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
  • Downtown Lounge
• 1st Avenue North
  • west side:
    • 100–108: Brokers Building (1938), former location of Jeffers & Thomas lumber yard and planing mill
      • 102: former location of J. F. Day Screen & Weatherstrip Co. (1938)
      • 104: Z's Restaurant (2008-), former location of Southern Films Inc. (1924), Southern Testing Laboratories (1925)
      • 106: former location of Southern Culvert Co. sales office (1938), Partners Tax & Accounting
      • 108: Plum Bar, former location of Burnie Clifton novelties / Alabama State Tax Commission (1938)
      • 112: Visions Hair Salon, former location of Turner Printing Co. (1938), Birmingham Box Lunch
      • 114: Dirty Ash's Urban Lounge (2011-), former location of Associated Sals Agency storage (1938), Terri's Big Top (1970s)
    • 116–130: Thomas Jefferson Tower (built 1929 as Hotel Thomas Jefferson)
      • 120: former location of Thomas Jefferson Barber Shop (1938)
  • east side
    • Birmingham Department of Equipment Management Downtown Service Center

• 2nd Avenue North intersects
  • Phoenix Building/Phoenix Lofts, former location of Orr & Lanning livery stable
  • 209: former location of International Products Co. trunks (1938)
  • 211: former location of Mint Vending Co. (1938)
  • 213: former location of Western Newspaper Union (1920)
  • 215: former location of C. H. Hartsfield Co. printers (1938)
  • 217: former location of Nixon Printing Co. (1938)
  • 221: former location of City Printing Co. (1938)

• 3rd Avenue North intersects

View on the 300 block of 17th Street North in the 1930s

• • former location of the Birmingham Printing & Binding Company
  • former location of the Hippodrome Theater
  • west side:
    • 300-310: parking lot
      • 302: former location of Mecca Hotel (1938)
      • 308: former location of The Standard Press printers (1938)
    • 312-320: Nelson Building (built c. 1925)
      • 312-316: Nelson Brothers' Café
        • 312: former location of Birmingham World" offices (1937)
        • 314–316: former location of Poro Beauty Parlor (1938)
          • 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), LaDell Manufacturing Co. toilet preparations (1938)
      • 320–322: Fly V boutique, former location of Edwards Hotel (1920)
        • 320: former location of Standard Cafe (1938)
        • 322: former location of Cotton Club (1936-1938)
    • 324: former location of Britton Bros. shoe repair and photographers (1938)
    • 326: former location of Madam Greenley's Beauty Parlot & Barber Shop (1938)
    • 328: former location of Gray's Grill (1938)
    • 330: Carver Theater (built 1935), Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame
  • east side
    • 317: Ga Briella's, former location of Hill Harris restaurant (1938), People's Cafe (1940)
    • 319: Urban Impact, former location of Ann's Beauty Salon (1938)
    • 323: former location of O K Cleaning Co. hat cleaners (1938)
      • 323½: former location of Hotel Dunbar (1925–1930s), New Dunbar Hotel (1935–1940)
    • 325–331: former location of Dunbar Cafe (1920), Charles Alexiou restaurant (1938)

• 4th Avenue North intersects
  • west side:
    • 400-412: Colored Masonic Temple building (built 1924)
      • 400: building entrance, former location of Ernest Ford jeweler (1938)
      • 402: Esquire's Shoe Care, former location of Temple Pharmacy (1938)
      • 404: former location of the E. H. Holland Tailor Shop (1938), Temple Record Bar, Malcolm's Reading Room (2007-2009)
      • 406–408: former location of Booker T. Washington Library (1924–1956)
        • 406: former location of Harris Bros. Co. grocer (1925), Simp's Barber & Style
      • 410: former location of Your Flower Shop
      • 412: building entrance, former location of Service Beauty Shop (1938), Patton's Beauty Shop, John's Alterations & Repair
    • 414-428: Freedom Manor (built 1986)
      • 416 rear: former location of George B. Bragan Heating & Roofing Co. (1938)
      • 420: former location of Foster Electric Co. (1938)
      • 422: former location of William Lindsay tailor (1938)
      • 424: former location of Loo King laundry (1938)
      • 426–430: former location of Chris Gakias restaurant (1938)
  • east side:
    • 401-403: History Park, former location of James Luckie residence
    • 405-431: Hugo L. Black Federal Courthouse parking lot
      • 405: former location of William Minos side entrance (1938)
      • 407–409: former location of Bennett & Peters Studio photographers (1938)
      • 411: former location of the Little Savoy Cafe, Maizie's Beauty Shop (1938)
      • 413: former location of Guice Bros barbers (1938)
      • 415: former location of Modernistic Beauty Salon (1938)
      • 417: former location of Eric Portlock dentist (1938)
      • 419: former location of Albert Campbell jeweler (1938)

• 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
    • Alabama Power Company parking deck
    • Alabama Power Company Headquarters Complex
    • former location of West End Grammar School/West End School/Henley School
  • 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
  • 806: former location of [[Widow's Curb Market] (1957)
• 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
  • 1003 Western Grain (1957)
• 11th Avenue North
  • Oak Hill Cemetery
• 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
  • McDonald's