5th Avenue North: Difference between revisions

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===[[Central City neighborhood]]===
===[[Central City neighborhood]]===
[[File:Jane Speed's Book Store.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Jane Speed's Book Store at 1907 5th Avenue North, 1937-1940]].
[[File:Jane Speed's Book Store.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Jane Speed's Book Store at 1907 5th Avenue North, 1937-1940]]
* [[19th Street North]] intersection
* [[19th Street North]] intersection
** former site of [[Pollock-Stephens Institute]] and [[Southern Safe & Fence Company]]
** former site of and [[Southern Safe & Fence Company]]
** north side ([[Block 47]]):
** north side ([[Block 47]]):
*** 1900-1930:[[Regions Center]] (built 1972 as [[Regions Center|First National-Southern Natural Building]]
*** 1900-1930:[[Regions Center]] (built 1972 as [[Regions Center|First National-Southern Natural Building]]
Line 153: Line 153:
[[File:Krystal 1931 5th Av N.jpg|right|thumb|350px|Krystal hamburger stand at 5th and 20th]]
[[File:Krystal 1931 5th Av N.jpg|right|thumb|350px|Krystal hamburger stand at 5th and 20th]]
** south side ([[Block 60]]):
** south side ([[Block 60]]):
*** 1901-1907: parking lot
*** 1901-1907: parking lot, former location of [[Pollock-Stephens Institute]] (1890–1900s)
**** 1901: former location of [[Industrial Loan Corp. Inc.]] (1926), cigars/cafe/soda (1931, 1970), [[Theo's Grill]] (1956-1982)
**** 1901: former location of [[Industrial Loan Corp. Inc.]] (1926), cigars/cafe/soda (1931, 1970), [[Theo's Grill]] (1956–1982)
**** 1903-1905: former location of [[DeSoto Hotel]] (1926-1970)
**** 1903-1905: former location of [[DeSoto Hotel]] (1926–1970)
***** 1905: former location of book shop (1926-1931), [[Hotel DeSoto Barber Shop]] (1926-1941), books (1970), [[AristoCuts]] (1982)
***** 1905: former location of book shop (1926–1931), [[Hotel DeSoto Barber Shop]] (1926–1941), books (1970), [[AristoCuts]] (1982)
**** 1907: former location of [[P & A Sales Co.]] / [[Service Electric Co.]] (1926-1931), [[Jane Speed's Book Store]] (1937-1940), [[Wilfred Naylor]] photo apparatus (1941), [[David Clayton]] bookkeeper (1959), [[H. & R. Block]] tax preparers (1970), [[Papa Nick's]] (1982)  
**** 1907: former location of [[P & A Sales Co.]] / [[Service Electric Co.]] (1926–1931), [[Jane Speed's Book Store]] (1937–1940), [[Wilfred Naylor]] photo apparatus (1941), [[David Clayton]] bookkeeper (1959), [[H. & R. Block]] tax preparers (1970), [[Papa Nick's]] (1982)  
*** 1909: [[Subway Restaurant]] (2010-), former location of hat cleaners (1931), [[Radio Service Co.]] (1941), [[Dixie Bookkeeping]] (1959), [[E. L. Baldwin & Associates]] (1959-1970), [[Cliff's Cleaners]] (1982), [[Fifth Avenue Coffee House]] (1996-2010)
*** 1909–1911: former location of residence (1891)
**** 1909½ : former location of [[Wilson Studio]] (1926), [[Lyle & Gaston]] photo finishers (1941), [[Birmingham Club of the Deaf]] (1959)
**** 1909: [[Subway Restaurant]] (2010-), former location of hat cleaners (1931), [[Radio Service Co.]] (1941), [[Dixie Bookkeeping]] (1959), [[E. L. Baldwin & Associates]] (1959-1970), [[Cliff's Cleaners]] (1982), [[Fifth Avenue Coffee House]] (1996–2010)
*** 1911: former location of [[Alabama Typewriter Co.]] (1926), [[New Hat Cleaning Co.]] (1941), [[Dixie Sporting Goods]] (1948), [[Rollo's Bar B-Q]] (1982)
***** 1909½: former location of [[Wilson Studio]] (1926), [[Lyle & Gaston]] photo finishers (1941), [[Birmingham Club of the Deaf]] (1959)
*** 1913: [[Chick Fil-A]], former location of [[Bell Radio Corp.]] (1926), building equipment company (1931), [[Star Barbecue]] restaurant (1940-1943), [[Audio Hi Fidelity Co.]] (1959)
**** 1911: former location of [[Alabama Typewriter Co.]] (1926), [[New Hat Cleaning Co.]] (1941), [[Dixie Sporting Goods]] (1948), [[Rollo's Bar B-Q]] (1982)
*** 1913–1915: former location of residence (1891)
**** 1913: [[Chick Fil-A]], former location of [[Bell Radio Corp.]] (1926), building equipment company (1931), [[Star Barbecue]] restaurant (1940-1943), [[Audio Hi Fidelity Co.]] (1959)
*** 1915-1917: [[Wells Fargo Tower]] parking deck (1986-)
*** 1915-1917: [[Wells Fargo Tower]] parking deck (1986-)
**** 1915: former location of parking lot (1931), [[Oscar Downs]] restaurant (1941), [[DeMoes' Lunch Counter]], the [[Alhambra Restaurant]], [[The Pit]] restaurant (1959), [[The Fire Pit]] (1963-) and the [[Gold Torch]] restaurant and lounge (1972-1973), law office storage (1982)
**** 1915: former location of parking lot (1931), [[Oscar Downs]] restaurant (1941), [[DeMoes' Lunch Counter]], the [[Alhambra Restaurant]], [[The Pit]] restaurant (1959), [[The Fire Pit]] (1963-) and the [[Gold Torch]] restaurant and lounge (1972–1973), law office storage (1982)
**** 1917: former location of [[Saunders System Birmingham]] (1926), [[Dixie Drive-It-Yourself System]] (1934-1939), [[J. Howard Burke]] auto parking (1941), [[Feeny Jewelry Sales]] (1970), [[Bar B-Q King]] (1982)
**** 1917–1919: former location of residence (1891)
***** 1917: former location of [[Saunders System Birmingham]] (1926), [[Dixie Drive-It-Yourself System]] (1934-1939), [[J. Howard Burke]] auto parking (1941), [[Feeny Jewelry Sales]] (1970), [[Bar B-Q King]] (1982)
*** 1919-1931: [[Wells Fargo Tower]] (built 1986 as [[Wells Fargo Tower|SouthTrust Tower]]), former location of [[Williams-Henley building]]
*** 1919-1931: [[Wells Fargo Tower]] (built 1986 as [[Wells Fargo Tower|SouthTrust Tower]]), former location of [[Williams-Henley building]]
**** 1919: former location of [[L. M. Smith & Corona Typewriters]] (1931), [[Alabama Terminix Co.]] (1941), [[Ben Chapman's Bowling Lanes]] and [[Lo-Mac Bowl]] (1950-1959)
**** 1919: former location of [[L. M. Smith & Corona Typewriters]] (1931), [[Alabama Terminix Co.]] (1941), [[Ben Chapman's Bowling Lanes]] and [[Lo-Mac Bowl]] (1950-1959)
**** 1921: former location of [[Southern Club]] (1904), [[Southern Bell]] (1926), [[Alabama Typewriter Co.]] (1931), [[L. C. Smith & Corona Typewriters Inc.]] (1941), [[Nuncie's Music]] (1945- 1983)
**** 1921: former location of [[Southern Club]] (1904), [[Southern Bell]] (1926), [[Alabama Typewriter Co.]] (1931), [[L. C. Smith & Corona Typewriters Inc.]] (1941), [[Nuncie's Music]] (1945- 1983)
**** 1923: former location of [[Alabama Typewriter Co.]] (1941), [[Russell Photo Supply Co.]] (1959)
**** 1923–1931: former location of [[Jacob Fies residence]] (1884–1891)
**** 1925: former location of [[National Distributors Co.]] / [[American Flag & Decorating Co.]] (1941), [[Blankinship-Porter Co.]] (1959)
***** 1923: former location of [[Alabama Typewriter Co.]] (1941), [[Russell Photo Supply Co.]] (1959)
**** 1927: former location of [[A. L. Hochstadter residence]] (1884), [[People's Finance & Thrift Co.]] (1926) [[Faulkner Novelty Co.]] (1931-1941), [[Carr's School of Floral Designing]] (1959), [[Carr Floral Co.]] (1970)
***** 1925: former location of [[National Distributors Co.]] / [[American Flag & Decorating Co.]] (1941), [[Blankinship-Porter Co.]] (1959)
***** 1927½ : former location of [[Pruit's Shooting Gallery]] side (1941)
***** 1927: former location of [[A. L. Hochstadter residence]] (1884), [[People's Finance & Thrift Co.]] (1926) [[Faulkner Novelty Co.]] (1931-1941), [[Carr's School of Floral Designing]] (1959), [[Carr Floral Co.]] (1970)
**** 1931: former location of [[Jacob Fies residence]] (1884), [[Krystal]] hamburgers (1970-1974), [[Jefferson Federal Savings & Loan]] branch (1974-1982)
****** 1927½ : former location of [[Pruit's Shooting Gallery]] side (1941)
***** 1931: [[Krystal]] hamburgers (1970-1974), [[Jefferson Federal Savings & Loan]] branch (1974-1982)


* [[20th Street North]] intersection
* [[20th Street North]] intersection

Revision as of 17:05, 17 March 2020

5th Avenue North is an east-west downtown street in Birmingham's northside. It ends at a drainage headwall for Valley Creek at 7th Street North to the west and becomes Messer Airport Highway to the east as it crosses below the Elton B. Stephens Expressway and the Norfolk Southern Railroad.

The eastern end of 5th Avenue North downtown was once the principal entranceway into Birmingham by rail, as it was the site of the Birmingham Terminal Station. Many of Birmingham's early hotels were constructed along 5th Avenue heading west toward 20th street from the station.

The intersection of 5th Avenue North with 24th Street North is close to the geographical center of Birmingham. A large storm culvert extends from downtown to I-65 below 5th Avenue North.

There is a short, block-long strip of 5th Avenue North adjacent to Forest Hill Cemetery in Woodlawn and another dead-end section between Trotwood Park and I-59. A longer section of 5th Avenue North is located in East Lake between 73rd and 90th Streets. An unconnected short dead-end section can also be accessed by 91st Street North near Zion Memorial Gardens.

History

In 1945 electric lighting was installed on 5th Avenue North between Center Street and 19th street under the city's contract with the Birmingham Electric Company.

In October 1958 5th Avenue North was converted into a four-lane thoroughfare by eliminating on-street parking from Bush Boulevard in the west to 41st Street in Avondale. The move was expected to increase the street's traffic-carrying capacity by 30 percent and was part of a traffic plan by which 1st and 5th Avenues would serve as cross-town thoroughfares while 2nd, 3rd and 4th would serve for bus traffic and as connectors to the downtown business district. The installation of new coordinated traffic signals and the removal of obsolete streetcar wires was part of the conversion.

5th Avenue North was converted from two-way to one-way (eastbound) traffic was from 9th Street North to Red Mountain Expressway in 1973 by the Alabama Department of Transportation's TOPICS (Traffic Operations Program to Increase Capacity and Safety) program.

Notable locations

Fountain Heights neighborhood

Central City neighborhood

Jane Speed's Book Store at 1907 5th Avenue North, 1937-1940
Krystal hamburger stand at 5th and 20th

Woodlawn neighborhood

North East Lake neighborhood

References

  • "Fun facts, historical tidbits and tips to find your way around Birmingham from traffic engineer John Garrett." (January 2, 2007) Birmingham News
  • "Fifth Avenue Becomes Through-Street" (October __, 1958) Birmingham News