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The Ave., officially University Way N.E., is a thoroughfare in the University District of northeastern Seattle, Washington, running from N.E. Pacific Street in the south to N.E. Ravenna Boulevard and Cowen Park in the north, where it turns into Cowen Place N.E. Originally platted as Columbus Avenue, the street's name was changed to 14th Avenue after the neighborhood was annexed by the city in 1891. Locals came to feel that a numbered street name was inappropriate because of the thoroughfare's importance, so in 1919 the University Commercial Club held a contest to decide the new name of the street: University Way. The street had been known as "the Ave." for a time before this, however, and the nickname still stands.
The Ave. declined significantly in the later 20th century, partly because of the commerical success of University Village, but remains at the heart of campus life for University of Washington students, and is heavily lined with busy restaurants, coffee bars, shops, and cultural facilities. Among these are Landmark Theatres' Varsity Theatre and the University of Washington's University Book Store.