The Crestwood South neighborhood sprung out of the post-World War Two building spree. Veterans returning home from the war received unprecedented benefits in the GI Bill of 1944, but there were few houses for them to buy. In response to housing shortages, Jackson Securities and Investment Company bought sixty acres in the eastern section of Birmingham adjoining Woodlawn Highlands. These undeveloped acres were subdivided and Crestwood South was born.

A unique and modern style defined this new area. Many Crestwood South homes showcase a variety of architectural characteristics made popular in the 1950s and 60s. Some of these homes came from or were inspired by noted Birmingham architect, John Fuller. What designers now call “mid-century modern,” these houses boasted contemporary amenities like built-in dishwashers and multiple bathrooms.

Over the years, our neighborhood has been the home to a variety of notable businesses and entities - Comer Elementary, Trinity Medical Center just to name a few. The neighborhood is also adjacent to the former Eastwood Mall, the South's first indoor shopping mall. Arguably our most well-known, and initially controversial, is the The Shoppes of Crestwood. Our now beloved shopping center had a tumultuous start with many residents protesting its first proposed resident - a Shell Oil filling station (now home to The Filling Station Pizza Cafe and Bar). After an unsuccessful case that went all the way to the United States Supreme Court, Crestwood residents seemed to embrace the shopping center as it has been a staple of the neighborhood ever since.

The Crestwood South neighborhood continued to thrive throughout the 1960s, but did so against the backdrop of one of the most important movements the world had ever known. The turmoil of the Civil Rights movement did not leave Crestwood South unscathed. Fear of integration drove some to leave their beloved neighborhood for ‘greener pastures’ in the suburbs, leading to some decline through the 1970s and 1980s. But while Crestwood South was bruised, it was not destroyed. The mid-1990s brought an urban-professional renaissance that transformed the community, resulting in increased property values, interest in civic affairs and a community that welcomed the new faces of Crestwood. Today it remains a thriving and growing urban community. Of course, a big difference between the Crestwood South of sixty years ago and the Crestwood South of today is that people of diverse backgrounds have access to it. Ours is a neighborhood proudly and richly diverse, and people who live here know that this is one of its greatest strengths. There is a place for everyone who wants to call Crestwood home.