1st Avenue North (Downtown)

1st Avenue North (Downtown) is the section of 1st Avenue North running through downtown Birmingham's Fountain Heights and Central City neighborhoods, between 13th and 26th Streets. The street is also part of U.S. Highway 11.

In the downtown area, 1st Avenue North has a 100-foot right of way, 20 feet wider than the typical street. It carries two lanes of traffic in each direction with a central turn lane and parallel parking at each curb.

Locations

Fountain Heights

• 13th Street intersection
  • 1331: Bailey's Corner, Tacos Dos Hermanos
• 14th Street intersection (Catch-out Corner)
• 15th Street intersection
• 16th Street intersection
  • 1630: former location of Babe's Hot Dogs
  • 1631: former location of C. D. Kenney Coffee Company
• 17th Street intersection
  • North side (Block 97)
    • 1700: former location of Sinclair Filling Station
    • 1710: Birmingham Police Headquarters (Birmingham Pledge mural), former location of McKesson-Doster-Northington, Inc. wholesale drugs
    • 1714: former location of Boyd Manufacturing Company
    • 1718 & 1718½: former location of Welsh Vinegar & Extract Co. (1904)
    • 1722: former location of Alabama Barber Supply
    • 1724: former location of Continental Commercial College
    • 1728: former location of American Life Insurance Company of Alabama
  • South side (Block 109A)
    • 1701-03: former location of Lee Rodgers Garage
    • 1705: former location of Watts-Newsome Company
    • 1707-1709: former location of Alabama Paper & Metalware Company, and the He & She Scene, Club Asia, Club Heat, Club Rave nightclubs
    • 1711: former location of Erdreich Bros. & Marx liquors (1904), McKelvey-Coats Furniture Co. warehouse
    • 1713-15: former location Standard Oil gas & garage
    • 1723: former location of Magic Palace
    • 1725: former location of Birmingham Woodenware Company
    • 1729-1731: Young & Vann Building (built 1899), offices of the Alabama Media Group (2014-), formerly the Meyer-Marx Co. wholesale beverages & cigars (1899-), Young & Vann Supply Company's mill & mine warehouse (1912-), Center for Regional Planning and Design (2002-2014)
• 18th Street intersection
  • North side (Block 98)
    • 1800: Pizitz parking deck (1965), formerly Shoppers' Park Lot
    • 1808: former location of I. R. Hochstadter wholesale liquors, and a Chinese restaurant
    • 1810: former location of State #12 Liquor Store
    • 1812: former location of Majic City Barber Supplies
    • 1814: former location of Shook & Fletcher Supply Company
    • 1818: former location of Sokol Brothers department store (which expanded to 19th Street in 1951)
    • 1820: former Tanner & Elledye saloon
    • 1830: former location of O'Brien Opera House, Molton-Henley Retail Block, Expanded Sokol's store
  • South side
    • 1801-03: former location of Alabama Grocery Company and Earle Brothers wholesale grocers
    • 1801: former location of Alabama Appliance Company
    • 1807: former location of Veltex Company
    • 1809: S. J. Bennett Professional Building, former location of National Birmingham Garage (with Highland Cleaners and Roberts Electric
    • 1811: former location of Bay Theatre
    • 1817: former location of Matthews Electric Company
    • 1827: Jemison Flats/Stallings Building (Giattina Fisher Architecture Studio), formerly the Lincoln Life Building/Chamber of Commerce Building. Former site of the Chalifoux Building

Central City neighborhood

• 19th Street intersection
  • North side (Block 99)
    • 1900: Saks building, former location of the Marre building (1872-1895), Ruby Saloon (1880s), Louis Saks Clothing Store (1895-1916), men's suit store, Old Gold and lunch counter.
    • 1902: former location of Marvin Hawkins Pen Store
    • 1904: Coyote Logistics, former offices of Corporate Realty Development
    • 1906: former location of European Bakery, Iron City Exchange
    • 1908: former location of J. Friedman & Co. mens' wear, Linnehaw Jewelry Store
    • 1910: former location of Lichter Department Store
    • 1912: former location of Robertson Hardware Company
    • 1914: former location of Standard Clothing Company
    • 1916: former location of King Tailoring (1904), Alabama Home Furniture
    • 1918: Alabama Gas Corporation building (Birmingham Gas Company), former location of John Westbrook's mercantile and lime kiln
    • 1922: former location of Palace Royal saloon, Porter's Clothing, Bank for Savings and Trust, and Putta-Links indoor golf
    • 1926: Toby's (formerly Top that Chick, Chris' Place Café, Seven Seas Seafood and Empire Steak House)
    • 1928: Empire Building (former site of Bank Saloon)
  • South side
    • 1901: former location of Morris Hotel (including Morris Tavern, Morris Jewelers, Woodward Billiard Parlor, Engel Realty)
    • 1909-11: Allright parking garage (former site of Allen Building (Marc Linx Men's Clothes)
    • 1909-17: former location of Wheeler Business College
    • 1913-17: former location of Britling Cafeteria No. 1, Artists Recording Company, Reed Records
    • 1919: former studio of portrait photographer Robert Dickerson (1954-)
    • 1921: former offices of the Evening Chronicle and Sunday Chronicle and City Ticket Office for the Illinois Central Railroad
    • 1923: former location of Bandman-Marx tailors
    • 1927: Woodward Building, (former location of MetroBank)
• 20th Street intersection: Heaviest Corner on Earth
  • North side (Block 100)
    • 2000: Brown Marx Building (former site of National Bank of Birmingham building), Brown Marx annex
    • 2010: former location of Birmingham Post Office (1880s), Fidelity Loan Company
    • 2012: former location of R. A. Brown & Company
    • 2014: former location of Zac Smith Stationery Company
    • 2016: former location of Glidden Paints
    • 2018: former location of E. B. Peddinghaus photographer
    • 2022: former location of Sorsby & Smith, Smith & Montgomery, Zac Smith Stationery Company, Garber, Cook & Hulsey
    • 2024: former location of Peddinghaus Studio
    • 2026: former location of Alabama Home Building & Loan Association, Birmingham Federal Savings and Loan
    • 2030: former location of Sarris Grill, Guaranty Federal Savings and Loan and New City Church
  • South side
    • 2001: John A. Hand Building
    • 2013: McAdory Building (former location of Wimberly & Thomas Hardware)
    • 2015-17: Caldwell-Milner Building (former location of Batiste & Associates, Head's office supplies and Underwood Typewriters)
    • 2009: former offices of Wilda & Dearborn real estate brokers
    • 2017: former offices of Sutcliffe, Armstrong & Willett Architects and location of Seals Piano Company, Mazer's Office & Store Equipment) Birmingham Rug & Linoleum and Simmons Electric)
    • 2019-21: former site of Alverson Business College
    • 2023: former location of William Parish's art studio, W. D. Colby Decorating Co. (1903), Colby & Roll
    • 2025: Skyline Lofts (former location of Zac Smith Stationery Company printing department, Reprint Company)
    • 2027: Protective Life building (Commerce Center)
• 21st Street intersection (Rainbow Viaduct)
  • North side (Block 101)
    • 2100: Landmark Building (former location of PKA Architects), (former site of Slaton, McGlathery & Burwell, and Birmingham Railway, Light and Power Building)
    • 2104: former location of Birmingham Athletic Club (1895-1903) and R. P. McDavid & Company radios & refrigerators
    • 2106-2108: former location of Morris Greenhouses, Doster-Northington Drug Co.
    • 2108: former location of W. F. Orr livery stable & Abernathy Furniture Co.
    • 2112: former location of Protective Life Insurance and Employers Insurance Co.
    • 2114: former location of Gus Dugger Saloon, photo studio
    • 2118: Birmingham Realty Company building
    • 2126: former location of Tillman-Levenson furniture store
  • South side
    • 2101: Steiner Building (KPS Group), former location of Steiner Brothers Bank and barber shop (former site of William Nabers shop)
    • 2105: parking lot, former site of Bradford-Norton, Inc. millinery and Tillman-Levenson
    • 2107: former location of Tillman-Levenson
    • 2109: former location of McDavid, Terry & Garland real estate agents
    • 2111: former location of Jefferson Sea Food Café, Typewriter Exchange
    • 2121: Body & Soul Fitness
• 22nd Street intersection
  • 2200: Goodall-Brown Lofts/Wine Loft, former location of the Caldwell Hotel
  • 2201: Transportation Building (Wee Care Academy)
  • 2208-2210: former location of R. D. Burnett Cigar Company warehouse
  • 2209: The Fanaei Building (formerly Slater Sales)
  • 2213: former location of Steve Watson Restaurant
  • 2215: Krewe on First bar
  • 2226: former location of Europa
• 23rd Street intersection
  • North side (Block 103)
    • former location of the Winnie Davis Wigwam (1894)
    • 2300-2302: Fix Play Lofts, former location of Fix Play Displays (1964)
      • 2300: Birmingham Oddities, former location of Phillips-Lester Manufacturing (1929)
      • 2302: former location of Hutchins Co. clothes (1929)
    • 2304: former location of Wynn-Knox Candy Co. (1929), Jaffe Dry Goods (1964)
    • 2306: former location of Levine-Abelson Candy and Grocery Company (1929)
    • 2308-2314: 2314 1st Avenue North building, former location of The Feldstein Co. wholesale clothing (1964)
      • 2308: former location of Markstein Millinery (1929)
      • 2310: Neighborhood Market, former location of D. Friedman & Co. dresses & coats (1929)
      • 2312: Weld for Birmingham offices, former location of Frankel & Feldstein Clothing Co. (1929)
      • 2314: former office of James Morgan, Jr
    • 2316-2318: The Avenues Lofts
      • 2316: former location of Star Hosiery & Underwear Co. (1964)
      • 2318: former location of Greenwald Shoe Co. (1964)
    • 2320-2322: Raymond Rose Building, former location of Rose Commission Co. wholesale dry goods, Raymond Hosiery Co. & Raymond-Temerson Co. (1964), Alabama Uniforms
      • 2320: Tavern on 1st (2015-)
    • 2324: Mike's Fine Jewelry & Music Center (1965-)
  • South side (Block 107)
    • 2321-2325: Wooster Lofts
    • 2301: Liberty House Lofts (Bancography, Literacy Council of Alabama)
    • 2321: former location of Wood-Frutticher Grocery Co.
    • 2323: formerly Cafe Lanetta
    • 2325: Phillip Griffith Photography, former location of Reed Books
    • 2329: Wooten Lofts
• 24th Street intersection
  • 2400: United Trophy & Specialties
  • 2401: Security Bonded Warehouse (former Royal Cup building)
  • 2411: ABC Foodservice Equipment
  • 2413: From Darkness to Light Biblical Counseling Ministries
  • 2416: Johnson Lofts (Johnson D. C. & Co building)
  • 2420: Mr Burch formal wear
  • 2425: Dixie Fixtures
  • 2429: Blackwell Furniture/BB's China and Glassware
  • 2431: former location of A & P's "East Side Downtown Super Market" (1944-)
• 25th Street intersection
  • 2500: Roger's Trading Company Building (Vazda Studios, Intermark Interactive, formerly Crawford's Auto Shop, Maring-Crawford Ford and Roger's Army Navy Store)
  • 2506: former location of Peyton King residence
• Red Mountain Expressway overpass (former site of Birmingham Farmer's Market)
• Carraway Boulevard intersection