Cahaba Road
Cahaba Road (formerly Cahaba River Road) is an approximately two-mile long, predominantly north-south road connecting Key Circle on the crest of Red Mountain in Birmingham to Shades Creek Parkway/Mountain Brook Parkway in Mountain Brook. It passes through both English Village and Mountain Brook Village and is the location of the main entrance to the Birmingham Zoo.
Cahaba Road was created before 1900. In 1927, the Jemison Companies paved the road, providing smoother and faster access to their Mountain Brook Estates subdivision from Birmingham. For a long time, the part of the road going through English Village was known as 24th Street or 24th Street Road. In the mid-20th Century, prior to the construction of the current U.S. Highway 280, the road was part of the Florida Short Route.
In Mountain Brook Village, Cahaba Road converges with Montevallo and Canterbury Roads as a five-way intersection. However, an access road rings this intersection, setting the Mountain Brook Estates building, which is between Montevallo and Canterbury, back far enough to have some storefronts facing Cahaba.
South of Shades Creek Parkway/Mountain Brook Parkway, south bound traffic can only access the Shades Brook Building. However, there is an exit from U.S. Highway 280 that leads north bound traffic past the Shades Brook Building and on to Cahaba Road.
In 2015 the section of Cahaba Road in Birmingham bordering the Zoo and Birmingham Botanical Gardens was narrowed to two (wider) lanes to make way for sidewalks. The turn lane was replaced with a roundabout at the zoo entrance and a new pedestrian gate for the Botanical Gardens. The changes were planned by landscape architect Nimrod Long to calm traffic, which had a tendency to speed through that section, to make the area safer for pedestrians and cyclists, and to upgrade the landscaping. The project was financed by the City of Birmingham, partly through a federal SAFETEA grant, and contracted through the Alabama Department of Transportation.
Notable locations
- For an alphabetical list of locations, see the Cahaba Road category.
- Key Circle intersection (road continues north as Arlington Avenue)
- Carlisle Road intersection
- West side:
- 1900: Henhouse Antiques
- 1906: Dungan Nequette Architects & Action Sports Art, former location of National Bank of Commerce branch (2008–)
- 1930: Vino/Gallery 1930 (2011–), former location of a English Village Drug Co. (1949), gas station, Gallery Terrence Denley, White Gallery
- East side:
- 1903: Park Lane Flowers
- 1905: Brogue & Cuff Clothiers
- 1909: Continental Bakery (1984–)
- 1911: Chez Lulu (1995–)
- 1919: National Bank of Commerce
- 1928: former location of Charlie Preston Studios, photography
- 1929: former location of Arthur Murray Dance Studios
- West side:
- 20th Avenue South intersection
- West side:
- 2004: Trouve' (2012-), former location of Davidson's Pharmacy (1949)
- 2006: Monkee's, former location of Belleweather
- 2008: Grand Jete
- 2012: Billy's Bar & Grill (1979–), former location of Waite's Fine Foods
- 2020: Chester's International headquarters, former location of Eckerd Drugs, Village Wine Market
- East side:
- 2001: formerly Hitching Post Barbecue (c. 1959)
- 2003: Kahn Properties building (built 2013), Jordan Alexander jewelry, Sherwin-Williams Paint Store, former location of Briarcliff Shop
- 2005: former location of English Village Radio Shop (1949)
- 2031: La Catrina restaurant, formerly Café Ciao (–2008), Bambinelli's (2008–2011), Salvatore's
- 2037: Iz Cafe, formerly Joe Muggs/Yogurt Mountain
- West side:
- Fairway Drive intersection (east only)
- 21st Avenue South intersection (west only)
- 2117: Little Hardware (formerly Park Lane Super Market, Arman's, and Park Lane by Kathy G. (2000s–2014))
- Lane Circle intersection
- 2400-2424: The Manning condominiums (built 2015)
- 2420: former location of the John Gleissner residence (1940s-2015)
- 2424: former location of the Bernice Wright residence (1940s-2015)
- Lane Park:
- East side: Birmingham Zoo
- West side: Birmingham Botanical Gardens
- Lane Park Road intersection
- 2629: RealtySouth training center
- U.S. Highway 280 access road/Culver Road intersection
- East side:
- 2701: Barton-Clay Fine Jewelers (1987–present)
- 2715: Mountain Brook Creamery
- 2721: Village Corner at Mountain Brook
- Avo (2009–present)
- Dram Whisky Bar
- West side:
- 2702: Shell gas station
- 2714: Ritch's Pharmacy, former location of Bama Hardware Store (1949)
- 2724: Lulie's on Cahaba, former location of Eve's Leaves (1967–2008)
- 2726: Jewelry Accessories, former location of Browdy's (1944–1967), Baskin-Robbins (1970s–1980s)
- 2726½: Andrea Carmichael, former location of Valley Theatre
- 2730: Stella Blu
- 2732: Bill Ingram Architect, former location of Mary Helen McCoy antiques, Maus Antiques, Formtext Livid Boutique
- 2738: Starbucks (2001–present)
- East side:
- Montevallo Road intersection
- 2800: Bromberg's (1959–present)
- 2801–05: Mountain Brook Estates building
- 2801: Harrison Limited
- 2803: Pappagallo
- 2805: Gilchrist
- Canterbury Road (east only) intersection
- 2807: Realtysouth, former location of Browdy's (1967–1991)
- 2812: The Impeccable Pig, former location of Big Sky Bread Company (1994–)
- 2814: Ousler Sandwiches, former location of Logan Farms Honey Glazed Hams
- 2817: Leaf & Petal nursery
- 2824: Iberia Bank Mountain Brook Village branch (built 2011)
- 2829: Mr Burch Formal Wear
- 2837: Jim Davenport's Pizza Palace (1964–present)
- 2841: The Cook Store
- 2843: Wells Fargo Bank
- Culver Road intersection
- 2900: All Seasons Travel
- 2901: Brick & Tin restaurant
- 2911: Vitola Fine Cigars
- 2913: Individuality Gallery (2010–present)
- Heathermoor Road intersection (east only), beginning of Jemison Park trail
- Watkins Road intersection (east only)
- Mountain Brook Office Park / Office Park Circle intersection (west only)
- Protective Center
- Shades Creek Park office park
- Shades Creek Parkway/Mountain Brook Parkway intersection (one-way northbound traffic only)
- 3300: Shades Brook Building, Neal Farmer & Associates (formerly ServisFirst Bank (2005–2009))
- U.S. Highway 280 intersection (northbound offramp only)
References
- "Shades Valley Six Minutes Nearer City". (November 1927). Jemison Magazine, p. 6
- Rodriguez, Ana (June 23, 2015) "Birmingham Zoo, Botanical Gardens to unveil Cahaba Road improvements July 1." The Birmingham News