University Boulevard

University Boulevard looking east from the pedestrian crosswalk in front of Lister Hill Library in 2009. Photo by Robert Matthews

This article is about Southside avenue. For other uses, see University Boulevard (disambiguation).

Not to be confused with University Avenue or Avenue H Ensley.

University Boulevard (originally Avenue H, then 8th Avenue South) is an east-west corridor in Birmingham's Southside community connecting Green Springs Highway to Clairmont Avenue. It stretches from 16th Avenue South through the Five Points South neighborhood and UAB campus, for which it is named, to 29th Street South. From Green Springs Highway to the Elton B. Stephens Expressway, University Boulevard also makes up part of Alabama State Highway 149.

The majority of University Boulevard is five-lanes wide, including the center turn lane. Portions through the UAB campus feature a landscaped median.

University Boulevard acts as the border between the Glen Iris and Five Points South neighborhoods from 500 to 700 University Boulevard and again from the bottom of the Interstate 65 north exit ramp to 11th Street South. From the Elton B. Stephens Expressway to 29th Street, University acts as the border between the Southside and Highland Park neighborhoods.

It has the highest traffic count of any downtown street with an average daily count of 25,000 vehicles (between I-65 and the Elton B. Stephens Expressway).

Notable locations

For an alphabetical list of locations, see the University Boulevard category.

Glen Iris

• 16th Avenue South intersection (continues south as Green Springs Highway)
  • 417: Vulcan Beverage
  • 515: Grace & Truth Church, former location of Ollie's Barbecue (1968–1999), Kairos Kafe
• Interstate 65
  • Former site of Medical Center Inn and Waffle House
• 11th Street South intersection

Five Points South neighborhood

• 6th Street South intersection (north only)
• 8th Street South intersection
• Interstate 65 passes over (with access)
• 11th Street South intersection
  • North side
  • South side
    • Young Memorial Field
    • BBVA Compass Field
• 12th Street South intersection
  • North side
    • UAB Parking Lot 15A, future site of UAB Collat School of Business building
  • South side
    • 1212: 12th Street Deck
• 13th Street South intersection
  • North side
    • 1300: Campbell Hall
  • South side
• 14th Street South intersection
  • North side
    • Hill University Center
  • South side
    • Heritage Hall
    • UAB Campus Green
• 15th Street South intersection (north only)
  • North side
    • Parking lot
  • South side
    • UAB Campus Recreation Center
    • 1595: Former site of University Hall (1969–2002)
• 16th Street South intersection
  • North side
    • 1670: Volker Hall
    • 1700: Lister Hill Library
    • 1716: Henry Peters Building
    • 1720: Callahan Eye Foundation Hospital (Complex Vision art installation)
  • South side
    • 1665: Ryals Public Health Building
    • 1675: UAB Nursing Building
    • Unity Park
• 18th Street South intersection
  • North side
    • Birmingham VA Medical Center
  • South side
    • 1801: Rust Computer Center
    • 1825: Shelby Biomedical Research Building (built 2006), former site of Mortimer Jordan Armory/Mortimer Jordan Hall (1960–2002)
• 19th Street South intersection
  • North side
    • McCallum Basic Health Sciences Building (former location of Jefferson County Public Health Building)
  • South side
    • University Boulevard Parking Deck
    • Doubletree Hotel Birmingham
• 20th Street South intersection
  • North side
    • 2010: UAB Town House (built 1953)
      • 2010: former location of Mrs Todd's restaurant (1953-), former location of Tracy's_Cafeteria (1983-2008)
  • South side
    • 2005: former location of University Tanning Salon (1980s)
    • 2007: Lucy's Coffee and Tea, former location of Joe Overton commercial photographer (1948), Nickelodeon boutique
    • 2009: University Tacos & Burritos, former location of Pangea (1997), Becky's South, University Grill
• 21st Street South (Richard Arrington Jr Boulevard South) intersection
  • North side
    • 2116: Ridout's-Brown Service Southside Chapel
  • South side
    • 2117: Baptist Church of the Covenant
• 22nd Street South intersection

Southside neighborhood

• 22nd Street South intersection
  • North side
  • South side
• 23rd Street South intersection
  • North side
    • 2300: Express Oil Change
    • 2320: University BP
  • South side
    • Southtown Court
• 24th Street South intersection
  • North side
  • South side
    • Southtown Court
• 25th Street South intersection (north only)
  • North side
    • Expressway exit/entrance ramps
  • South side
    • 2501: Southtown Court
• Elton B. Stephens Expressway passes over
  • North side
    • Expressway exit/entrance ramps
  • South side
    • St Vincent's Birmingham
• 27th Street South intersection (north only)
  • North side
    • 2700: Burger King (former site of Glenn Houser Texaco, –2009)
  • South side
    • St Vincent's Birmingham
• St Vincents Drive intersection (south only)
  • North side
    • St Vincent's Corporation Marketing Department
  • South side
    • McDonald's
• 28th Street South intersection (south only)
  • North side
  • South side
• 29th Street South intersection (continues east as Clairmont Avenue)