Clairmont Avenue

Clairmont Avenue or Clairmont Avenue South (formerly Lower Highland Avenue) is an east-west corridor in Birmingham's Southside community connecting University Boulevard (8th Avenue South) at the intersection of 28th Avenue South in Lakeview with 12th Avenue South at the intersection of 52nd Street South near Trinity Hospital.

Beginning near Rockford Road, the eastern segment of Clairmont Avenue is divided by a wide, sloping median which is used as a park.

The eastern end of Clairmont between 29th and Highland Avenue forms the northern edge of the city's Lakeview Commercial Revitalization District. Between 31st and Highland, Clairmont Avenue forms the northern border of the Chestnut Hill Historic District. Between 36th and 39th it forms the southern border of the Avondale Park Historic District. The section of Clairmont Avenue between 38th and 46th is within the Forest Park Historic District.

Notable locations

For an alphabetical list of locations, see the Clairmont Avenue category.

Southside

(also considered part of University Boulevard, which continues west)

• Elton B. Stephen Expressway crosses over (former intersection of 26th Street South)
  • north side:
  • south side:
    • 2601–2831: St Vincent's Hospital
    • 2607: former location of Southern Toy Co. (1960–1964), Frank Chambers Engraving
    • 2615: former location of S. Z. Gingold plumber (1929)
    • 2617: former location of Manning Service Co. (1960)
    • 2617: former location of Dent Insulation (1960), Manning Service Co. (1964)
    • 2621: former location of Southern Toy Co. warehouse (1960–1964)
• 27th Street South intersects (north only)
  • north side:
    • 2700–2702: Burger King, former location of St John's Evangelical & Reformed Church (1929–1960), St John's United Church of Christ (1964)
    • 2706: former location of Underwood Park Apartments (1929–1964)
    • 2720: Outpatient CareCenter
    • 2728: former location of De Paul Building (built 1971, demolished 2020)
  • south side:
    • 2717: former location of Underwood Park (1946–1964)
    • 2733: McDonald's restaurant
• 28th Street South intersects (south only)
  • north side:
    • 2808: Chris Z's restaurant
    • 2820–2826: Five restaurant, former location of Pinehurst Apartments (1946–1960), Lakeview Deli (1960-1980), Jim 'N Nick's Barbecue (-2003), Sneaky Pete's Cafe, Golden Rule Barbecue (2006-2010)
  • south side:
    • 2801: Lakeview School

Highland Park

• 29th Street South intersection
  • north side:
    • 2900: Purple Onion (2019-), former location of J. Weldon Moon Tire Co. (1946), 29th Street Service Station (1953–1964), Mrs Winner's (1996), On Tap Sports Cafe (2002-October 2017)
    • 2910: former location of Gillem Apartments (1946–1960)
    • 2918: former location of Alice Harsh elocution teacher / Mary Harsh language teacher (1946)
    • 2930: Clairmont Apartments (1953–), former location of Nan-Nette Apartments (1929–1946)
    • 2940: Davenport Dental & Wellness Center (2014–), former location of Frank Waldo physician (1953), Hughes Kennedy Jr physician (1953–1960), Hughes Kennedy III / William Crittenden physicians (1960)
    • LBYD Engineers
  • south side
    • 2901: Clairmont Chevron, former location of Walker Electric Co. (1946), Florine Smith dressmaker (1953)
    • 2905: former location of Alabama Belt & Button Co. (1953), Seale Antiques (1960)
    • 2909: apartments, former location of Clairmont Nursing Home (1946)
    • 2915: EvaBank

Southside

• 30th Street South intersects
  • north side
    • 3000: Highland Music (1997-), former location of Peerless Laundry Co. (1929), Price's Drug sundries (1946), Clairmont Sundries confectionery (1953–1960), Johnson Electric Company (1964)
    • 3002: former location of Hill Grocery Co. (1929), Lee Grocery Store (1946), Lee & Caffee grocery (1953), Caffee Grocery (1960–1964)
    • 3004-3008: one-story commercial building (built c. 1958)
    • 3016: Henry Sprott Long & Associates architects (1964-)
    • 3020-3110: Walgreen's (built 2012)
      • 3020: former location of Qwik Mart
      • 3028: former location of Billy's Dog House, Highland Barbecue (1941), Caddell's Highland Barbecue restaurant (1946), Bogue's restaurant (1946-2012)
  • south side
    • 3015: Clairmont Arms Apartments (1953–)

• 31st Street South intersects (south only)
  • north side:
    • 3104: former location of E. E. Turner service station (1929), Clairmont Service Station (1946), Gene Lilley service station (1953), Clarence Chafin service station (1960–1964)
    • 3110: former location of Palmer & Lawrence Inc. heating equipment (1953–1964)
    • 3114: Taj India (2023–), former location of Trinity Methodist Church, Birmingham Fire Station No. 22 (built 1927, relocated 2012), Triple Platinum Salon (2012-2019) / Bogue's restaurant (2012–2022)
  • south side:
    • 3101: St Symeon the New Theologian Orthodox Church (1987-), former location of Clairmont Avenue Baptist Church ( -1987)

Forest Park-South Avondale

• 32st Street South/Highland Drive intersection
  • BBVA Compass Brock Operations Center (former location of Lake View Park)
• Highland Avenue intersection (South only)
  • Highland Golf Course
  • Clairmont Plaza South shopping center
    • 3300: CVS
    • 3310: China Moon, former location of Little Caesar's
    • 3314: Piggly-Wiggly, former location of Kroger (1960–1964)
    • 3316: former location of Crown Cleaners (1960)
    • 3320-3328: Los Amigos restaurant
    • 3320: former location of Romeo Drug Company, Alebco Alabama business equipment (1964), Magic Bagel & Deli (1997)
    • 3324: former location of Clairmont Hardware (1960), Norge Cleaning Village (1964), Down the Hatch
    • 3326: former location of Maytag Coin Laundry (1960–1964)
    • 3328: former location of Video Xpress, Nail Time, Forest Perk coffee
    • 3330: Flamingo Dry Cleaners, former location of Pasquale's (1975), Jim 'N Nick's Barbecue

• 34th Street South intersects (north only)
  • Park 35 on Clairmont (2017-)
    • 3400: former location of Patio Club Apartments
    • 3512: former location of Clairmont Cove Apartments, Forest Park Cove Apartments
    • former location of Clairhill Apartments
    • former location of Basset Apartments
    • former location of Fairway View Apartments

• 36th Street South intersects (north only)
  • 3600: The Computer Image (2017-), former location of Crisis Center
  • 3626: Alexander Shunnarah Personal Injury Attorneys
  • 3630: Isaac Beatty Jr residence (1946–1953)
  • 3648: former location of Walter Brower attorney (1960)
  • 3652: Connemara Parc Apartments

• 38th Street South intersects
  • north side:
    • 3800: Clairmont Texaco, former location of Forest Park Gulf Station (1946–1964)
    • 3810–3812: former location of Vick's Delicatessen (1953)
      • 3810: former location of Sunshine Cleaners (1929), Browdy's Delicatessen (1946), Clairmont Grill (Winnie Nell Overton 1960–1961)
      • 3812: former location of Clairmont Cleaning Co. dry cleaners (1925), Coy's Flowers (1960), Courtesy Texaco Service Station (1964)
    • 3814: former location of Alley's Forest Park Drug Store (1929), Peerless Laundry (1946), Peerless-White Swan Laundry & Dry Cleaning (1953), American Peerless Laundry (1960)
  • south side:
    • 3807: former location of Piggly-Wiggly grocery (1929), Ingram System beauty salon, physiotherapy & barber shop (1946–1964), Gaia's
    • 3809: former location of Pure Food Shop (1929), Hill Grocery Co. (1953)
    • 3811: Juniper (2021–), former location of Clairmont Knit Shop (1946), La Reunion coffee shop, Little Savannah Restaurant & Bar (2003–2020)
    • 3813: General (Mark Thompson & Jay Draper 2020–), former location of A & R Food Store (–1945), Grimes' Super Store / Grimes' Food Center (1945–1953), Physicians National Life Insurance Co. print shop (1960), Silvertron Café (1986–2018)
    • 3815: Shoppe (Mark Thompson & Jay Draper 2017–), former location of Visions of Sugarplums flowers & gifts (1991), Zoe's Forest Park (1997–2004), Naked Art (Véronique Vanblaere 2004–2010)
    • 3831: Knit Bham (Isabel Rubio 2023–), former location of Ellie Roberts residence, Naked Art (Véronique Vanblaere 2010–2019)

• 39th Street South intersects (north only)
  • "Forest Park Village"
  • north side:
    • 3900–3906: one-story commercial building (built 1922)
      • 3900: MK Quinlan design shop (M. K. Quinlan 2022–), former location of Bledsoe Pharmacy (1929-1968), Smith & Hardwick books (1990-2004), Zoe's Forest Park (2004–2020)
      • 3902: former location of Noble Cleaners & Dyers (1929), Physicians National Life Insurance Co. mailing
      • 3904: Dream Boat Salon de Beauté (Michelle Moskal / Sarah Sims 2022–), former location of Morning Glory Market (1929), McCulla's Bakery (1946), Rutland's Bakery (1953), Utopia Cleaners (1960–1964)
      • 3906: former location of Clairmont Bakery (1929)
    • 3908–3918: one-story commercial building (built 1922), former location of Maralyn Wilson Gallery, V. Richard's, Full Circle
      • 3908: former location of Hill Grocery Co. (1929–1964)
      • 3910: former location of Custom Upholstering Co. (1946), Jackson Cookie Co. (1953–1960)
      • 3912: former location of Utopia Cleaners & Dyers (1946–1953)
      • 3916: former location of Porta-Bilt Kitchens (1953)
      • 3918: former location of Pritz Standard Station (1946)
  • south side:
    • 3901-3909: Park Terrace Apartments (1960–)

• 39th Place South intersects (north only)
  • north side:
    • 3916–3920: Red or White, former location of Payless Drugs, V. Richard's (2004-2015), Whistling Table (2018–2019)
      • 3916: former location of Modern Home Engineers appliances (1948), Everyday Mailings letter shop (1960)
      • 3918: former location of Forest Park 66 service station (1960)
      • 3920: former location of Shindigs Catering (2018–2019)
  • south side:
    • 3927: The Rosewood apartments (1929–)
    • 3931: Forest Park Manor apartments (1953–), former location of Clairmont Apartments (1929), Webb Apartments (1946)

• 40th Street South intersection
  • north side:
    • 4000-4106: The Clairmont Terrace apartments (1929–)
    • 4110: Forest Manor apartments
  • south side:
    • 4001: Hawthorne residence
    • 4007: Brown-Lowe residence
    • 4011: Hattie Hitchcock Joy residence and Frederick Joy residence (joined)

• 42nd Street South intersection
  • 4309: Alston Callahan residence (1953)
• Essex Road intersection, Triangle Park
• 8th Avenue South intersection
• Overlook Road intersection (north only)
  • 4445: former location of Leo Bashinsky residence (1929)
  • 4461: Albert Boutwell residence (1953)
• Linwood Road intersection
• 46th Street South intersection
• Linwood Court intersection (South only)
• Landale Road intersection (South only)

Crestwood South

• Rockford Road intersection (South only)
• Overwood Road intersection
• Lincrest Drive intersection (North only)
  • 4912: residence, former mailing address of Radio Hour Inc. (1975)
• 50th Place South intersection (North only)
• 51st Street South intersection (North only)
  • 5108: "The Cliffhanger" model home for the 1966 Parade of Homes
• 52nd Street South intersection (South only)
  • 5205: Ed Levins residence (The Santa Clause house)
• 12th Avenue South intersection (continues as 12th Avenue South)