23rd Street North

Twenty-third Street North (23rd Street North) is a two-way north-south street in Birmingham's Central City, Druid Hills, Evergreen and North Birmingham neighborhoods.

The downtown section runs north through the city center street grid from Morris Avenue continuously to the BJCC. It then appears through Norwood in discontinuous sections until reappearing in North Birmingham between 29th Avenue North and 36th Avenue North.

During the 1980s rows of Red oak and Bradford pear trees were installed along 23rd Street North as part of the city's urban tree planting project, guided by Nimrod Long & Associates.

Birmingham's 2003 "City Center Master Plan" envisions 23rd Street North as a "Green Street" connecting the Loft District to the BJCC and beyond.

Notable locations

For an alphabetical list of locations, see the 23rd Street North category.

Central City neighborhood

• entrance to Birmingham Parking Authority Lot A (1975-)
  • west side:
    • former location of Locasio Salvage Co. warehouse (1964), Freada's Five O'Clock Club
  • east side:
    • former location of Builder's Supply Co. yard (1891), Alabama Mercantile Co. warehouse (1964)

• Morris Avenue intersects (cobblestone paving ends here)
  • west side:
    • surface parking
    • former location of Patrick McAnally residence (built 1871, birthplace of Richard McNally), W. G. Patterson Cigar Company (1920s)
  • east side (Block 107):
    • Liberty House Lofts (built 1909), former location of office (1891), Collins & Co. wholesale grocers, Packard automobile dealership, Liberty Overall Company factory & store, converted to lofts in 1990s
      • former location of blacksmith shop (1891)

• 1st Avenue North intersects
  • west side:
    • former location of Alabama Bottling Company (1909)
      • Patrick Odum dental clinic
      • Alabama Title Company
  • east side (Block 103):
    • 101–111: Fix Play Lofts, former location of Phillips-Lester Manufacturing (1925-1929), Fix Play Displays (1964)
      • 101–103: 1st & 23rd (2006-), former location of the Winnie Davis Wigwam (1894)
      • 105: building entrance
      • 107: former location of "negro dwelling" (1891)
      • 109–111: Birmingham Oddities (2015-), former location of "negro dwelling" (1891)
      • former location of ZYP bike share payment kiosk No. 8 (2015–2019)
    • 113: former location of dwelling (1891)
    • 115-129: Baldone Tailors, former location of Hill Grocery Co. (1929)
      • 117–129: former location of dwelling (1891)

• 2nd Avenue North intersects
  • west side:
    • Athens Flatts (2007-), built in the 1960s as the Athens Building
    • 208-210: Commercial building (built c. 1920), former location of Grundy's Music Room (1984)
    • Red Cross Building, former location of Municipal Market (1920s), remodeled for the Social Security Administration (1946-1974) and American Red Cross (1975-1998), proposed location of Guster Law Firm, former location of Edwin Stephenson's residence (1921)
  • east side (Block 82):
    • 201–211: parking lot
      • 201–205: former location of saloon (1891), Philips Clothing Store (1929), Three Star Cafe (1964)
      • 207: former location of dwelling (1891), Young Wholesale Novelties (1957)
      • 209: former location of dwelling (1891)
      • 211: former location of dwelling (1891)
    • 213-227: Cadence Bank drive-up window (2007-), former location of the Social Grill restaurant (1945-2004, demolished 2007)
      • 213–215: former location of dwelling (1891)
      • 219–227: former location of dwelling (1891)

• 3rd Avenue North intersects
  • west side:
    • Wheeler Building (built 1940 as the Thuss Clinic), later the Walker Building or Lawyers Building, former location of A. O. Lane residence (1870s-1880s), Dan Moore fruit stand (1929)
    • 312: Fire Rock Products offices, former location of Birmingham Infirmary (1896)
    • former location of Rainbow Laundry (1941), Brighton Development Co., Broadview Title Co., Collateral Investment Co., Collateral Mortgage Co., Colonial Land Co., Oakland Development Co., Business Investors Inc., Realty Investment Co. (1964)
  • east side:
    • 301-313: YWCA Building (built 1925 as Birmingham Athletic Club), later Dixie-Carlton Hotel and Club Hotel (1940-1948), former location of Hooper's Café
    • 315-331: YWCA Building parking lot, former location of Wardy's Cafe (1929), Abraham George restaurant (1941), State Farm Insurance Co. (1964), Stand 'N Snack

• 4th Avenue North intersects
  • west side (Block 57)
    • 400: First Light shelter (2000-), former location of Granada Hotel (1925-1967)
    • 406: former location of Terry's Hot Dogs
    • 420: former location of Alabama Hotel (1941), City Center Motel
    • 424: parking for Advance Central Services Alabama presses
  • east side:
    • Stonewall Building (formerly the Martin Office Building), built 1925), former location of Birmingham Female College (1883-), Alabama Limestone Co. (1931), Realty Brokers Inc. (1964)
    • surface parking for Jessie's Place, former location of China Clipper Restaurant
    • 413-415: former location of Baird, Morris & Co. livery stables (1887), Armour Packing Co. stables (1896)

• 5th Avenue North intersects
  • west side:
    • Surface parking for Regions Bank, former location of James Going residence (1880s), Don's Old Fashioned Barbecue (1923), Downtowner Motor Inn (1963-2004)
  • east side:
    • Bankhead Towers, built 1926 as Bankhead Hotel, closed 1960s, renovated in 1970s as subsidized apartments
    • 513: former location of George's Food Store, Family Super Market, Food Circle
    • 531: former location of Jimmie's Cafe (1939)

• 6th Avenue North intersects
  • west side:
    • Park Place (Hope VI project) (built 2004)
    • grass parking area
  • east side:
    • Park Place (Hope VI project) (built 2004)

• 7th Avenue North intersects
  • west side:
    • 714: former location of E.C. Jemison contractor (1887)
    • surface parking, former location of A. L. Monroe residence boarding house (1880s)
  • east side (Block 25):
    • Phillips Academy, built 1923 as Phillips High School, closed in 2002 and converted to K-8 in 2007

• Reverend Abraham Woods Jr Boulevard North (8th Avenue North) intersects
  • west side:
    • surface parking
    • Alabama Power Company substation
  • east side:
    • surface parking

• 8th Court North intersects (one-way from west only)

Druid Hills neighborhood

• I-59/20 eastbound crosses on elevated deck
• I-59/20 eastbound onramp begins
• I-59/20 westbound crosses on elevated deck
• 9th Avenue North intersection
  • West side
    • BJCC Parking Deck
    • Uptown
      • Octane Coffee (2013-)
  • East side
    • Uptown parking
    • Uptown
      • Mugshots Grill & Bar (2014-)
• street continues as pedestrian plaza below raised pedestrian plaza
• Richard Arrington Jr Boulevard North (10th Avenue North) intersection
  • Right-of-way vacated in 2018 for construction of BJCC stadium
  • former 11th Avenue North intersection
• 12th Avenue North intersection, street resumes
  • West side
    • parking lot for Civic Center Health and Rehabilitation
    • Barker Park, former location of Barker Elementary School (1903-1941)
  • East side
    • Greater Birmingham Ministries
• 13th Avenue North intersection
  • West side
    • "Reservoir Ridge" between 13th & 15th Avenues, former site of Birmingham Water Works reservoir ponds
  • East side
• 14th Avenue North intersection (west only)
• 14th Avenue North intersection (east only)
• 14th Court North intersection (west only)
• road bends to northeast
• 15th Avenue North intersection
• 24th Street North intersection (south only)
• road tees into 25th Street North at 16th Avenue North
  • West side
    • former location of LifeSaver 1 base (closed 2013)
  • East side
    • former location of Carraway Hospital (1916-2008)

Evergreen neighborhood

• road begins at Stouts Road
• 21st Avenue North intersection
• 22nd Avenue North intersection
• road tees into 23rd Avenue North short of Village Creek

North Birmingham neighborhood

• entrance to Alabama Brick Delivery
• 24th Avenue North intersection
  • West side
    • Commercial Hauling Co.
  • East side
    • Mississippi Baking Co.
• road tees into Finley Boulevard
• road resumes at 26th Avenue North
• road tees into 26th Court North
  • Tri-Fab Steel
• road resumes at 29th Avenue North
  • West side
    • residences
    • Birmingham Fire Station No. 13
  • East side
    • residences
• 30th Avenue North intersection
  • residences
• 31st Avenue North intersection
  • residences
• 32nd Avenue North intersection
  • residences
• 33rd Avenue North intersection
  • residences
• 34th Avenue North intersection
  • residences
• 35th Avenue North intersection
  • residences
• road tees into 36th Avenue North short of George Washington Carver High School

References

• Ervin, Mark (December 1, 2016) "Birmingham in Bloom: An Analysis of the 2nd Avenue Ginkgo Trees" Big Communications
• Edgemon, Erin (August 28, 2018) "Portion of 2 downtown Birmingham streets to close for stadium." The Birmingham News