Across Union Bay from the park, the University District , or the "U" District, is a busy hodgepodge of coffee houses, cinemas, and clothes, book and record stores catering to the University of Washington's 35,000 students. The area centers on University Way, known as " The Ave ," and is lined with inexpensive ethnic restaurants and the cavernous University Bookstore, 4326 University Way NE. Although the sidewalks are always bustling, the area lacks the late-opening clubs and music venues of nearby Capitol Hill.

On campus, the Henry Art Gallery , 15th Avenue and NE 41st Street (Tues-Sun 11am-5pm, Thurs closes at 8pm; $6, free Thurs 5-8pm and for any student with ID; ), houses American and European paintings and photography from the last two centuries, and hosts rotating contemporary exhibitions focusing on regional art in all forms. The Burke Memorial Museum , 17th Avenue and NE 45th Street (daily 10am-5pm, Thurs closes at 8pm; $5.50; ), presents exhibits on the natural and cultural history of the Pacific Rim and displays selections from its huge collection of 2.75 million fossils and Ice Age skeletons, including the remains of a 12,000-year-old sloth.

University District

• University District

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