11th Avenue South

Eleventh Avenue South (originally Avenue K) is an east-west avenue‎ in Birmingham's Southside, with its main section stretching through the Five Points South neighborhood (including the UAB Campus) from 11th Street South to 22nd Street South. The 5-way intersection of 11th, 20th Street South, and Magnolia Avenue, give Five Points South its name. Additional sections of 11th Avenue South can be found in the residential sections of Highland Park, Forest Park, and Crestwood South.

One of the residential sections of 11th forms the eastern half of the northern border of the Highland Park Golf Course, from 38th Street South to almost Glen View Road.

MAX Transit Routes 14, 39, and 42 have stops on 11th Avenue.

History

What is now 11th Court South from 21st Street South to the road's terminus at Highland Avenue was originally 11th Avenue. The current section of 11th Avenue between 21st and 22nd Streets was originally named Rose Avenue. The two roads appear to have been renamed in the 1900s or early 1910s.

The section of 11th between a short segment of 24th and 26th Streets was originally Bay Avenue. It originally extended west of 24th, connecting to Highland, but that part is now an alley with stairs at the end leading up to Highland. The next section, between 26th and 28th Streets, was originally Madison Avenue. Both appear to have been renamed as 11th Avenue in the 1910s.

Notable locations

For an alphabetical list of locations, see the 11th Avenue South category.

Five Points South neighborhood

• avenue begins at 10th Avenue South
  • 1101: University Flats
  • 1115: Glen Iris Elementary School (former site of Snoozy's College Bookstore)

• 11th Place South intersects (south only)
  • 1142: BB's Above & Beyond Barber Shop, former location of Bill Smith's Tailors & Dry Cleaning (1983)
  • 1146: former location of 205 Flava store
  • 1148: former location of Chris' Famous Hot Dogs/Chris' Delicatessen & Grill (1983-1987), My Town My Team (2018-2019)
  • 1150: 11th Avenue Package Store
  • 1154: Saw's Southside (2018-), former location of Sub Station (1985-), Bob's, Fat Sam's Sub Station (March 1990-October 2016)
  • 1161: Serig
  • 1169: University Laundromat

• Cullom Street intersects (south only)
  • 1160: St Joseph's House (built c. 1901)
  • 1180: St Andrew's Episcopal Church (built 1915)

• 12th Street South intersects
  • 1200-1280: parking lot, former site of 11th Avenue United Methodist Church (built 1904, demolished 2009)
    • 1200: former location of Brooks Drugs, W. C. Wood's Drug Store, Giles Drugs, Modern Drugs
    • 1202: former location of Hill's Food Store, Pounds
  • 1201–1231: UAB Hospital-Highlands (2006–), former location of South Highlands Infirmary (1910–1971), South Highlands Hospital (1971–1989), HealthSouth Medical Center (1989–2006)

• 13th Street South intersects
  • 1324: Highland Manor Apartments
  • former site of Tower Court Apartments

• 14th Street South intersects
  • 1413: Grant's
  • 1429: Papa John's Pizza
  • 1431: CVS Pharmacy (formerly Big B Drugs)

Medical Towers building in 2018

• 15th Street South intersects (south only)
  • 1501: Hungry Howie's
  • 1505: former location of J. W. McClain architect (1904)
  • 1509: Legacy Community Federal Credit Union branch
  • 1530: Rast Hall

• 16th Street South intersects
  • UAB tennis courts
  • 1613: acquired by UAB in 2019, former location of Pediatric Dental Associates (-2019)

• 17th Street South intersects
  • 1714: formerly Robert Turner Optical
  • Medical Towers Building
    • 1717: Podiatry Associates, former location of Pier Eleven seafood

• 18th Street South intersects
  • 1801: The Shoe Clinic
  • 1803: former location of Good Times Video (1989)
  • 1814: Southside Branch Library (built 1996), former site of Thomas Parke residence (-1955), Parke Memorial Branch Library (1955-1996)
  • 1815: Penn Properties
  • 1821: South Highland Station post office
  • Southside Baptist Church

• 10th Court South (northwest only)/19th Street South intersect
  • north side:
    • 1900: Modern Hearing Center (1971-)
    • 1904: Raymond's Five Points Market (1971-)
    • 1908-1912: Boothby Realty Building (built c. 1925)
      • 1908: Jim 'N Nick's Bar-B-Q (2003-), former location of Breckinridge Brewery (-1999), 11th Avenue Grill (1999-2003)
    • 1910-1918: Surin West restaurant (1995-)
      • 1912: former location of B & W Laundry (1960), Melons Restaurant
      • 1914-1918: Five Points Theatre (built c. 1922, remodeled 1936), former location of U.S. Post Office (1983), Clyde Houston's, Taco Mac (mid 1990s), AJ's (1994)
    • 1920-1922: 1922 Shropshire & Daniel building, former location of Shropshire & Daniel grocery (1922-1939)
      • 1920: former location of Five Points Record Bar (1946)
      • 1922: former location of Toner's Tournament Club restaurant (1982-1983)
    • 1924: Five Points Grocery building (built c. 1913), Little Italy's Pies & Pints, former location of Five Points Grocery, Scott's Apothecary (1983)
      • 1924½: Charlemagne Record Exchange, former location of Esquire Club (Izez Mezrano 1958-1959)
    • 1926-1934: Studio Arts Building (1910-1987, rebuilt 1994)
      • 1926: former location of Five Points Paint & Hardware (1949), Five Points South Speedwash (1971), Arthur's Fine Jewelry (1985)
      • 1928: former location of Studio night club (1995-), Eleven20 night club (2006), Bacchus night club (2011-2015), and SKKY night club (2015-2017)
        • 1928B: former location of Firehouse Subs
      • 1930-1932: Waffle House, former location of 5-Points Bootery, Bon Ton Sandwich Shop, Little Bombers Lounge, Joe (bar), Poor Willie's, Five Points Steak House (1971), Johnny Rockets, Schaeffer Eye Center
        • 1930: former location of Five Points Jewelers & News (1941)
        • 1932: former location of Grand Shoe Repairing (1949)
  • south side:
    • 1901-1905: Fred Jones building (built 1928), Fred S. Jones & Co. caterers (1928-1968), Golden Temple natural grocery (1975-)
      • • 1901½: Birmingham Festival Theatre
      • 1903: former location of a frame shop (-1993)
      • 1905: former location of Five Points Bowling Center (1941)
      • 1909: Ikko restaurant (August 2017-), former location of Snap & Back photo processing (1990s), Flamingo Dry Cleaners, Spring Aire Cleaners
    • 1915-1933: Munger Building (built 1928)
      • 1915: formerly Five Points Beauty Salon (1941), Apple Books (1980-1984), Lion & Unicorn (1985–1990)
      • 1917: former location of Joe (bookstore) (1974-1977), The Darkroom (1980s)
      • 1919: former location of Jimmy John's (closed January 2019)
        • 1919B: Insomnia Cookies
      • 1921: former location of Little Forest (2013)
      • 1923: Alchemy, former location of Five Points Paint & Hardware (1941-), McNolia's (2016)
      • 1925: former location of iii's
      • 1927: Filter Coffee Parlor (2018-), former location of Harmon's Beauty Salon (1928-), Madame Husted boutique (1950s), Lawrence Hi-Fi Center (1950s-1960s), Starbucks (2001-2017)
      • 1931: Original Pancake House, former location of Martin Flowers (1936-1980s), SouthPoint restaurant (1984-1987), Edgar's Grill (1989)

• 20th Street South/Magnolia Avenue (northeast only) intersect (Five Points South)
  • north side:
    • Storyteller fountain
    • Highlands United Methodist Church (formerly Five Points Methodist Episcopal Church; former site of Phillip Alosi’s Palace Market)
    • 2018: Village Bridal (November 2018-), former location of Kempis Press, Alexander Eton clothier (2014-2017)
    • 2020: LaSalle Apartments, Renaissance Records, former location of Lodestar Books (1985), Jinx gift shop (1997)
    • 2030: Dulion Apartments
      • 2030-A: former location of Agnes art gallery, Studio 2030
      • 2030-B: Former location of Cartoon Gallery (-1997) Jinx (1998-)
  • south side:
    • 2001-2011: Spanish Stores (built 1926)
      • 2003: former location of Pigford & Carraway architects
      • 2005: Chez Fonfon (2000-), former location of Simonton's, Sideshow Gallery
      • 2007: former location of Jane Meade Dresses (1955)
      • 2011: Highlands Bar and Grill (1982-)
    • 2025: former location of the Arnold Residence (c. 1903)
    • 2031: Presley Burton & Collier (formerly 1st Church of Christ, Scientist, Giattina Fisher Aycock, and Slaughter Hanson & Associates; former site of Five Points Chapel)

• Richard Arrington Jr Boulevard South (21st Street South)/11th Court South (east only) intersect
  • 2112: Plaza Building, former location of Volkert & Associates
• 21st Place South intersection (north only)
  • 2140: Park Building
  • Ridge Park (formerly Rust Engineering)

• avenue ends at 22nd Street South
• avenue continues northeast at 10th Court South

Highland Park

• 24th Street South intersects (northwest only; road terminus)
• 26th Street South intersects (road does not align)
  • 2601–2603: Southside Townhouses
  • Claridge Manor Apartments
• 27th Street South intersects
• 28th Street South intersects (road does not align)
• 28th Place South intersects
• Rhodes Circle intersection (road terminus)

References

• Schoel, H. (1892). Map of the City of Birmingham, Alabama and Suburbs. Accessed via Historical Maps of Jefferson County on June 6, 2014.
• Cram, George F. (1898). "Birmingham" from Cram's Universal Atlas, Geographical, Astronomical and Historical. Accessed via Historical Maps of Jefferson County on April 8, 2010.
• Kelley's Map of Birmingham, Alabama. (1911). Kelley Company. Accessed via Historical Maps of Jefferson County on June 6, 2014.
• Grefenkamp's Map of Birmingham, Alabama. (1914). A.J. Grefenkamp & Co. Accessed via Historical Maps of Jefferson County on June 6, 2014.