3rd Avenue South
3rd Avenue South (originally Avenue C) is an east-west avenue in Birmingham. It continues U. S. Highway 78 westbound from Crestwood Boulevard (via an angled section of 5th Avenue South) through Avondale and into the City Center. Beginning at 36th Street the avenue is one-way westbound with three lanes of traffic.
US 78 turns north off of 3rd Avenue at 24th Street, continuing west along 8th Avenue North toward Arkadelphia Road. 3rd Avenue South proceeds through Midtown Birmingham, becoming an onramp to I-65 North after it crosses 12th Street South.
The avenue picks up again in Titusville as 3rd Avenue Southwest, a two-lane residential street running between Omega Street and Martin Luther King, Jr Drive at Elmwood Cemetery.
In Woodlawn and East Lake additional sections of 3rd Avenue South can be found. One runs for less than a block off of 59th Street South south of Georgia Road. Another picks up at 61st Street South and runs into the I-20 right of way just past 64th Street South. It picks up at 64th Place South on the other side of the interstate and continues to 67th Street South, where it ends in the turn a block shy of the Cascade Plunge. On the other side of the proposed Druid Hollow Park 3rd Avenue continues as a residential street between 70th Street South and 86th Street South. The alley between 2nd and 3rd Avenue in this area is promoted as a Musician's Hollow by the East Lake Arts District.
MAX Transit Route 17 runs along parts of 3rd Avenue South in Avondale.
History
3rd Avenue South was converted from two-way to one-way (westbound) traffic from 32nd Street to 14th Street in August 1955. The west-only traffic pattern was extended to I-65 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 3rd Avenue South category.
Five Points South neighborhood
- 10th Street South formerly intersected
- former location of 2nd Presbyterian Church (1896)
- I-65 (access to northbound lanes)
- 12th Street South intersection
- 13th Street South intersection
- 1301: Cain Awning
- 1325: J. J. Morley Enterprises
- 14th Street South intersection
- north side:
- Regions Field (built 2013), former location of UAB University Stores Warehouse
- south side:
- 1401-1433: unnamed 228-unit apartment building (built 2020)
- 1411-1415: former location of double Quonset hut
- 1401-1433: unnamed 228-unit apartment building (built 2020)
- north side:
- 15th Street South intersection
- 1500-1530: former location of UAB Print Plant / UAB Central Support Building
- 1500-1516: Regions Field (built 2013)
- 1518-1530: Venue at the Ballpark (built 2016)
- 1501: Sherwin-Williams Paint Company
- 1521-1529: Watts Realty Building
- Suite 101: Self Storage
- Suite 102: Watts Realty
- 1529: former location of Peanut Depot (2016-2017), Pro-Fit Inc. / American Diabetic Supply (2008-2015)
- 16th Street South intersection
- 1600: Red Mountain Theatre Co. arts campus, former location of Wittichen Supply Company
- 1601: Children's Hospital physical plant
- 1617: former location of Mid-South Design Inc. (building demolished in October 2017)
- 17th Street South intersection
- 1726: Former site of Rye-Ola bottling plant
- 18th Street South intersection
- Taziki's
- former location of St Mark's School (1892-1940)
- 1805: former location of J. G. Lowery contractor (1887), E. P. Hogan residence (1910)
- 1809: retail building (built 2018), former location of Graffeo’s Garage, Hoover Sports & Imports
- 1817: Import Maintenance Service
- 1826: HABD Building, Housing Authority of the Birmingham District offices, former location of Wood Chevrolet (1976)
- 19th Street South intersection
- Holy Trinity Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Cathedral
- former location of Simpson Methodist Episcopal Church (1899)
- 1900: proposed Hilton Garden Inn Birmingham
- 1912: Carlstedt Company, former location of Mrs P. E. Porter boarding house (1899)
- 20 Midtown, former location of Adamson Ford auto lot, Firestone Building
- 20th Street South intersection
- former location of Don Drennen Motor Company
- 2001: Liberty National Building
- 2008: Baxley Dillard Dauphin
- 2011: former location of Noah's Ark Baptist Church (1899), National Welding Company (1923)
- 2018: Out of Town Parts, former location of McElroy Motors
- 2019: former location of Scott Sheet Metal Works auto body repairs (1923)
- 2021: former location of Birmingham Steam Laundry (1887), Finch Motor Co. auto repairs (1923)
- 2026: former location of Webco Electric Battery Co. (1923)
- Birmingham Parking Authority Deck 8 (Scott's Koneys)
- 21st Street South (Richard Arrington Jr Boulevard South) intersects
- north side:
- 2100: former location of grocery (1891)
- 2102-2114: former location of "negro dwellings" (1891)
- 2124-2126: former location of blacksmith shop (1891)
- south side:
- 2101: Plasma Care Inc.
- 2119-2123: former location of Elyton Land Co. stables (1891)
- former location of Hanna Motor Co.
- Southern Armature Works
- north side:
- 22nd Street South intersection
- north side:
- 2200: J. F. Oates Building (Birmingham School of Law), formerly Tom Williams Porsche/BMW
- 2222-2226: former location of "ruins of fire" (1891)
- south side:
- 2201-2203: former location of Birmingham Steam Bottling Works (1891)
- 2205-2207: former location of Zinsheimer's Bottling Works (1891)
- 2217: former location of "negro tenements" (1891)
- 2219: former location of grocery (1891)
- 2223: former location of "negro dwellings" (1891)
- north side:
Southside neighborhood
- 22nd Street South intersection
- former location of Jim Burke Nash (1948)
- 2201: former location of Houppert & Worcester bottling works (1904)
- 2205: Sweet Tea Restaurant, former location of Birmingham Steam Bottling Works storeroom (1899)
- 2212: Bennette's BMW Service
- 2216: former location of Antioch Baptist Church (1899)
- 2217: former location of Mrs M. McColgan boarding house (1899)
- 2220: Bennette's Motor World
- 2221: Sherrill Auto Paint and Body
- 23rd Street South intersection
- The Downtown Church
- 2300: former location of P. Lombard grocer (1899), W. M. Brown saloon (1904)
- 2301: former location of T. H. Bower saloon (1899-1904)
- 2303: former location of Love Shields restaurant (1899-1904)
- 24th Street South intersection
- 2400: All About Trucks
- 2412: Omega Tires
- 2417: Grump's Great Grill
- 25th Street South intersection (access to Elton B. Stephens Expressway South)
- 2500: former location of Mrs J. F. Chitwood boarding house (1899)
- 2501: Southern Wholesale Automobiles
- 2514: MG Electronics & Equipment
- 2515: Max Communications
- 2516: Glass Masters
- 2517-2519: The Watch Shop/Daniel Bailey residence (2005-), former location of Daniel's Classic Car Care (1987-2005)
- Elton B. Stephens Expressway underpass
- 2601: former location of Thomasino Grocery (1962_
- 2610: Nations Rent, former location of Forbes Distributing Company (1965)
- 2616: Dog Days of Birmingham (2016-), former location of Cahaba Brewing Company (2012-2016), Silk in Design LLC
- 2628: former location of Brooks Distributing Inc. (1990)
- 27th Street South intersects (access to Elton B. Stephens Expressway North)
- 2700: Washee-Quickee Car Wash, former location of Albert Schilleci Grocery (1925)
- 2717: Infomedia / Uptick Marketing (2019-), former location of Odeon
- 2729: Medplex MD
- 28th Street South intersects
- 2810: Jeffco Motor Company, former location of Brown Plumbing & Heating (1948-1978), Brown Engineering (1978-)
- 2814: former location of Dixie Asbestos Company (1929-)
- 2830: Aqua nightclub (formerly Elevation)
- 29th Street South intersects
- 2900: Martin Biscuit Building (Cantina, Bettola, al.com, etc)
- 2901: Gallery Services
- 2912: former location of Hardy Services Division
- 2924-2930: Hop City, former location of Alabama Glass Company (1950-)
- 2929: Birmingham Benz
- 30th Street South intersects
- 3000: Blueprint on 3rd / Imaging Technologies, former location of Electric Constructors (1948-)
- 3009: Magic Stitches Embroidery, former location of NorDys Gallery
- 3017: House of Grace Church, former location of Terry's Uniform & Screen Printing
- 3022: Frontera, former warehouse (built 1947)
- 3024: Mason & Dulion Building (built 1927, altered 1947), Retriever Antiques, former location of Alternative Garage
- 3030: former location of Russell's Speed Shop
- 31st Street South intersects
- 3100: Arnold-Brown Metals & Supply (1946-)
- 3116-3118: former location of Holland Furnace Company (1927-), Birmingham Brewing Company, Vulcan Breweries and Little Star Brewing Company
- 3120: Lee Brothers building, former location of Lee Brothers wholesale grocers (1931-), Strong Auto Painting
- 3126-3130: former location of Howard Hall Freight (1944-), Jefferson Tire
- south side:
- 3101: Lolo French Antiques
- 3115: Birmingham Auto Painting
- 3121: Regions Bank
- 32nd Street South intersects
- north side:
- 3200: Mayer Electric lighting showroom, former location of Birmingham Surgical Supply
- 3216: Birmingham Career Center
- south side:
- 3201: U.S. Renal Care, former location of Ed Salem's Drive-In #2, The Forty Thieves, Fantasies and Eunice Crabtree's Cut Rate Delicatessen & Bait Shop, DSI South Dialysis
- 3207: former location of Mabel's Beauty Shop & Chainsaw Repair
- 3221: LabCorp, former location of Bowl Lo-Mac bowling center
- north side:
- 33rd Street South intersects
- 3300: Dorothy McDaniel's Flower Market, former location of Putt-Putt Golf Course
- 3301: former location of Westinghouse Electric Co. (demolished 2016)
- Birmingham Regional Center of the Alabama Institute for Dead and Blind
- 34th Street South intersects
- north side:
- south side:
- 3401-3431: former location of Birmingham Railway Supply Co. rolling mill
- 35th Street South intersects
- 3500: Lee-Rodgers Tire Company
- 36th Street South intersects
Forest Park-South Avondale
- 37th Street South interesection
- 3709: Bryant & Company contractors
- 3719: Rodney Scott's BBQ, former location of Mikatam, New Gizmo, Misconceptions, Za Za Zann, and Bottletree (2006-2015), Saigon Noodle House (June 2016-August 2018)
- 3621: former Hancock Fabrics location, originally the Alabama Mill Store
- 3800: Temple of Hope Baptist Church
- 3804: Saw's BBQ Franchising offices (2019-)
- 3820: Amalgamated Transit Union
- 4000: MAKEbhm (2016-), former location of Ram Tool
- 4003: Head to Tail Animal Care
- 4030: Hi-Tec Auto Service, former location of Soi Pham
- 4100: The Wooden Goat (2016-), former location of Prestige Imports
- 4101: Chevron Station (former location of Becky's Deli)
- 4120: Avondale Business Center (Boxcar Vape, Wasabi Juan's, AllState Insurance, Ave Maria African Hair Braiding)
- 4121: Box Row (proposed), formerly the Anchor Motel and Star Motel
- 4130: Acme Flooring
Forest Park/East Avondale
- 42nd Streeet South intersection
- former site of Avondale School
- 4231: Former location of Estetica Unisex Lolis salon
- 4233: Avondale III Apartments, formerly Havenwood Apartments
- 4244: Workshops Inc
- 4261: former location of Genry's Barber Shop (2010s)
East Avondale
- 3rd Court South/4th Avenue South diverges
- 4322: Martin Building Maintenance
- 4631: New Bethel Baptist Church
- 4725: Holy Cathedral Church of God in Christ
- 4800: former site of Butler Elementary School (later site of the 2008 Home Builders Blitz)
- 4809: East Avondale Apartments (built 1958)
- 4825: Birmingham Plastic Pipe & Supply
- 50th Street South intersects
- 3rd Avenue dies into 5th Avenue South
South Woodlawn
- 3rd Avenue resumes at 59th Street South
- 3rd Avenue ends at 59th Place South
- 3rd Avenue resumes at 61st Street South
- 3rd Avenue ends at I-20
South East Lake
- 3rd Avenue resumes at 64th Place South
- 3rd Avenue turns into 67th Street South
- 3rd Avenue resumes at Higdon Road
- 3rd Avenue ends at 68th Street South (Cascade Plunge)
- 3rd Avenue resumes at 70th Street South
- 3rd Avenue ends at 86th Street South
Locations on 3rd Avenue Southwest
- Omega Street intersection
- 3rd Street South intersection
- 2nd Street South intersection
- 1st Street South intersection
- Center Place South intersection
- Center Street South intersection
- 1st Street Southwest intersection
- Goldwire Street Southwest intersection
- Martin Luther King, Jr Drive (Montevallo Road Southwest) intersection