Just remember, you asked for it.

What? Why photos of my lunchtime wanderings! I figured since I had a post this morning about old buildings and such, I would steal the camera for a while and take some shots. Excuse the quality--I was just taking pictures and not trying for anything artsy.

So then--come along and let's see what we have. First up, this is 20th Street North (Birmingham Green), looking toward the south. The building to the left is Cathedral Church of the Advent. Yes, of course they have a website. Beautiful building, although the masonry has seen better days. They just got finished with a year-long project of repointing all the mortar joints and fixing broken stone, but the way the stone was cut has made the front faces spall off. It might stand only for another 2 or 300 hundred years.

Walking on south a bit, we get to the former McDonald's location I mentioned this morning. As you can see, it doesn't quite look like a McDonald's--all that writing and stuff was initially covered over in the '60s or early '70s with metal panels. They looked "modern." Not that such a thing was necessarily all bad. The painted facade treatment when it was Buschs Discount Jewelry (We Take out the Apostrophe, and Pass the Savings on to YOU!) was not particularly sensitive--proving, if nothing else, that the folks in the '70s weren't the only ones able to screw up nice old buildings.

On down a piece and you come across the CVS drugstore that's closing. As I said, a nice old building that deserves some attention.

No trip down 20th is complete without a sidetrip to Pete's Famous Hot Dogs. That 6 foot wide sliver of building sure has a lot of history in it.

Before we turn around and head back north, a view of The Heaviest Corner on Earth. Just a bit of early 20th Century civic boosterism, but still important to Birmingham, even if there are a couple of other places that might outweigh it. The tall white building to the left is the John Hand Building, recently the beneficiary of a $20 million renovation. It houses a bank on the lower floors (you oughta see the vaults), then high-priced condos above. There is no truth to the rumor that just because Charles Barkley has one of the condo units that when he is home, the corner once again becomes the heaviest on Earth.

Going back down, a shot of the famous bicycle belonging to Bicycle Guy. He wasn't around, but I don't know if he would have appreciated my taking his picture even if he was nearby.

All the way back down at Park Place is Linn Park--here's a shot looking toward the north.

Ever wonder what happened to Shirley Eaton? You know, the girl who got gold-dipped in Goldfinger? Well, she found a nice job here in town demonstrating electricity. Not really. That's the statue of the Goddess of Power and Light (commonly called Electra) on the Alabama Power building, which isn't on Birmingham Green at all, but it gives me an excuse for showing a big gold nekkid girl. Art, you know. (By the way, here's the Snopes rundown on Miss Eaton.)

And, to end it all up--the Trust Jesus Sign guy. (The sign in question being pointed away from you.)

SO there you go.
posted by Terry at 1:18:00 PM