5th Avenue North: Difference between revisions

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* [[24th Street North]] intersection
* [[24th Street North]] intersection
** north side:
** north side ([[Block 52]]):
*** 2400-2430: [[Park Place Apartments]] (built 2004), former location of [[Central City Housing Project]] / [[Metropolitan Gardens]] (built 1940, demolished 2002)
*** 2400-2430: [[Park Place Apartments]] (built 2004), former location of [[Central City Housing Project]] / [[Metropolitan Gardens]] (built 1940, demolished 2002)
*** 2400: former location of [[Birmingham General Hospital]] (1926)
**** 2400–2404: former location of [[Birmingham General Hospital]] (1926)
*** 2412: former location of [[Birmingham General Hospital]] nurses' home (1926)
***** 2400: former location of dwelling (1911)
** south side:
***** 2402: former location of dwelling (1911)
*** 2401: former location of [[Twenty-Fourth Street Garage]] (1941)
***** 2404: former location of dwelling (1911)
*** 2431-2433: former location of [[Subway Lunch Room]] (1926), [[New Subway Cafe]] (1937-1940), [[Liberty Cafe]] (1941)
*** 2406–2416: former location of dwelling (1911), [[Birmingham General Hospital]] nurses' home (1926)
*** 2418: former location of dwelling (1911)
*** 2420: former location of dwelling (1911)
*** 2426–2428: former location of dwelling (1911)
*** 2430: former location of dwelling (1911)
** south side ([[Block 55]]):
*** 2401–2407: former location of dwelling (1911), [[Twenty-Fourth Street Garage]] (1941)
*** 2409–2411: former location of dwelling (1911)
*** 2413–2415: former location of dwelling (1911)
*** 2417–2419: former location of dwelling (1911)
*** 2421–2425: former location of dwelling (1911)
*** 2427–2429: former location of dwelling (1911)
*** 2431-2433: former location of dwelling (1911), [[Subway Lunch Room]] (1926), [[New Subway Cafe]] (1937-1940), [[Liberty Cafe]] (1941)


* [[25th Street North]] intersection
* [[25th Street North]] intersects
** former location of [[Magic City sign]] above [[5th Avenue North underpass]] (1926–1952)
** former location of [[Magic City sign]] above [[5th Avenue North underpass]] (1926–1952)
** north side:
** north side ([[Block 53]]):
*** 2500–2530: [[Park Place Apartments]] (built 2004), former location of [[Central City Housing Project]] / [[Metropolitan Gardens]] (built 1940, demolished 2002)
*** 2500–2530: [[Park Place Apartments]] (built 2004), former location of [[Central City Housing Project]] / [[Metropolitan Gardens]] (built 1940, demolished 2002)
*** 2500: former location of [[Cash Register Exchange]] (1926)
**** 2500–2506: former location of [[St Clair Hotel]] (1911–1926)
*** 2502: former location of [[St Clair Hotel]] (1920–1926)
***** 2500: former location of [[Cash Register Exchange]] (1926)
*** 2526: former location of [[Yellow Cab Co.]] (1926)
***** 2502: former location of hotel entrance (1911–1926)
*** 2528: former location of [[Terminal Hotel]] (1909–1926)
***** 2504: former location of store (1911)
** south side:
***** 2506: former location of store (1911)
*** 2501: former location of [[Arlington Hotel]] (1926)
*** 2508–2512: former location of dwelling (1911)
*** 2514–2516: former location of dwelling (1911)
*** 2518–2522: former location of dwelling (1911)
*** 2524–2530: former location of [[Terminal Hotel]] (1909–1926)
**** 2524: former location of store (1911)
**** 2526: former location of hotel office (1909–1911), [[Yellow Cab Co.]] (1926)
**** 2528–2530: former location of store (1911), hotel entrance (1926)
** south side ([[Block 54]]):
*** 2501–2507: former location of dwelling (1911), [[Arlington Hotel]] (1926)
*** 2509–2513: former location of dwelling (1911)
*** 2515–2517: former location of dwelling (1911)
*** 2519: former location of dwelling (1911)
*** 2521: former location of dwelling (1911)
*** 2523: former location of [[Tremont Barber Shop]] (1941)
*** 2523: former location of [[Tremont Barber Shop]] (1941)
**** 2523½: former location of [[Tremont Hotel]] (1926), [[Alamo Hotel]] (1941)
**** 2523½: former location of [[Tremont Hotel]] (1926), [[Alamo Hotel]] (1941)
*** 2525: former location of [[Cosmas Bros.]] restaurant (1926–1941)
*** 2525: former location of [[Cosmas Bros.]] restaurant (1926–1941)
*** 2531: former location of [[Reliance Hotel]] (1907–1910)
*** 2527–2531: former location of [[Reliance Hotel]] (1907–1911), drug store (1911)


** street continues through [[5th Avenue North underpass]] and becomes [[Messer Airport Highway]]
** street continues through [[5th Avenue North underpass]] and becomes [[Messer Airport Highway]]

Revision as of 21:25, 11 May 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
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