Much of it is down to Wiels, the centre for contemporary art that persevered with four gruelling years of renovation to make its home in the abandoned Wielemans-Ceuppens brewery at number 354. Wiels has made a name for itself all over the globe, hosting the work of internationally renowned contemporary artists, such as Mike Kelly and Felix Gonzalez- Torres since it opened in 2007.

Not only is Wiels one of the most significant artistic moves onto the road, it's also one of the largest. A rare example of industrial modernism and art deco, the four-storey concrete monolith is visible for miles on the Brussels skyline, particularly from trains pulling in and out of South Station.

But before its arrival, few of the Wiels creatives knew Van Volxemlaan. Devrim Bayer, co-ordinator of the resident artists program at Wiels, was born in Brussels. “I grew up in Elsene and Ukkel and went to school in Etterbeek, but until I started working here, I didn't know Vorst at all,” she says. “There wasn’t much to do or visit, so if you didn't live here, you just wouldn't come here. Wiels has changed that.”

We sit sipping espresso in the light, airy cafe at Wiels, flanked by the brewery's original copper vats in the entrance hall. A large group of art school students at adjacent tables are in fervent discussion. Two young professionals in suits peer over a folder at another table. The buzz of chatter is momentarily broken by a crocodile of primary school children entering the building.

It's a multi-cultural neighbourhood, and the education department at Wiels launches projects between Belgian artists and local Flemish and French schools, enabling children to try different art techniques and foster an acceptance of each other's backgrounds.

"The children are very at ease with Wiels, but if you ask whether their parents have come in, they've never stepped inside, not even for a coffee. Even if they live next door,” says Bayer. She doesn't know why. “I can't say how they think, but I know they're not coming. Even if their kids are.” Some of the reasons become apparent chatting to people on the avenue. “I'm glad they saved the building. It lifts the area,” says Ana-Maria, a woman in her 60s who came to live in the neighbourhood from Italy, as a child. But she hasn't been in. “I can make a coffee at home,” she says. “But do they have Monet? I like Monet.”

The same goes for the younger generation. “It's a cool building, but I didn't know it was an art gallery,” says Siham, one of two local 15-year-olds. “Is it free? Can anyone go?” asks her friend Fatima.

I get talking to the girls outside the Wiel’s showcase for young artists on the nearby Sint-Denijsplein – an empty 1960s launderette called Speedy Wash. An installation can be seen through the window and a photographic collage of supermarket check-out counters sits on the outer wall, peeling at the corners.

The girls are not very impressed with the work on show, by Stephanie Kiwitt and Tina Schulz. “It's quite ugly” says Fatima. “Is there a meaning to it? The place still looks abandoned, which doesn't add anything much to the appearance of the area.”

“I would rather see art that is beautiful, that makes me smile, that makes people in the area smile,” adds Siham. “I like photography a lot. Some large portraits would work really well in this space. I would like to do something here.”

The older generation may not be coming in off the street, but Wiels is making an effort at outreach with mixed-media workshops hosted by Belgian artists – with the local women's association Het Huis van de Vrouw, for example. It encourages the development of artistic expression, even if they don't like what's on show at Wiels. “I had never painted or used a camera before,” says Anissa Ziouziou, who participated last year. “It brought me out of myself.”

Building on P.A.R.T.S.

Wiels may be the most visible cultural presence on Van Volxemlaan, but it wasn’t the first to arrive. Set away from the road at number 164 is the home of dance ensemble Rosas and the P.A.R.T.S. dance school. The school was established in 1995 by Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, arguably Belgium's best-known contemporary choreographer. It almost immediately acquired a world-wide reputation as a centre for innovation, with intensive training and advanced techniques. Last month it received the first-ever Silver Lion award for dance at the Venice Biennale.

Peter Savel is one of 24 dancers who graduated from the four-year programme this year and is currently touring Europe with his graduate show I Have to Get Ready.

Savel came from Slovakia and moved onto the avenue having lived elsewhere in Vorst for his first two years. He now lives across the road from the school. “It's as close as it gets. I love it,” he laughs. “It's a calm neighbourhood, and I like that. The school is very demanding, and I like the practicality of not having to travel to it. It really saves so much energy. I take my coffee with me and cross the street in the mornings.”

Evenings on the avenue are quiet, and Savel often ends up hanging out with other dancers at his place when there isn't an opening night party at Wiels to go to. “The couple of bars in the area are nice but feel very local, with regulars – older men – watching football. We always find ourselves saying how it would be really lovely to have a bar here where we'd feel good to go and hang out every evening.”

I had that same feeling when I went to meet the Zone Inconnue crew, four DJs who broadcast every Wednesday night from Radio Vibration at The Brass cultural centre at number 364. After the show, there was nowhere for us to go but to stand out on the street and talk. The Brass is the newest creative edition to the avenue, next door to Wiels in what used to be another derelict brewery building.

DJs Initial, Mik, Aphone and Toad Shindy have been broadcasting an eclectic mix of drum ‘n’ bass, dubstep and breakbeat together here since last autumn. “Our music is considered alternative to commercial R&B and electronic music,” says Shindy. “No one else at Radio Vibration is playing it, and you don't hear it much on commercial radio.”

The opportunity to broadcast has drawn them from other parts of the city, overcoming the perception that this was an unwelcoming area. “The neighbourhood had a dodgy reputation, but it is far better now,” explains Mik. “Wiels quickly became famous and is attracting culture around it.”

“It's a positive step to grow culture,” says Aphone. “You can feel the respect in this street. People in the street here, especially Moroccan and Turkish guys, know what's happening and want to talk about the radio show with us.”

It has provided the crew with an important new audience. “We love having people discover the music we love,” says Initial. “That's why we do it.”