University Boulevard

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

University Boulevard looking east from in front of Campbell Hall in 1979. From UAB Archives

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.

University Boulevard looking west from the pedestrian crosswalk in front of Lister Hill Library in 2015. Photo by Robert Matthews

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

Five Points South neighborhood

• 6th Street South intersection (north only)
  • 631: former location of Tennessee Packing Co. (1899)
• 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 Collat School of Business building (built 2018), former site of UAB Parking Lot 15A
    • Blazer Pride Plaza (2018-)
    • UAB 13th Street pedestrian bridge (built 1975)
  • South side
    • 1212: 12th Street Deck
• 13th Street South intersection
  • north side
    • 1300: Campbell Hall (1978-)
  • south side
    • former location of Cameron School (1892-1940s)
• 14th Street South intersection
  • north side
    • Hill University Center
  • south side
    • Heritage Hall
    • UAB Campus Green
      • 1429: former location of Rena Lewis' restaurant (1942)
• 15th Street South intersection (north only)
  • North side
    • Parking lot

UAB School of Nursing building in 2018

• • 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 Webb Building
    • 1701: UAB School of 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
    • 1900: Tinsley Harrison Tower
    • 1912: former location of Public Health Building (built 1948, demolished 1980)
    • 1918: McCallum Basic Health Sciences Building, former location of St John's Methodist Church (1899-1941)
  • South side
    • University Boulevard Parking Deck
    • University Tower (unbuilt proposal from 1960, proposed at the intersection with 19th Street South)
    • Doubletree Hotel Birmingham
    • 1913: former location of Wiseola Company (1905)
    • 1919: Cudworth Building (1964-present)
• 20th Street South intersection
  • north side:
    • 2008: Westinghouse Xray Division (1957)
    • 2010: Townhouse Park (2020–), former location of Townhouse Apartments (built 1953), UAB Town House (1985–2017)
      • 2010: former location of Mrs Todd's restaurant (1953-), former location of Tracy's Cafeteria (1983-2008)
    • 2020: former location of Baptist Book Store (1970)
  • south side:
    • 2001: Wings Around the Clock, former location of Robert Williamson (1919), Zoes, Andrew's Sandwich Shop (–1993), New York Bagel Cafe (1996-2005), Starbucks Coffee (2005-2008)
    • 2005: former location of University Tanning Salon (1980s)
    • 2007: former location of Joe Overton commercial photographer (1948), Technical Space Agency (1969), Nickelodeon boutique (1970), Dr Pizza (1987), Lucy's Coffee and Tea (mid-1990s-2020)
    • 2009: University Tacos & Burritos, former location of Pangea (1997), Becky's South, University Grill
    • 2021: former location of Booth's Steam Baths (E. W. & Marcella Booth 1915)
• 21st Street South (Richard Arrington Jr Boulevard South) intersection
  • north side:
    • 2100: Eyster Building, former location of UAB Nursing Staff Development
    • 2116: Ridout's-Brown Service Southside Chapel
  • south side
    • 2101: former site of 1-story commercial building (demolished 2023), former location of Bradley & Bedsole Paint & Body Shop, Martin Flowers (Ed & Pam Boylen 1997-2018)
    • 2111: former location of Dravo Basic Materials Co. (1986)
    • 2117: Baptist Church of the Covenant
    • 2131: former location of Highland Ice Cream Co. (1926)
• 22nd Street South intersection

Southside neighborhood

• 22nd Street South intersection
  • north side:
    • 2208: Retina Specialists of Alabama (2019-), former location of Kassouf & Company (-2016)
    • 2230: Easy Money
  • south side:
    • 2201-2231: parking lot, owned by UAB Health System (2020), formerly owned by Southern Research (-2020)
• 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
    • 2403: former location of Brown Bros grocery (1899)
• 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)