6th Avenue North

Sixth Avenue North is an east-west street running through downtown Birmingham. The westernmost section by that name ends at Center Street, although the road continues further west as 6th Avenue West. The main section ends at Carraway Boulevard in the east, although additional segments can be found further east, particularly in East Lake.

Between 9th Street North and Carraway Boulevard, 6th Avenue is one way westbound and three lanes wide. At the east end, off-ramps from Interstate 20/59, both east- and westbound exit in line with 6th Avenue. An Interstate 65 south off-ramp ends at 6th Avenue feeding into 10th Avenue North while an I-65 north on-ramp splits from 11th Avenue North just north of 6th Avenue.

History

Electric lights were installed on 6th Avenue North from 17th to 25th Street in 1945 under the city's contract with the Birmingham Electric Company.

6th Avenue North was converted from two-way to one-way (westbound) traffic was from Red Mountain Expressway to 9th Street North in 1973 by the Alabama Department of Transportation's TOPICS (Traffic Operations Program to Increase Capacity and Safety) program.

Notable locations

For an alphabetical list of locations, see the 6th Avenue North category.

• Center Street intersects (road continues as 6th Avenue West)
  • 102: former location of the Canyon Club (1940s-1950s)
  • 105: Ephesus Seventh Day Adventist Church (1953)
  • 212: former location of Ransom's Garage (1927)
  • 322: former location of Dester Brooks florist (1953)
  • 508: former location of McKinley Lauderdale tailor (1953)
  • 600: Roland's Auto Works
  • 700: former location of Standard Floors (1953)
  • 701: Karl's Kar Klinic, former location of Grainger Floors (1953)
  • 705–707: former location of Red Stewart Supply Co. (1953)
  • 709–711: former location of Pillsbury-Ballard flour mill (1953)

• 9th Avenue North intersects
  • 900: I Got a Deal Auto Glass & Trim, former location of Pittsburgh Testing Laboratory (1953)
  • 904: former location of Southern Vending Co. (1953)
  • 905: former location of Jesse Holley general contractor (1953)
  • 906: former location of Christie Plastering Co. (1953)
  • 908: former location of Brewer Enterprises trailer rentals (1953)
  • 917–919: former location of Southern Rubber Co. / Southern Recapping Co. tires (1953)
  • 930: Perfect Repair Collision Center, former location of Dixie Type & Supply Co. (1953), Gray Printing

• Interstate 65 south off-ramp/10th Street North intersection
  • 1001–1005: former location of National Cylinder Gas Co. (1953)

• 11th Street North intersects
  • 1100: former location of St James Baptist Church (1953)
  • 1101: Tourway Inn of Birmingham
  • 1108: former location of Chuck Full of Nuts delicatessen (1953)
  • 1127–1131: former location of Alabama Seafood Co. (1953)

• 12th Street North intersects
  • 1200: former location of Alabama Power Co. distribution building (1953)
  • 1201-1231: Alabama Power Company vehicle maintenance garage (1950s-2020)
  • 1231: former location of Dixie Brass & Foundry (1925), Flourescent Maintenance Co. / Vulcan Chemical Co. / Union Chemical Co. (1953)

• 13th Street North intersects
  • former crossing of Pratt Coal & Iron Co. / Kansas City, Memphis & Birmingham Railroad (1887)
  • north side:
    • 1318: former location of Brocato Gardens restaurant (Joseph Brocato 1958)
  • south side:
  • 1301–1305: former location of Birmingham Iron & Metal Co. (1953)
    • 1301: former location of church (1887)
  • 1313: Alabama Power Metro Central customer service center

• 14th Street North intersects
  • • 1410: former location of General Plumbing & Heating Co. (1953)
    • 1414: former location of Zion Hill Baptist Church (1953–1957)
    • 1426b: former location of Bob's Barbecue (1953)
    • 1430: Jerome Ippolito grocery (1953)
  • south side (Block 42):
    • 1401: former location of O. K. Grocery (1953)
    • 1431: former location of T. J. Burke grocery (1887–1891), Carpri Grocery (1953)

• 15th Street North intersects
  • north side (Block 38):
    • 1500–1506: St Paul United Methodist Church (built 1951), former location of residence (1891)
      • 1500–1502: St Paul United Methodist Church (built 1896, demolished 1902; built 1904, demolished 1920)
      • 1504: former location of residence (1902–1911)
      • 1506: former location of residence (1902–1911)
    • 1508–1524: parking lot for St Paul United Methodist Church
      • 1508–1510: former location of duplex residence (1902–1911)
      • 1512–1518: former location of "negro shanties" (1891)
        • 1512–1514: former location of residence (1902), duplex residence (1911)
        • 1516–1518: former location of residence (1902), duplex residence (1911)
      • 1520–1524: former location of residence (1891–1911)
    • 1526: 16th Street Baptist Church parsonage (built 1911), former location of residence (1891–1902)
    • 1528–1530: 16th Street Baptist Church (1882–, present building built 1911)
  • south side (Block 43):
    • 1501–1531: Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (built 1992)
      • 1501: former location of "ruins of fire" (1891), drug store (1911)
      • 1503: former location of store (1911), St Paul Methodist Church clinic (1953)
      • 1505: former location of residence (1891–1911)
      • 1507: former location of residence (1911)
      • 1509: former location of residence (1891–1911)
      • 1511: former location of residence (1911)
      • 1515: former location of residence (1911)
      • 1517: former location of residence (1891–1911)
      • 1519: former location of residence (1891–1911)
      • 1521–1531: former location of vacant lot (1951)
        • 1521: former location of residence (1891–1911, demolished before 1951)
        • 1525: former location of store (1911, demolished before 1951)
        • 1527: former location of store (1911, demolished before 1951)
        • 1529: former location of store (1911, demolished before 1951)
        • 1531: former location of grocery (1891), store (1911, demolished before 1951)

• 16th Street North intersects
  • north side (Block 37):
    • 1600–1604: former location of two-story commercial building
      • 1600–1602: former location of drug store (1891–1902), Night Owl Grill (1953), Jockey Boy Restaurant (1963)
      • 1604: former location of grocery store (1891), Birmingham Weekly Review (1953)
    • 1606: former location of residence (1902)
    • 1608: former location of residence (1891–1951)
    • 1610: former location of residence (1891–1951)
    • 1612: former location of residence (1891–1951)
    • 1614–1616: former location of duplex residence (1891–1902), one-story brick meeting hall (built 1947), former location of Painters Union Local No. 5 (1953)
    • 1620: former location of residence (1891–1951)
    • 1624–1630: former location of residence (1891–1902)
      • 1624–1626: former location of Wolfe Distributing Co. vending machines (1953)
      • 1628–1630: former location of Birmingham Leather Co. (1953)
  • south side (Block 44):
    • Kelly Ingram Park

• 17th Street North intersects
  • north side (Block 36):
    • 1700–1704: former location of West End Grammar School / Henley School (built 1883)
    • 1706: former location of Young Men's Hebrew Association (1920)
    • 1710: former location of residence (1902)
    • 1712: former location of residence (1902)
    • 1714: former location of residence (1902)
    • 1720–1730: Alabama Power Building (built 1925), former location of residence (1902)
  • south side (Block 45):
    • 1715: former location of Southern Bell Telephone & Telegraph Co. district traffic office / Western Electric Co. area supervisor
    • 1723–1725: former location of Alabama Motorists Association (1953)
      • 1725: former location of Bill Wilson Photo Studio (1957)
    • 1727: former location of The Alvoy Apartments

• 18th Street North intersects
  • north side:
    • 1800–1830: AT&T City Center
      • 1800: former location of 6th Avenue Presbyterian Church (1953)
  • south side:
    • 1801: former location of North Alabama Conference of the Methodist Church
    • 1803: former location of Jerome Hagan manufacturers agent / Alabama Motorist's Service Agency (1953)
    • 1805: former location of Continental Restaurant Supply Co. (1953)
    • 1809: former location of First United Methodist Church Sunday School annex (1953)
    • 1815–1817: First United Methodist Church (built 1891)

• 19th Street North intersects
  • north side (Block 34):
    • 1904–1908: former location of Lykes Hotel (1953)
    • 1904: former location of Estell's Place
    • 1914: former location of Chamber of Commerce Building (1940s–1976)
    • 1916: former location of Birmingham Fire Department (rear entrance)
    • 1920: former location of City Hall Station auto parking (1953)
    • 1924–1930: Family Reserve Insurance building (built 1946), former location of the A. W. Smith residence
  • south side:
    • 1901: Regions-Harbert Plaza (former site of Masonic Temple Building containing Loew's Temple Theater)
    • 1919: former location of Temple Parking Lot (1953)
    • 1931: former location of Bond Finance
      • Golden Rule Bar-B-Q

• 20th Street North intersects
  • north side:
    • 2000–2010: Birmingham Board of Education parking deck, former location of Capitol Park Garage (1953)
    • 2012-2014: Crow Building
      • 2014: Alabama Rivers Alliance (2013-)
    • 2022–2024: former location of McVoy-Hausman Co. manufacturer's agents / Cincinnati Milling & Grinding Machines (1953)
    • 2026–2030: Hampton Inn - Tutwiler (2006), former location of the Enslen Building (built 1880s, demolished 1910s), Birmingham High School (1890–1906), Park Hotel (1906–1912), Ridgely Apartments (built 1913), Tutwiler Hotel (1986–2006)
      • 2026: former location of Allgood Realty Co. (1953)
      • 2028: former location of L. J. Clark Realty Co. (1953)
      • 2030: former location of Ridgely Pharmacy (1953)
  • south side:
    • 2001–2013: Cathedral Church of the Advent (built 1880s)
    • 2015: Cathedral Church of the Advent Parish House
    • 2017–2031: Cathedral Church of the Advent offices
      • 2019: former location of Birmingham Slag Co. (1953)
      • 2021: former location of Joseph Hancock & Andrew Stabler physicians / Rock Wool Manufacturing Co. / James Goetz structural engineer / Alabama News Digest / Shaw & Renneker architects (1953)
      • 2031: former location of Gilbert McCarter service station (1953)

• Richard Arrington Jr Boulevard North intersects
  • north side:
    • 2100–2130: former proposed site of Robert E. Lee Klan meeting hall (1924), former location of Essex House apartments / Daniel-Branscomb Tower, Downtown Club, Dale's Cellar
      • 2100–2108: Energen Plaza (built 1998)
        • 2108: former location of Warner Realty & Insurance Co. (1953)
      • 2110–2130: Energen Plaza parking deck
        • 2110: former location of Park & Lock auto parking (1953)
        • 2116: former location of Dixie Drive-It-Yourself System (1953)
        • 2130: former location of the T. L. Hudgins residence)
  • south side:
    • 2101-2109: Colonial Plaza (built 1982)
      • 2101: former location of the Red Room bar (1973)
    • 2111-2131: 2-level parking deck
      • 2119: former location pf Cobbs, Allen & Hall insurance & mortgage (1953)
        • 2119½: former location of Aetna insurance / Marbury-Patillo Construction Co. (1953)
      • 2123–2129: former location of Heyward Apartments (1953)
      • 2131: Former location of a residence, University of Alabama Birmingham Extension Center (1936–1953)

• 22nd Street North intersects
  • north side:
    • Park Place (Hope VI project) (built 2004), former location of Metropolitan Gardens (1940–2002)
  • south side:
    • 2201–2231: parking lot
      • 2201: former location of First Baptist Church of Birmingham (1872–1984)
      • 2213: former location of Minnie Mowry Recreation Center, The Girls Club Inc. kindergarten (1953)
      • 2215: former location of Perry Carpenter residence (-1893), U. S. Post Office parcel post annex (1953)

• 23rd Street North intersects
  • north side (Block 30):
    • 2300–2330: Park Place (Hope VI project) (built 2004), former location of Metropolitan Gardens (1940–2002)
      • 2308: former location of St Paul's Colored Methodist Episcopal Church (1891)
  • south side (Block 51):
    • 2301: former location of Food Circle
    • 2305: former location of George's Place grocery (John George 1953)
    • 2323–2331: Powell School (built 1888), former location of Free School (1874–1886)

• 24th Street North intersects
  • north side (Block 29):
    • Marconi Park, formerly East Park or East End Park, (dedicated 1871)
  • south side (Block 52):
    • Park Place (Hope VI project) (built 2004), former location of Metropolitan Gardens (1940–2002)

• 25th Street North intersects
  • north side:
    • Park Place (Hope VI project) (built 2004), former location of Metropolitan Gardens (1940–2002)
  • south side:
    • Park Place (Hope VI project) (built 2004), former location of Metropolitan Gardens (1940–2002)

• Carraway Boulevard intersection (road ends facing I-20/59 off-ramps)
  • 2608: former location of Young Lunch Stand (1953)

To north: I-20/59

Interstate 65 southbound exits 6th Avenue North

To south: 4th Avenue South