17th Street North
17th Street North is one of the primary north-south streets in downtown Birmingham's business district. Downtown, south of 11th Avenue North, the street is one-way for South-bound vehicular traffic. The change was made in 1973 as part of the Alabama Department of Transportation's TOPICS (Traffic Operations Program to Increase Capacity and Safety) program.
17th Street North begins at Morris Avenue just north of the Railroad Reservation. It continues north past Kelly Ingram Park and below I-20/59. Alongside Oak Hill Cemetery, the street changes to 17th Street Viaduct and continues as 18th Street North. 17th Street picks up separately south of 13th Avenue North and continues past 16th Avenue North just shy of I-65.
17th Street resumes north of the interstate between 16th Terrace North and 19th Avenue North. North of Village Creek another short section begins at 22nd Avenue North and crosses Finley Boulevard. It is interrupted at 27th Avenue North for the Ensley Branch and Birmingham Mineral Railroad, but resumes at 28th Court North and continues to the foot of Sand Mountain at Zion Heights.
17th Street North forms the western edge of the Downtown Birmingham Retail and Theatre Historic District. The 300 block of 17th is included in the 4th Avenue Historic District. Formerly the No. 5 Ensley-Fairfield streetcar line, the No. 6 Pratt-Ensley streetcar line, the No. 7 Wylam-Bush Hills streetcar line, and the No. 27 Ensley No. 38 South East Lake streetcar line utilized parts of 17th Street.
In 1945 electric lighting was installed on 17th Street North between 1st and 6th Avenues under the city's contract with the Birmingham Electric Company.
Notable locations
- For an alphabetical list of locations, see the 17th Street North category.
- Railroad Reservation
- 1st Avenue North
- West side:
- 1628 1st Avenue North, former location of Jeffers & Thomas lumber yard and planing mill
- 104: Z's Restaurant (2008-), former location of Southern Testing Laboratories (1925)
- 106: former location of Partners Tax & Accounting
- 108: Plum Bar
- 112: Visions Hair Salon, former location of Birmingham Box Lunch
- 114: Dirty Ash's Urban Lounge (2011-), former location of Terri's Big Top (1970s)
- 1628 1st Avenue North, former location of Jeffers & Thomas lumber yard and planing mill
- East side
- Birmingham Department of Equipment Management Downtown Service Center
- West side:
- 2nd Avenue North
- Phoenix Building/Phoenix Lofts, former location of Orr & Lanning livery stable
- 213: former location of Western Newspaper Union (1920)
- 3rd Avenue North
- former location of the Birmingham Printing & Binding Company
- former location of the Hippodrome Theater
- West side:
- 300-310: parking lot
- 312-320: Nelson Building (built c. 1925)
- 312-314: Nelson Brothers' Café
- 312: former location of Birmingham World" offices (1937)
- 314: former location of Poro School of Beauty & Culture (1937), Willie's House of Style (1980)
- 316: former location of Kelley's Barber Shop (1937)
- 318: Boost Mobile, former location of Ashjoy Bakery (1937)
- 320: Fly V boutique, former location of Edwards Hotel (1920), Cotton Club (1936-1937)
- 312-314: Nelson Brothers' Café
- 322-330: Carver Theater/Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame
- East side
- 317: Ga Briella's, former location of People's Cafe (1940)
- 319: Urban Impact
- 323½: former location of Hotel Dunbar (1925-1930s), New Dunbar Hotel (1935-1940)
- 325: Dunbar Cafe (1920)
- 4th Avenue North intersects
- west side:
- 400-412: Colored Masonic Temple building (built 1924)
- 400: building entrance
- 402: Esquire's Shoe Care
- 404: former location of the Temple Record Bar, Malcolm's Reading Room (2007-2009)
- 406: former location of Harris Bros. Co. grocer (1925), Simp's Barber & Style
- 408:
- 410: former location of Your Flower Shop
- 412: building entrance, former location of Patton's Beauty Shop, John's Alterations & Repair
- 414-428: Freedom Manor (built 1986)
- 400-412: Colored Masonic Temple building (built 1924)
- east side:
- 401-403: History Park, former location of James Luckie residence
- 405-431: Hugo L. Black Federal Courthouse parking lot
- 411: former location of the Little Savoy Cafe
- west side:
- 5th Avenue North intersects
- former location of Temple Emanu-El (1886-1914)
- Kelly Ingram Park
- 509: Birmingham Parking Authority Deck 7
- AT&T Tower
- 6th Avenue North
- east side
- west side (Block 17)
- Apostolic Overcoming Holy Church of God, former location of Knesseth Israel Congregation (1903-1955)
- 7th Avenue North
- 708: Birmingham Police Credit Union
- 720: former location of R.S. Rutter grocer (1887)
- 750: APCO Employees Credit Union
- 8th Avenue North
- former location of W. B. Summerville's Weather Forecast Office Birmingham (1886-1900)
- 801: David J. Vann Municipal Justice Center
- I-20/59
- 9th Avenue North
- 900: Metro Mini Storage, former location of Sam Zideman's grocery store
- United State Drug Enforcement Administration
- 10th Avenue North
- 11th Avenue North
- 11th Court North
- 12th Avenue North
- 1500: former location of M.E. King grocer (1887)
- 1756: Ephraim Temple
- 2221: Deep South Freight
- Popeye's
- Finley Boulevard