21st Avenue South

21st Avenue South in Birmingham's Redmont Park neighborhood. It passes below the Elton B. Stephens Expressway with an offramp from the southbound lanes and an onramp to the northbound lanes.

Because many of the houses in the Warwick Manor subdivision on 21st Avenue South were developed in the immediate post-World War II years, and marketed to young families who all moved in around the same time, the street was nicknamed Diaper Row.

In 2023 Bryson Stephens and the Red Mountain Cut Foundation offered to donate the local matching funds to secure a Transportation Alternative Program (TAP) grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to enhance pedestrian and bicycle accommodations along 21st Avenue from Vulcan Park to English Village. The Jefferson County Commission is acting as the grant-seeking authority, with support from the cities of Homewood and Mountain Brook.

Notable addresses

• avenue begins at Richard Arrington Jr Boulevard South as continuation of Valley Avenue
  • north side:
    • 1900 (2017 Richard Arrington Jr Boulevard South): vacant lot, former location of Vulcan Mini Mart (demolished 2022)
  • south side:
    • 1901: (2101 Richard Arrington Jr Boulevard South): Walgreen's pharmacy
• 20th Street South intersects
• avenue crosses Griffin Brook
• Woodcrest Road intersects (north only)
• Elton B. Stephens Expressway offramp (north, no access) / Woodcrest Place (south) intersect
• Elton B. Stephens Expressway crosses over
• Elton B. Stephens Expressway onramp (north) / 20th Place South (south) intersect
• 21st Street South intersects (north only)
• 22nd Street South intersects (north only)
• 23rd Street South intersects
  • north side:
    • 2030 (2020 Cahaba Road): Chester's International headquarters, former location of Riley Shell Service Station (1959), San Ann gas station (1983), Eckerd Drugs, Village Wine Market
  • south side:
    • 2321–2321 (2102 Cahaba Road): rowhouses
      • 2321 (2102E): Don Roberts, State Farm Insurance, former location of CLR Counseling Group
      • 2323 (2102D): Relfe-Weldon Real Estate, former location of Home with Hechart interior design
      • 2325 (2102C): The Scribbler stationery
      • 2327 (2102B):
      • 2102: Hawkins-Israel Co. interior decorators
• avenue ends at Cahaba Road in English Village

References

• Byington, Pat (May 19, 2023) "Transformation of “Diaper Row” gets local approval. What’s next." Bham Now