The Avenues

The Avenues is one of Chico's oldest residential districts, occupying the broad grid west of downtown between Nord Avenue on the west and Highway 99 on the east, from West East Avenue in the north down to a southern edge just north of West Sacramento Avenue. At its eastern end that edge follows the north side of Bidwell Park, so the park, downtown Chico and Chico State all sit immediately next door, close enough to shape daily life.

The neighborhood takes its name from its numbered east–west avenues, running from West 1st Avenue up through the West 12th Avenue area, crossed by quiet streets shaded by mature trees. Many homes date to the early 1900s: Craftsman bungalows with deep front porches, modest cottages and larger period homes carrying the detailing of their era. Later decades added infill in a mix of styles, so no two blocks look quite alike.

Two corridors give The Avenues its shape. The Lindo Channel, the Little Chico Creek corridor, cuts a green, wooded band across the neighborhood, bringing creekside trees and a wilder edge to nearby streets. To the east, the Esplanade runs the length of the neighborhood up to East Avenue, with Enloe Medical Center standing on it as a local landmark. On the western side, the Citrus Elementary campus sits near Nord Avenue and West 8th Avenue.

At the southeast corner, Bidwell Park's One-Mile Recreation Area rests on the neighborhood's edge, opening onto shaded picnic grounds, creekside paths and the park beyond. Downtown's shops and restaurants and the Chico State campus are just south of the boundary, minutes from most streets, while Highway 99 connects the eastern edge to the rest of Chico. Browse The Avenues homes for sale below to find your place on one of Chico's most character-filled grids.