What’s on 2nd, the popular eclectic shop in downtown Birmingham is moving to Five Points South in January.

Established in 2007 on 2nd Avenue North, five years ago the store moved to its current location on 2323 1st Avenue North.

The new space is going to be in the Spanish Stores building (1101 20th Street South), one of Birmingham’s oldest and most recognizable commercial spaces, across from the “Storyteller Fountain.” What’s on 2nd’s new neighbors will include Highlands Bar and Grill and Chez Fonfon. Iron City Pizza plans to occupy the adjacent restaurant space (formerly The Preservery) this spring.

“If I knew I was going to move this many times I probably would have named it something else,” joked Steve Gilmore, the owner of What’s On 2nd.
“Fortunately, people know to look for the shop by this name. I have a lot of out of town customers, including customers from around the country and internationally. They can find us somehow.”

A Favorite

The addition of What’s On 2nd is a welcome retail addition to a neighborhood. Last year, the community lost Charlemagne Record Exchange, after 42 years.

“People love going to Five Points South. They love the restaurants, the bars, the nightlife. Now we are going to hopefully contribute to that,” stated Gilmore, who is a resident of Five Points. “We have this commanding view of all of 5 Points South from our windows. It is a beautiful location inside and out.”

Hours

Surrounded by hotels and new condos (Cortland Vesta), What’s On 2nd is looking at opening “after hours” on Friday and Saturday nights, especially when the weather gets warm.

They will officially leave their 1st Avenue North location on December 30th. They intend to reopen in the new location in early January.

“The owners of the building welcomed us with open arms, They understand you can’t have just bars and restaurants in the city, you’ve got to have something for people to do. They graciously invited me to set up shop in 5 Points South. It’s a good fit. I’m giddy about the move. It is one of Birmingham’s great historic neighborhoods,” concluded Gilmore.