If you live in the Birmingham metro area, hopefully you’ve taken the time to watch this year’s Dean and Company Christmas spectacular. If you have not, here are two 9 minute clips from the show.
They have a new website redesign which is quite the carnival. Check out the videos where you can find the famous interview with Randy “The Mullet” Travis and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Calvin L. Gates, coal miner resident of Birmingham, AL. He likes to purchases houses. He eloquently tells the tale of looking at a house he might buy and finds a dead body in it. Lots of spitting included. Best part of the video comes at the end when he notes that Mayor Larry Langford will fix the problems.
Spotted in the West End community of Birmingham, AL. Very small wheels. I expected something larger. It looked like 4 spare tires.
These signs which appear to be homemade have popped up all over the West End / 5 Points West metro area. Some have the clown drawn, others are clown-free. The ones that are clown-free scream danger!
So is this a legit operation? Festville did the research for you…
- $115 per hour
- Dora the Explorer, Batman, Spiderman, Sponge Bob, and Clowns available
- “During our brithday parties, the birthday child is the star of the show and receives lots of attention.”
- “MUSIC, COMEDY, BALLOON ANIMALS, FACE PAINTING & STAMPING, GIFT CONTAINER W/ GOODIES, MAGIC TRICKS (CLOWN PARTIES)”
- Home base appears to be in Calera, AL
- Serves 75 mile radius of Birmingham metro
In August 2008, the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Banksy, an internationally famous graffiti and installation artist, executed several graffiti works in New Orleans. Shortly afterward, as Hurricane Gustav was approaching the region, a piece attributed to him appeared in Ensley (Birmingham, AL).
Photos via Dystopos
Soon afterwards, the graffiti was spray painted over and later removed all together.
Photo by ted_major
Since then, all the graffiti and spray paint has been removed and the Chevron station is back to its abandoned state.
I was checking out the homes for sale in the 5 Points West / West End area and notice two nice dwelling on Fulton Ave.
1500 FULTON AVE SW
This home built in 1920 sells for only $5,000. A 15 year mortgage with 20% down results in a $59/mo payment (40% of that is taxes & ins). The MLS remarks is what really made me laugh:
Vacant, show anytime. Doors are not secured, show at your own risk. Great Buy, Good investment property 2 bedrooms, sold as is
I love it - “doors not secure and show at your own risk”! What is secure about the house? The windows definitely aren’t. I see no windows. The porch isn’t. It is missing one column and the other is being held hostage by either kudzu or poison ivy. Maybe it’s just the photo, but the house appears to be leaning.
I’ll have to drive by the house and get a better photo than the one MLS provides.
1640 FULTON AVE SW
Just two blocks down from the previously mentioned home, you’ll find a home built in 1930. It is listed at $25,000.
Investors delight! Great “Fixer Upper” house has potential. Large rooms, fenced in backyard. Won’t last long. Seller will pay up $1000.00 in closing costs “Sold As Is”
Best line: “Won’t last long”. Yeah, that’s because Mayor Langford is bringing the wrecking ball and backhoe over to demolish the home.
Is that carpet or concrete flooring?
Apparently, the Arby’s in 5 Points West (Birmingham, AL) is in contention for the Birmingham Beautification Award for the month of August. They’ve gone away from the traditional landscaping materials and have used fake flowers instead. Unfortunately, it appears that they have not survived the drought.
Ever had the problem with neighbors or people from the neighborhood come over uninvited to swim? Here’s how one Five Points West Resident has attempted to solve the matter. The put up a fence and either painted the “No Swimming” in yellow or just pressure washed the words on the sign.
Click to enlarge
Here’s a aerial photo. I would suspect the kids from the apartment complex just head on over during the summer.
Taco Bell (5 Points West/Birmingham) has taken the initiative to rewrite their Private Parking sign. Rather than get a new sign, they just took a sharpie and rewrote it.
This is the same Taco Bell that has a “Champion” parking spot.
Quite an interesting take on architecture that I found in 5 Points West. No windows? No problem! Just paint some on the house and they will look real!
Update:
A Festville reader sent in a revised photo on how he would have painted the house. It is titled “it ain’t vacant, just look like it”
