Ensley Five Points West Avenue

Ensley Avenue, looking north at Avenue U. Photograph by O. V. Hunt.

Ensley Five Points West Avenue, formerly Ensley Avenue, is a road which connects Five Points West at Bessemer Road (U.S. Highway 11) in Central Park, northwest through Ensley Highlands and Tuxedo to 15th Street Ensley near the former Councill Elementary School in the eastern part of Ensley.

Before the late 1940s, the avenue was divided with a streetcar track in the median. Where the avenue crested two hills, the tracks ran through cuts supported by retaining walls on either side. During the 1950s those areas were leveled and the entire median paved to create more lanes for traffic.

Notable addresses (north to south)

Ensley

• avenue begins at 15th Street Ensley
• 18th Street Ensley intersects
  • west side:
    • former location of Rainbow Gardens Cafe (Robert Nix –1961)
  • east side:
    • 1829: Trinity AME Zion Church
• 19th Street Ensley intersects
  • west side:
    • 1900–1910: Erskine Hawkins Park
    • 1912: Oumi's African Hair Braiding
    • 1914: former location of Silver Moon Barber Shop (1964)
    • 1920: Belcher-Nixon building
  • east side:
    • J & J Appliances
    • KFC restaurant
• 20th Street Ensley (Alabama State Highway 269) intersects ("Tuxedo Junction")
  • west side:
    • Tuxedo Terrace public housing project (no access)
  • east side:
    • 2001–2029 (addressed as 1813): Carlock Honda, former location of Serra Honda (built 2008), Freeway Honda
• 20th Place Ensley / Avenue R Ensley formerly intersected
• 21st Street Ensley formerly intersected
• 22nd Street Ensley formerly intersected
  • west side:
    • 2220: former location of Magic City Laundromat (1964)
  • east side:
    • 2217: former location of Cann's Souse Co. (1964)
• avenue crosses over I-59/20

Ensley Highlands

• Pike Road intersects
  • west side:
    • 2300–2330 (addressed at 2500): former location of Jim Burke Chevrolet
      • 2304: former location of Bay Standard Service Station (1964)
      • 2310: former location of Pate Barber Shop (1964)
      • 2312: former location of Ensley Avenue Beauty Shop (1964)
      • 2318: former location of E. R. Maynord general contractor (1923)
  • east side:
    • 2303: former location of Purity Market (1964)
    • 2307: former location of Birmingham Weatherstripping Co. (1964)
• 25th Street Ensley formerly intersected
  • west side:
    • 2516: former location of Jefferson Apartments (1964)
  • east side:
    • 2505: former location of Jim Burke Hyundai
    • 2509: Enterprise Rent-A-Car
    • 2521–2531: former location of Waldrop Leland Gordon Apartments (1964)
• 26th Street Ensley intersects
  • west side:
  • east side:
    • 2619 (addressed as 2631): former location of Ensley High­lands Presbyterian Church Frank Moore Cross Educational Building
    • 2631 (addressed as 2633): Aletheia House employment training center, former location of Ensley High­lands Presbyterian Church
• Court R Ensley intersects
• 27th Street Ensley intersects (west only)
  • west side:
    • 2720: former location of M & M Apartments (1964)
    • 2730: former location of Little Pre-School Kindergarten & Nursery (Eunice Little 1964)
  • east side:
    • 2701: Tabernacle of the Word Church, former location of St John's Episcopal Church (Ensley) (1964, 1985)
    • 2715–2717: Aletheia House apartments, former location of Enslean Apartments (1964)
      • 2717: former location of H. O. Wray Construction Co. (1927)
    • 2725: former location of Ensley Highlands Methodist Church (built 1952, demolished 2023)
• 28th Street Ensley intersects (east only)
• Avenue S Ensley intersects
  • west side:
    • 2804–2806: former location of Highland Apartments (1964)
  • east side:
    • 2805: John's Tax Services, former location of Thomas Winslett (1964)
• 29th Street Ensley (east) / Avenue T Ensley (north & south) intersect
  • west side:
    • 2900: former location of Mortgage Financing (2000)
    • 2908: former location of Hair N More hairdressers (2000)
  • east side:
    • 2901: former location of 29th Street Service Station (1927)
    • 2925: former location of Ensley Highlands Beauty Shop (1964)
    • 2927: former location of Bethea Electric Co. (1964)
    • 2931: former location of Segrest Television Rentals (1964)
• 30th Place West intersects
• 30th Street Ensley (west) / Avenue U Ensley (east) intersect
• Avenue V Ensley intersects (east only)
  • west side:
    • 3026: former location of Fisher Realty / Merchants Mortgage Association / Victor Spencer attorney (2000)
    • 3040: Florist & Gift Shop, former location of Paris Beauty Salon (1971), JCCEO Community Service / Jefferson County Alcoholism Rehabilitation Hospital (2000)
    • 3050–3076: former location of Ensley Highland Court Apartments (1964)
  • east side:
    • 3025: WATV-AM / V 94.9 FM (2000–)
    • 3041: Moore's Pharmacy, former location of Richard Morgan / William Morgan dentists (2000)
    • 3075: 2200 31st Street Ensley shopping center
• 31st Street Ensley intersects
  • west side:
    • 3100–3106: Chevron gas station / Ensley Seafood, former location of Halcyon Apartments (1964), D. W. Fryers / Wing Out restaurant (2000)
    • 3112: The Beauty Zone, former location of Thom McAn Shoes (1964), Saultis furniture / Homestead House (2000)
    • 3128: AAA Between Pay
  • east side:
    • 3101: former location of Canant Quality Cleaners (1964)
    • 3103: East of the Mississippi Diner, former location of Crumly's Hickory BBQ (1964–1986), Lena's Ole Hickory Restaurant (Lena Jones-Hollock 1986–2008), Lena's East of the Mississippi (Walter Thomas 2008–)

Central Park

• Warrior Road intersects
  • west side:
    • Hollywood Laundry
    • Mobil gas station
  • east side:
    • 3209: ArchWell Health (2023–), former location of A & P supermarket (1964), Rite-Aid pharmacy (2000)
    • Applebee's restaurant
    • 2250 Bessemer Road, former location of Exchange Security Bank (1960–1971), First National Bank (1971–1992), Regions Bank (1992–2000s), Schaeffer Eye Center (2000–)
• avenue ends at Bessemer Road (U.S. Highway 11). Road continues south as Avenue W Ensley

References

• "Ensley Avenue in 1949. Same Spot in 1960" (1960) The Birmingham News