve taken bus, ridden my bike, run here many many times during the day. It’s fun! But, during the night can be scary!
Though, I can’t deny that there are a lot of yummy food here!

Cool stores, but way too many teriyaki places. But one thing that did impress me for the stores near a college, they had a barber shop. At the area like this near my own college, it is almost impossible to find a place to get your hair cut. I counted like 3 different places which all looked like a fairly decent place to get lined up at.
Some places I highly recommend on the Ave include EJ burger and the Buffalo Exchange. Do not miss these places.

Reviewing a street … sigh, well alright then.
As a grad student at UW, hitting up the Ave is inevitable. A variety of bars (i like the College Inn), restaurants, and shops. I generally don’t have time to head over there for lunch from campus, so I mostly get to the ave for the University Bookstore, comic books and Bubble Tea (Oasis is my favorite).
Definitely sketchy, especially at night. I make an effort not to be there alone late. Be careful holding your iphone, those get jacked alot on the ave.

Is it A-​OK? No.
Is it kind of sickly awesome that you always know what you’re going to get but you
never know how it will show up? Yes… yes it is.
What else can I say? I like that it’s always weird, and that the corporate culture has been pushed back by the constant presence of Ave Rats, but I’m also not a fan of the random violence that seems to permeate the street at times.
Best part? Well, once I was spare-​changed by a person I previously dated.
That is definitely in my ‘top 5 awkward moments’ list for sure… you can’t really say «Oh, How are You?» because, well, the answer is pretty clear, isn’t it?

Ohhhhhhh the Ave.
The Ave is a bit mixed of everything, restaurant, flower shop, pubs, bookstore, bank, gym, apartment, electronic store, etc.
I am here often inevitably because its right next to UW. Often I grab a quick meal/​some coffee and occasionally shop here.
I would say that from 41^st to 47^th its filled with a good variety of meal/​drink options such as Chipotle, University Teriyaki, Tara Thai, bubble tea, Noodle Nation, Starbucks, Café Allegro, Finns, College Inn pub, etc. From 47^th and further north, there are often more homeless people asking for money or hanging out. You will see this street filled with college students ²⁴⁄₇.

On my return to the Ave I was bummed to see that Second Time Around had closed, how the F does that happen to an institution. Other businesses have closed and there are many vacant spots.
Regardless the AVE was an intergral part of my maturation process. Not sure if it was the day I visited but I didnt see too many Ave rats.
My favorite character «Junior» the wrestling fan was still there and he had on the freshest Undertaker shirt.
For those of you that dont know the Blue Scholars did a great tribute anthem to this place.
Every UDUB student knows of the AVE.
«F class get your education on the AVE!»

+1 to the guy who said the ave is like Frogger… I’m not sure I’ve ever heard a better explanation.
Here’s my deal with the Ave… its a funky little college area of town which specializes in cheap (but some very good) eateries, cheap (but some very good) drinkeries, and random «what the hell is this doing here» stores not to mention one of the best farmers markets in the urban area in my opinion.
I’m actually here quite a bit for random chores and errands such as the awesome poultry shop and to feed my insatiable cravings for Wow-​god-​infused bubble tea… minus the god of course.
Its the ave… its dirty and kind of scarry at night (not so much anymore), and there are homeless kids all over the place and college kids and whatever… but its a fun little place to go hang out sometimes.

I lived around the area for 3 years and survived. However, I’d have to say the Ave became progressively worse with each passing year.
The plus side is that there are a ton of places to eat up and down the Ave which is super convenient. Just be prepared to go through the mobs of the Ave rats. I usually would just stick in my ear buds and look awfully pissed while walking up/​or the street. This way, I didn’t have to hear the catcalls or the people begging for change for ‘bus fare’.
This past year, there was a lot of crime around the vicinity which is one of the main reasons I decided to get the hell out of here. People were getting jumped and even shot in broad daylight. Scary.
If you’re a student, you can’t avoid the Ave. Just be prepared to see some interesting folks and have a watchful eye. Better safe than sorry.

Ask me 5 years ago and I would have given it a 5 hands down.
Now, after being grabbed in daylight in a store NO. The Ave is overrun with hangers outers in front of stores. The University Chamber of Commerce supposedly fixed the problem by closing off parking and widening sidewalks so no one can park on many areas of the Ave.
Nothing changed with the hangers outers, well, except that there are more of them. Sometimes in packs of 8. They are rude, make remarks at passersby. They are followed or surrounded by litter on the street; often drunk or drug impaired, drinking beer openly.
Shootings in the area are in the news. Don’t go there at night.
Employees of some of these places are to be commended for coming to work and having to deal with the social situations of customers vs gangs and groups of hangers outers. The expertise and capabilities vary greatly.
From Rite-​Aid management who say they can do nothing to restaurant people who will do nothing to an anonymous manager who explained to me that if she is too strong at some of these groups she can be followed and her car vandalized.
The UW is right next door. They do nothing.

What can you say about the Ave? Walking up and down the Ave is sort of like playing frogger except the obstacles are panhandlers who pee on themselves, hipsters who blow cigarette smoke into your face, and Ave Rats doing what they do best (freaking out freshmen).
The Ave has plenty of cheap restaurants, coffee joints, and weird places to shop. There aren’t a lot of big chains and you know if you walk long enough you’ll find someplace everyone in your group agrees on. For most people the biggest problem is the sleaze. But after a few years of practicing NOEYECONTACTWITHTHESCARYPEOPLE you’ll be ready to walk from 40^th to 55^th with ease.

I’m a fan of the saying, «Find a penny, pick it up, all day long you’ll have good luck.»
Someone should add: «Unless the penny’s on the Ave, you never know what diseases it might have*.»
I guess I just did.
*Please think up your own clever rhymes for other areas of Seattle as this also applies to Capitol Hill, Pioneer Square, and most definitely Belltown!