The historic Five Points South area of Birmingham's Southside has been in the news over the last year or so and not in positive ways, unfortunately. In September 2024 four people were killed and 17 injured in a shooting outside the Hush Lounge. This past Halloween a fire did extensive damage to the Cobb Lane block of structures including an historic home and buildings housing many cultural and eating establishments over the years. This fire echoed the 1986 blaze that heavily damaged the iconic Studio Arts building in 1986. A new reproduction of that structure opened in 1994.
Five Points South has seen waves of positive development and decline over the decades. This pamphlet reflects one of the former efforts. Fifty churches, businesses and historic houses are highlighted in this "Walking Tour". A history of the area and a map are included and then descriptions of the various locations. Thus we also have a snapshot of Five Points South in 1987, when the publication was apparently issued. I base that conclusion on the "SM 2-87" code on the last page.
Although I began working at UAB in 1983, in a building just down the hill, I didn't visit Five Points South much in those days. I do remember making the hike one lunch hour to visit a book store, sometime in the mid-eighties, but I forget the name. I do remember when Pickwick Plaza with its retail shops and hotel opened in 1987, and the 1992 controversy about the installation of Frank Fleming's sculptures at the Storyteller fountain, which happened after this pamphlet's publication. I did visit Charlemagne Records a couple of times and once ate at Highlands Bar and Grille.
Visiting Charlemagne was a deja vu experience. During my decade in Auburn I visited Aboveground Records many, many times, a store up a steep flight of stairs in an old building just like Charlemagne. AR is one of many gone but not forgotten Alabama record stores included in the long list at the bottom of this article from 2018 by Matt Wake. In the October 13, 2011 issue of the Black & White ["Birmingham's City Paper"], Ed Reynolds published an article about Jimmy Griffin who worked at Charlemagne for many years.
I wonder how many businesses have come and gone since 1987. Five Points South has a long positive retail and cultural history, such as Gene Crutcher's bookstore that operated from 1962 until 1974. I hope that continues.
Of course, many places on this list still exist, such as Highlands United Methodist Church and Highlands Bar and Grille. In more recent years Dianne and I were regular patrons of such eateries as the Original Pancake House and Makarios.
