Five minutes at the annual Avenues Street Fair and you can't help noticing the strong community feeling. It is five blocks of booths blocking the driveways of residents all happy to be landlocked during the event. Two stages compete with neighbors who have jazz and rock bands set up in their front yards. Passersby encourage you to buy items to support the Avenues merchants. I don't believe any other area in Salt Lake has such a commonly held sense of identity.

The Avenues have almost always been a little different than the rest of Salt Lake. First settled by members of the Mormon Church, many original residents sold to businessmen in the mining industry. At the time, members of the LDS Church were forbidden to mine. Church leaders viewed mining as a potentially lethal distraction when communal farming was required to support the population. But the railroads brought commerce, manufacturing, the need for more financial institutions and services. The Avenues became popular with business people, doctors, bankers, and lawyers. The area is still next door to Utah's commercial epicenter.

Boundaries of the Avenues begin at the stately, historic mansions of South Temple, originally Brigham Street, run to the top of City Creek Canyon on the north and proceed from the edge of downtown at "A"Street to the sycamore-lined winding path that is Virginia or "V"Street. Property values have consistently increased over the last 10 years and the area was one of only a few neighborhoods that avoided the property value declines that followed the 2002 Olympics. It is still one of Salt Lake's most unique, prestigious, and valuable neighborhoods.

The Avenues were largely ignored in the early days. Due to the area's elevation, it was difficult to transport water for living and for irrigating the gardens and orchards that were a part of almost every parcel in the valley floor. Street blocks and residential lots in Salt Lake are quite large. Blocks in the Avenues are half the size of the original Salt Lake City blocks and as a general rule, lots in the Avenues are smaller than the rest of the valley.

No area features more architectural variety. You'll find Victorian, Prairie, Queen Anne, Italianate, Art Modern, Gothic Revival, Colonial, and Neo Classical, side by side with the classic bungalow. Many notable local architects have also designed custom homes in the Avenues.

Charming shops, galleries, restaurants, salons and spas weave throughout many varieties of Avenues homes. All lived previous lives The Q Street Gallery (Photo 3) was originally Gibson?s Tailor Shop. Today it's one of the only places in Salt Lake where you can buy Alessi designs. You can lunch at Cucina, 1026 East Second Ave., (Photo 2) formerly Beesley Grocery and Confectionary; relax with an Italian soda or espresso (heavy on crema) at Two Creek Coffee House 502 3rd Ave., (Photo 5), formerly Burke's Quality Service Station; or get exquisite hand dipped chocolate treats at Hatch Family Chocolates 390 4th Ave., (Photo 4), formerly Russell Bakery.

A large part of the Avenues is a historic district with tax credits and low interest loans offered for historical renovation. Restrictions apply to some homes so it's best to hire a knowledgeable Realtor when looking for a home in this district. To discuss these options and to review a catalogue of more than 300 architecturally distinctive homes call me at 801.706.5866.

Next year the Avenues Street Fair will move to another area of the neighborhood, just as it does every year. Some residents will put a band in their front yard but all of them will gladly leave their cars in the garage, and welcome thousands of visitors onto their street.

Gary B. Howard