Crestwood Boulevard
Crestwood Boulevard is the section of U.S. Highway 78 (also called the Bankhead Highway) running from 5th Avenue South and 47th Street to somewhere near John Rogers Drive in Irondale. It is so-named because it traverses the Crestwood neighborhood before crossing Red Mountain just south of Red Gap. East of Montevallo Road the Boulevard follows a route more or less parallel to I-20.
It was first identified as "Proposed Avondale-Irondale Super-Highway" on a 1946 road map. At that time, the Bankhead Highway followed Montclair Road between Pawnee Avenue and Irondale. Through the 1950's, this section of US 78 was identified on road maps as the "Atlanta Highway" while the Montclair Road route continued to be called the Bankhead Highway.
Between 53rd Street South and 58th Street South, the Boulevard features a wide median with concrete bollards. For Independence Day and other patriotic holidays in the 1960's through the 1980's, Boy Scout Troop 41 of Woodlawn raised flags on flagpoles spaced at regular intervals along the median. The Alabama National Guard was responsible for installing the flagpoles in the median prior to each holiday and then returning them afterwards to Troop 41's Scout Hut next to Woodlawn United Methodist Church.
The section of Crestwood Boulevard between Irondale and Crestwood Festival Center was landscaped in preparation for the 1996 Olympic Games. Gradco, Inc. was paid $26,000 to install new plantings specified by landscape architect Mike Kirk to continue the style used already in Irondale.
In April 2019 the Birmingham City Council approved 20% matching funds to commission a Crestwood APPLE Study/Crestwood Boulevard Corridor Study through the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham to determine of the Boulevard could be redesigned according to "complete street" principles, with improved access for pedestrian and bicycle traffic.
Notable locations (west to east)
Birmingham
Crestwood North (north) / Crestwood South (south)
- boulevard merges with/splits from 5th Avenue South
- 5400: Crestwood Park
- 5500: Crestwood Tavern, former location of Frostop Root Beer (1960s), Jesse Goin restaurant (1960s–1970), Mama Mia's Spaghettini, La Mancha's, Bachelor's Three nightclub (late 1960s), Lochamy's BBQ (late 1960s), Bob Sykes Bar-B-Q (early 1970s), El Gringo's (1970s-1980s), Crestwood Grill, Playas del Nayarit, Michoacan
- 5502-5522: Crestwood Village shopping center (built 1957 as Crestwood Shopping Center)
- 5524: The Filling Station restaurant (2015-), former location of Crestwood Auto
- 56th Street South intersects
- 5600: residence
- 5616: residence, former location of W. A. Parker (1961)
- 5901: Alabama Waldorf School (2016–), former location of Crestwood Christian Church
- 6001: Salvation Army Youth Services Center
- Eagle View Drive intersects, access to The Vue at Crestwood apartments (built 1977 as Mountain View Apartments)
- 6400: Crestway Baptist Church
- 6701-7309: Crestwood Festival Center
- 6701: JCCEO Festival Head Start Center, former location of Campo Electronics
- 6901: Cabinets To Go, former location of O'Charley's
- 7001: main address for Crestwood Festival Center
- 7201: proposed location of ACome Korean BBQ & Hot Pot, former location of Ryan's Family Steak House
- 7400: Aldi
- 7401: former site of Gulas Supper Club and Hooters
Eastwood (north) / Crestline (south)
- Cresthill Road intersects
- 7500: Red Mountain Motorsports, former location of BMW Motorcycles of Birmingham (2011-2015)
- 7505-7523: Village East Shopping Center
- 7505: Aaron's
- 7509: Milano Men's Wear
- 7513: Hair Show Beauty Supply
- 7515: former location of T. J. Maxx
- 7517: Roses Express (2015-), former location of It's Fashion Metro
- 7521: Z Outlet
- 7523: Citi Trends
- 7580–7600: Amazon Fulfillment Center DBM5
- 7580: former location of Century Plaza shopping mall
- 7600: former location of Jack's Hamburgers Number 12
- 7601: former location of Red Lobster and the scene of a large fire on November 4, 2023
- 7621: ABC Store, former location of Blockbuster
- 7641: Goo-Goo Wash
- 7665: former location of Lovable Pet Center (1983)
Eastwood
- Oporto-Madrid Boulevard intersects
- Century Park East
- Eastwood Village (former site of Eastwood Mall)
- 7701: former location of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Olive Garden restaurant, Baja California Cantina (Jaime Hernandez 2022–2024)
- former location of BTNB Eastwood branch
- 7712: TitleMax, former location of Butters restaurant (1980s)
- 7724: Whitecap Auto Spa (built August 2024–), former location of Wendy's, Ezell's Express (demolished)
- 7740: Murphy USA gas station
- 7748: International House of Pancakes
- 7757: Arby's
- 7757: Burger-King, former location of Shoney's Big Boy
- 7801: Eastwood Shell gas station
- 7817-7893 Eastwood Shopping Plaza shopping center
- 7817: Cellular Express
- 7825A: Eastwood Print and Copy
- 7825C: Acceptance Auto Insurance
- 7825D: Advance America
- 7845: Extra Space Storage (2024–), former location of Eastwood K-Mart (1969–2013), Kids Market & Mom
- 7849: Monarch Direct grocery store
- 7865: former location of Lovable Pet Center (1981)
- 7881: former location of The Hobby Shop (1991)
- 7883: Sammy's Old Fashion Hot Dogs
- 7893: former location of Pizza Perfect (1992), McMillan's Big & Tall (-2016)
- 7855: former location of La Cocina (1985)
- 7893: Southeastern Cellular & Paging
- 7901-7905: Birmingham VA Mental Health Clinic (2021-)
- 7901: former location of Starlite Drive-In (built 1951), Garden Inn (demolished 2020)
- 7905: former location of Motel Birmingham, Delux Inn & Suites
- 7909: KFC
- 7911: former location of Howard Johnson's restaurant
- 7929: former site of Dobbs House Luau, China Garden (1988–1990)
- 7941: former location of Holiday Inn (built 1962), Calico's restaurant, USA Economy Lodge (closed 2021)
- 7949: former location of Margaret's Dance Showcase (1966)
- 7950: Villa Fiesta, former location of El Palacio (1981)
- 7952: Habitat for Humanity Outlet
- 7956: Shrimp Basket (2015-)
- 7958: former location of Superpetz
- 7960: Royal Paints / Art Sign Co., former location of Prestige Productions (1965–1966), Layton Environmental Engineering (1993)
- 7964: Family Auto Sales
- Montclair Road and 16th Street South (Irondale) intersect
Irondale
- 1616-1630: 5 Points East shopping center (built c. 1960s)
- 1701: Stan's Car Sales, former location of Jiffy-Lube
- 1703: Hamburger Heaven
- 1709-1729: Crestwood Plaza shopping center
- 1709: O'Reilly Auto Parts
- 1715: former location of Big B Drugs (1971)
- 1717: Check 'N Go, former location of Stray Cats furniture
- 1721: Dollar General
- 1729: Iron Beach Gym, former location of Unfinished Furniture, Dress Code Warehouse
- 1721: former location of Po Folks restaurant
- 1724: Jack's restaurant
- 1730: AAMCO Transmissions
- 1801: former location of PNC Bank (closed 2022)
- 1804: Chevron station / Sneaky Pete's
- 1810: Krystal hamburgers
- 1811: former location of La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries (built 1995)
- 1813: America's Best Value Inn & El Cancun Mexican Restaurant
- 1815: Village Spirits
- 1816: Kangaroo Express
- 1819: Eat at Panoptic (Raquel Ervin May 1, 2021–), former location of Robert Denny physician (1969), exterminator, Green Acres Cafe
- 1845– :proposed site of Irondale Municipal Center
- 1845: former location of Regions Bank (–2020)
- 1847: former location of Marks Fitzgerald Furniture, Kayser's Furniture, Roomstore Furniture (2008), Flex Fitness (Teddy Zane 2015–2021)
- 1849: former location of Levand Steel & Supply Corporation
- 1848: Taco Mariachi, former location of American Family Care
- 1900–2000: New South Center (built 1968)
- 1905: Sherwin-Williams Paint Store
- 1911: former location of Haverty's Furniture
- 1950: Southern Pharmaceutical Services
- 2500: former location of David Winchester dentist (1993)
- 2506: Golden Rule Bar-B-Q
- 2510: former location of the Siesta Motel (closed January 2018)
- 2522: Harris Automotive
- 2615-2631: Underwood Plaza shopping center (built 1955)
- 2615: La Auténtica (2024–), former location of Stacy's Style Studio (2014-)
- 2617: Antique Outlet (2017-)
- 2619: Art's Barber Shop (1968-)
- 2621: Plaza Carpet (2017-), former location of Devyani Dance Center (2008)
- 2627: former location of Heavy Metal, personal trainers
- 2631: Plaza Antiques (2015-), former location of L & M Mower (2008)
- 2709: Smokey's Pit Stop / Sunoco gas station (January 2012–) / Panoptic Food Truck (July 2020–), former location of Q P 233 gas station
- 2721: Alabama Spay & Neuter Clinic
- 2730: Irondale Post Office
- 2749: Iron City Stone & Supply
- 2750: IBML, former location of Champion Lincoln Mercury Merkur (1987)
- 2800: Guin Services (2024–), former location of Peak Season furniture manufacturer
- 2870: Sprayroq, former location of Creative Polymer Solutions
- 2880: Wells Fargo Bank
- 2890: Borden Dairy
- 3300: Citgo & Gas-A-Cheap
- 4678: Eastwood Animal Clinic
- 4797: Shell gas station
- Old Leeds Road intersects, I-20 access
References
- (1946) "Whitson's map of Birmingham and vicinity", from the Birmingham Public Library Digital Collection
- (1951) "Official street name map of the city of Birmingham, Alabama", from the Birmingham Public Library Digital Collection
- Hulen, Tara (March 13, 1996) "Eastwood to spruce up for Olympics." The Birmingham News
- Chambers, Jesse (April 5, 2018) "Two city councilors eye stretch of Highway 78 as 'complete street'." Iron City Ink
- Robinson, Carol (November 4, 2023) "Firefighters battling blaze at old Red Lobster building on Birmingham’s Crestwood Boulevard." AL.com
- Byington, Pat (February 8, 2024) "Mexican restaurant on Crestwood Boulevard has closed." BhamNow