5th Avenue North: Difference between revisions

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** 700: former location of [[George Washington Grocery]] (1925)
** 700: former location of [[George Washington Grocery]] (1925)
** 808: [[Abanks Mortuary]]
** 808: [[Abanks Mortuary]]
** 1300: former location of [[Caldwell-Watson Foundry Machine Co.]] (1926)
** 1301: [[Jim Burke Automotive Group|Jim Burke Pontiac/Buick/GMC]]
** 1301: [[Jim Burke Automotive Group|Jim Burke Pontiac/Buick/GMC]]
** 1409: [[Jim Burke Automotive Group|Jim Burke Chevrolet/Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge]]
** 1409: [[Jim Burke Automotive Group|Jim Burke Chevrolet/Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge]]
* [[15th Street North]] intersection
** 1503: former location of [[Hill's Food Stores|Hill Grocery Co.]] (1926)
** 1510: former location of [[A. G. Gaston Motel]] (1956), [[A. G. Gaston's Supper Club]]
** 1510: former location of [[A. G. Gaston Motel]] (1956), [[A. G. Gaston's Supper Club]]
** 1516-1518: former location of [[Salvation Army Birmingham Area Command|Salvation Army Social Services Department]] (1925)
** 1516-1518: former location of [[Salvation Army Birmingham Area Command|The Salvation Army]] (1925-1926)
** 1527: [[A. G. Gaston Building]], former location of [[Booker T. Washington Business College]]
** 1527: [[A. G. Gaston Building]], former location of [[Booker T. Washington Business College]]
* Intersection with [[16th Street North]]
 
* [[16th Street North]] intersection
** North side:
** North side:
*** 1600-1630: [[Kelly Ingram Park]]
*** 1600-1630: [[Kelly Ingram Park]] (formerly [[West Park]] or [[West End Park]])
** South side:
** South side:
** 1605: former location of [[R. G. Snider Concrete Co.]] (1925)
*** 1603: former location of [[A&P|Great A&P Tea Co.]] grocery store (1926)
** 1617: [[Freedom Manor]]
*** 1605: former location of [[R. G. Snider Concrete Co.]] (1925)
** 1625: former location of [[Fifth Avenue Hotel]] (1925)
*** 1617: [[Freedom Manor]]
** 1629: former location of [[Aqua Lounge]] night club
*** 1623-1625: former location of [[Consumers Electronic Co.]] (1926)
** 1631: former location of [[Le Bistro Hickory House]] restaurant
**** 1625: former location of [[Fifth Avenue Hotel]] (1925)
* Intersection with [[17th Street North]]
*** 1627: former location of [[Gary Hotel]] (1926)
** 1701: former location of [[Contos & Apostolakos]] restaurant (1928)
*** 1629: former location of [[Aqua Lounge]] night club
** [[1704]]: [[City Action Partnership]]
*** 1631: former location of [[Le Bistro Hickory House]] restaurant
** [[1729 5th Avenue North|1729]]: [[Hugo L. Black Federal Courthouse]], former site of [[Roden Hotel]] and [[Adamson Ford]]
 
* Intersection with [[18th Street North]]
* [[17th Street North]] intersection
** 1800: [[Robert S. Vance Federal Building]]
** North side:
** 1801: [[Federal Reserve Building]]
*** 1702: former location of [[O'Keefe & Lyons Electric Co.]] (1926)
** 1823: former location of the [[House of Exotics]] patio lounge
*** [[1704 5th Avenue North|1704]]: [[City Action Partnership]]
** 1829: former location of [[Mayer's Wall Paper & Frame Shop]]
*** 1716: former location of [[Church of the Nazarene]] (1926)
** 1831: former location of [[Excelsior Cafe]] (1928)
*** 1718-1722: former location of [[DeSoto Hotel]] annex (1926)
* Intersection with [[19th Street North]]
*** 1726: former location of [[Oriental Tea & Coffee Co.]] (1926)
*** 1728: former location of [[Erie Leather Co.]] (1926)
*** 1730: former location of [[Bill's Place]]
** South side
*** [[1729 5th Avenue North|1701-1729]]: [[Hugo L. Black Federal Courthouse]], former site of [[Roden Hotel]] and [[Adamson Ford]]
**** 1701: former location of [[Contos & Apostolakos]] restaurant (1928)
 
* [[18th Street North]] intersection
** North side
*** 1800-1830: [[Robert S. Vance Federal Building]] (built 1921)
** South side
*** 1801: [[Federal Reserve Building]]
*** 1819: former location of [[Run-A-Ford Co.]] (1926)
*** 1821: former location of [[Fraser's Garage]] (1926)
*** 1823: former location of the [[House of Exotics]] patio lounge
**** 1823½: former location of [[Industrial Life & Health Insurance Co.]] (1926)
*** 1829: former location of [[Mayer's Wall Paper & Frame Shop]] (1926)
*** 1831: former location of [[Excelsior Cafe]] (1928)
 
* [[19th Street North]] intersection
** former site of [[Pollock-Stephens Institute]] and [[Southern Safe & Fence Company]]
** former site of [[Pollock-Stephens Institute]] and [[Southern Safe & Fence Company]]
** 1907: former location of [[Jane Speed's Book Store]]
** North side:
** 1909: [[Subway Restaurant]] (former location of [[Fifth Avenue Coffee House]])
*** 1916: former location of [[Dixie Drive-It-Yourself System]] (1948)
** 1911: former location of [[Dixie Sporting Goods]] (1948)
*** 1918: former location of [[George Farris]] restaurant (1928)
** 1913: [[Chick Fil-A]]
*** 1920: former location of [[Apollo Club]] (1902)
** 1916: former location of [[Dixie Drive-It-Yourself System]] (1948)
*** 1960: [[Regions Center]]
** 1915: former location of [[DeMoes' Lunch Counter]], the [[Alhambra Restaurant]], and the [[Gold Torch]] restaurant and lounge (1972)
** South side:
** 1918: former location of [[George Farris]] restaurant (1928)
*** 1901:
** 1919: former location of [[Ben Chapman's Bowling Lanes]] and [[Lo-Mac Bowl]] (opened [[1950]])
*** 1907: former location of [[Jane Speed's Book Store]]
** 1920: former location of [[Apollo Club]] (1902)
*** 1909: [[Subway Restaurant]] (former location of [[Fifth Avenue Coffee House]])
** 1921: former location of [[Nuncie's Music]] (1945-c. 1980)
*** 1911: former location of [[Dixie Sporting Goods]] (1948)
** 1960: [[Regions Center]]
*** 1913: [[Chick Fil-A]]
** 1961: [[Wells Fargo Tower]], former location of shooting gallery, [[Krystal]] hamburgers, [[Jefferson Federal Savings and Loan Association]] branch
*** 1915: former location of [[DeMoes' Lunch Counter]], the [[Alhambra Restaurant]], and the [[Gold Torch]] restaurant and lounge (1972)
*** 1919: former location of [[Ben Chapman's Bowling Lanes]] and [[Lo-Mac Bowl]] (opened [[1950]])
*** 1921: former location of [[Nuncie's Music]] (1945-c. 1980)
*** 1961: [[Wells Fargo Tower]], former location of shooting gallery, [[Krystal]] hamburgers, [[Jefferson Federal Savings and Loan Association]] branch
** [[Greg's Hot Dogs]]
** [[Greg's Hot Dogs]]


* Intersection with [[20th Street North]]
* [[20th Street North]] intersection
** North side
** North side
*** 2000: [[Financial Center]], [[Winged Victory]] statue
*** 2000: [[Financial Center]], [[Winged Victory]] statue
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*** 2029: former location of [[Christian Science Reading Room]]
*** 2029: former location of [[Christian Science Reading Room]]
*** 2033: former location of [[All-American Cafe]] (1923)
*** 2033: former location of [[All-American Cafe]] (1923)
* Intersection with [[21st Street North]]
 
* [[21st Street North]] intersection
** North side
** North side
*** 2104: former location of [[Frank Chambers Engraving Co.]] (1949)
*** 2104: former location of [[Frank Chambers Engraving Co.]] (1949)
Line 89: Line 117:
*** 2129: former location of [[Hale & Davis]] electric fans (1923)
*** 2129: former location of [[Hale & Davis]] electric fans (1923)
*** 2131: former location of [[Allen's Cafe]] (1928), [[Beverly Restaurant]] (1945)
*** 2131: former location of [[Allen's Cafe]] (1928), [[Beverly Restaurant]] (1945)
* Intersection with [[22nd Street North]]
 
* [[22nd Street North]] intersection
** [[Park Place (Hope VI project)]]
** [[Park Place (Hope VI project)]]
** former location of [[Bryan's Lounge]]
** former location of [[Bryan's Lounge]]
Line 96: Line 125:
*** 2224: former site of [[Downtowner Motor Inn]]/[[National 9 Inn]]
*** 2224: former site of [[Downtowner Motor Inn]]/[[National 9 Inn]]
*** 2230: former location of [[James Going residence]] (1880s), [[Don's Old Fashioned Barbecue]] <!--[[Don Nelson]], propr.-->(1923)
*** 2230: former location of [[James Going residence]] (1880s), [[Don's Old Fashioned Barbecue]] <!--[[Don Nelson]], propr.-->(1923)
* Intersection with [[23rd Street North]]
 
* [[23rd Street North]] intersection
** [[Park Place (Hope VI project)]]
** [[Park Place (Hope VI project)]]
** North side
** North side
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*** 2311: former site of [[Gulas Restaurant and Lounge]]
*** 2311: former site of [[Gulas Restaurant and Lounge]]
*** 2317-2325: former location of [[Happy John Bollas]] drive-in restaurant (1928-1969)
*** 2317-2325: former location of [[Happy John Bollas]] drive-in restaurant (1928-1969)
* Intersection with [[24th Street North]]
 
* [[24th Street North]] intersection
** [[Park Place (Hope VI project)]]
** [[Park Place (Hope VI project)]]
** 2431-2433: Former location of [[New Subway Cafe]] (1937)
** 2431-2433: Former location of [[New Subway Cafe]] (1937)
* Intersection with [[25th Street North]]
 
* [[25th Street North]] intersection
** [[Park Place (Hope VI project)]]
** [[Park Place (Hope VI project)]]
** North side
** North side
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*** 2525: former location of [[Cosmar Bros.]] restaurant (1928)
*** 2525: former location of [[Cosmar Bros.]] restaurant (1928)
*** 2531: former location of [[Reliance Hotel]] (1910)
*** 2531: former location of [[Reliance Hotel]] (1910)
* Intersection with [[26th Street North]]
 
* [[26th Street North]] intersection
** 2600: former site of [[Gus Jebeles (shopkeeper)|Gus Jebeles]]' shop, [[Magic City sign]] and [[Birmingham Terminal Station]]
** 2600: former site of [[Gus Jebeles (shopkeeper)|Gus Jebeles]]' shop, [[Magic City sign]] and [[Birmingham Terminal Station]]


Revision as of 16:38, 25 March 2017

5th Avenue North is an east-west downtown street in Birmingham's northside. It ends at a drainage headwall for Valley Creek at 7th Street North to the west and becomes Messer Airport Highway to the east as it crosses below the Elton B. Stephens Expressway and the Norfolk Southern Railroad.

The eastern end of 5th Avenue North downtown was once the principal entranceway into Birmingham by rail, as it was the site of the Birmingham Terminal Station. Many of Birmingham's early hotels were constructed along 5th Avenue heading west toward 20th street from the station.

The intersection of 5th Avenue North with 24th Street North is close to the geographical center of Birmingham. A large storm culvert extends from downtown to I-65 below 5th Avenue North.

There is a short, block-long strip of 5th Avenue North adjacent to Forest Hill Cemetery in Woodlawn and another dead-end section between Trotwood Park and I-59. A longer section of 5th Avenue North is located in East Lake between 73rd and 90th Streets. An unconnected short dead-end section can also be accessed by 91st Street North near Zion Memorial Gardens.

History

In 1945 electric lighting was installed on 5th Avenue North between Center Street and 19th street under the city's contract with the Birmingham Electric Company.

In October 1958 5th Avenue North was converted into a four-lane thoroughfare by eliminating on-street parking from Bush Boulevard in the west to 41st Street in Avondale. The move was expected to increase the street's traffic-carrying capacity by 30 percent and was part of a traffic plan by which 1st and 5th Avenues would serve as cross-town thoroughfares while 2nd, 3rd and 4th would serve for bus traffic and as connectors to the downtown business district. The installation of new coordinated traffic signals and the removal of obsolete streetcar wires was part of the conversion.

5th Avenue North was converted from two-way to one-way (eastbound) traffic was from 9th Street North to Red Mountain Expressway in 1973 by the Alabama Department of Transportation's TOPICS (Traffic Operations Program to Increase Capacity and Safety) program.

Notable locations

Eastern Birmingham

References

  • "Fun facts, historical tidbits and tips to find your way around Birmingham from traffic engineer John Garrett." (January 2, 2007) Birmingham News
  • "Fifth Avenue Becomes Through-Street" (October __, 1958) Birmingham News
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