5th Avenue North: Difference between revisions

From Bhamwiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
No edit summary
Line 86: Line 86:
* [[19th Street North]] intersection
* [[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]]
** North side:
** North side ([[Block 47]]):
*** 1916-1918: former location of [[Jenkins Cab & Auto Co.]]/[[Red Top Cab Co.]] (1920-1926)
*** 1916-1918: former location of [[Jenkins Cab & Auto Co.]]/[[Red Top Cab Co.]] (1920-1926)
**** 1916: former location of [[Dixie Drive-It-Yourself System]] (1948)
**** 1916: former location of [[Dixie Drive-It-Yourself System]] (1948)
Line 93: Line 93:
*** 1930: former location of the [[Southern Club]] (1926)
*** 1930: former location of the [[Southern Club]] (1926)
*** 1960: [[Regions Center]]
*** 1960: [[Regions Center]]
** South side:
** South side ([[Block 60]]):
*** 1901: former location of [[Industrial Loan Corp. Inc.]] (1926)
*** 1901: former location of [[Industrial Loan Corp. Inc.]] (1926), cigars/cafe/soda (1931), [[Theo's Grill]] (1982)
*** 1903: former location of [[Hotel DeSoto]] (1926)
*** 1903-1905: former location of [[Hotel DeSoto]] (1926-1931)
*** 1905: former location of [[Hotel DeSoto Barber Shop]] (1926)
**** 1905: former location of [[Hotel DeSoto Barber Shop]]/book shop (1926-1931), [[AristoCuts]] (1982)
*** 1907: former location of [[P & A Sales Co.]]/[[Service Electric Co.]] (1926), [[Jane Speed's Book Store]]
*** 1907: former location of [[P & A Sales Co.]]/[[Service Electric Co.]] (1926-1931), [[Jane Speed's Book Store]], [[Papa Nick's]] (1982)
*** 1909: [[Subway Restaurant]], former location of [[Fifth Avenue Coffee House]]
*** 1909: [[Subway Restaurant]], former location of hat cleaners (1931), [[Cliff's Cleaners]] (1982), [[Fifth Avenue Coffee House]]
**** 1909½ : former location of [[Wilson Studio]] (1926)
**** 1909½ : former location of [[Wilson Studio]] (1926)
*** 1911: former location of [[Alabama Typewriter Co.]] (1926), [[Dixie Sporting Goods]] (1948)
*** 1911: former location of [[Alabama Typewriter Co.]] (1926), [[Dixie Sporting Goods]] (1948), [[Rollo's Bar B-Q]] (1982)
*** 1913: [[Chick Fil-A]], former location of [[Bell Radio Corp.]] (1926)
*** 1913: [[Chick Fil-A]], former location of [[Bell Radio Corp.]] (1926), building equipment company (1931)  
*** 1915: former location of [[DeMoes' Lunch Counter]], the [[Alhambra Restaurant]], and the [[Gold Torch]] restaurant and lounge (1972)
*** 1915: former location of parking lot (1931) [[DeMoes' Lunch Counter]], the [[Alhambra Restaurant]], and the [[Gold Torch]] restaurant and lounge (1972)
*** 1917: former location of [[Saunders System Birmingham]] (1926), [[Dixie Drive-It-Yourself System]] (1934)
*** 1917: former location of [[Saunders System Birmingham]] (1926), [[Dixie Drive-It-Yourself System]] (1934), [[Bar B-Q King]] (1982)
*** 1919-1931: [[Wells Fargo Tower]] (built 1986 as [[Wells Fargo Tower|SouthTrust Tower]]), [[Greg's Hot Dogs]] (outside)
*** 1919-1931: [[Wells Fargo Tower]] (built 1986 as [[Wells Fargo Tower|SouthTrust Tower]]), [[Greg's Hot Dogs]] (outside)
**** 1919: former location of [[Ben Chapman's Bowling Lanes]] and [[Lo-Mac Bowl]] (opened [[1950]])
**** 1919: former location of [[L. M. Smith & Corona Typewriters]] (1931), [[Ben Chapman's Bowling Lanes]] and [[Lo-Mac Bowl]] (opened [[1950]])
**** 1921: former location of [[Southern Bell]] (1926), [[Nuncie's Music]] (1945-c. 1980)
**** 1921: former location of [[Southern Bell]] (1926), [[Alabama Typewriter Co.]] (1931), [[Nuncie's Music]] (1945- 1983)
**** 1927: former location of [[People's Finance & Thrift Co.]] (1926)
**** 1927: former location of [[People's Finance & Thrift Co.]] (1926). [[Faulkner's Novelty Store]] (1931)
**** 1931: former location of shooting gallery, [[Krystal]] hamburgers, [[Jefferson Federal Savings and Loan Association]] branch
**** 1931: former location of shooting gallery, [[Krystal]] hamburgers, [[Jefferson Federal Savings and Loan Association]] branch (1982)


* [[20th Street North]] intersection
* [[20th Street North]] intersection

Revision as of 14:36, 10 October 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

Fountain Heights neighborhood

Central City neighborhood

Woodlawn neighborhood

North East Lake neighborhood

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
Retrieved from "http://bhamwiki.com/w/index.php?title=5th_Avenue_North&oldid=141603"