Abovyan Street is one of the fanciest streets in Yerevan. It is a nice boulevard, one of my favorite spots in Yerevan. There are nice drinking fountains, benches and sculptures on the wide sidewalks of Abovyan Street.

Abovyan Street stretches for 1.6 km. Several years ago the street was called Astafyan and even earlier the street was known as the Crown.

Arno Babajanyan Small Philharmonic Hall, Museum of Folk Art, Stanislavski Russian Theater and Agulis Puppet Theatre-Studio are all situated on Abovyan Street. Performances at Agulis Puppet Theatre include: “Three piglets", "Hansel and Gretel", and Kikos".

Within a short walking distance is Republic Square, the heart of the city. My favorite part about this Yerevan “piazza” is the singing fountains which are fountains that dance to music in the evening while changing colors. It is quite spectacular. Other than that Northern Avenue, another favorite evening hangout, is within a 10 minute walk from the apartment. The Opera House, where many cultural events take place, is quite near the apartment, at a 15 minute walking distance.

Art Bridge Café is my favorite bookstore-café located on Abovyan Street. Although the menu at Art Bridge is limited, it offers good food, a variety of coffee, tea and freshly squeezed juices. There is a smoking and a non-smoking section in this café. The two are well separated from each other. The staff is friendly and speaks reasonably good English. I usually like to drop by at Art Bridge Café for a quick breakfast of tomato omelet and a cup (or rather a whole pot) of Armenian blend herbal tea. It is also a good hang-out and can serve as a nice place for informal business meetings.

There are not many buses and minibuses serving Abovyan Street. Te get one, you should walk down a few quarters to the bus stops on Isahakyan Street or on Sayat Nova. There are numerous buses and minibuses, which run to all parts of the city. Yeritasardakan metro station is within easy reach as well.

Hermine,

Freelance Ginosi Correspondent