Milestones Icon: Old Town Louisville

Home to a number of historical buildings and businesses, Louisville’s Old Town has always retained its charm and character.

The Huckleberry occupies what once were two buildings that date back to 1905. One building was a post office, and the other was a bank, said Sara Martinelli, who launched the restaurant with Lenny Martinelli in 2003. Their other Old Town restaurant, Zucca, is celebrating its first anniversary this year.

“We live here in Old Town Louisville,” Sara Martinelli said. “Our other restaurants are in Boulder, but when the opportunity arose to open something here in our hometown, we took it right away. We love being able to do business in a place where we have a chance to interact with our friends and neighbors. Louisville, especially this Old Town area, is a great community, and we are proud to be part of that.”

The Old Louisville Inn is in a building that dates back to 1906, said manager and majority owner Garrett McCarthy. “You get to know everybody, customers and other business owners,” he said. “I enjoy the people contact, the customer contact.”

Ville de Luxe – an eclectic store that has been open for three years and sells gifts, clothing, jewelry, accessories — is in a building that dates back to approximately 1908, said Kara Reese, who owns the store with her mother, Irene Oliver. “We have a cute little historic building,” she said.

The building was originally a medical office. Then it became a neighborhood grocery store, a candy store and small art gallery. It was even an acupuncture and herbal business right before she moved in, Reese said.

When Reese shops, she wants to find locally owned boutiques instead of going to the mall. And that is exactly what Old Town offers. “It’s the atmosphere I wanted to be in,” she said. “It’s all local shops. That’s what I was looking for. It’s a cute, quaint area. I like the historic aspect of it, too.”

Reese says she always wanted to be an entrepreneur and to own her own business in Old Town Louisville in particular. She was eating ice cream across the street from where Ville de Luxe is now, saw the space was available and decided to pursue and fulfill her dream. She runs the store, while her mom assists with bookkeeping and accounting.

Found Underground Consignments, which has been in business for five years, is in a 100-year-building, said owner Nancy Cooley. “The community is small and tight,” she said. “Everybody supports the businesses down here. We’re all about local.”

The Blue Parrot Italian restaurant, the oldest family-run and operated business in Louisville, has been in business and in the same building since 1919, said general manager Joni Riggins. “It’s just a nice place to be,” she said of Old Town. “It’s comfortable and friendly. I haven’t heard of too many people who don’t like to be downtown.”

Other businesses that are in historical buildings in Old Town include the Waterloo Icehouse, owned by Josh Karp, and The Empire Lounge, owned by Jim Cohen.

Some businesses in Old Town actually are in buildings that aren’t old. Old Friends, which has been in business since last June, is in an eight-year old building that blends in nicely with the rest of the other buildings, said owner Wendy Atkin.

“I love it here. I love Louisville itself. I love the charm, the smallness, the people,” Atkin said.

She added: “A lot of people are still looking for that Old Town USA feel. Louisville is one of the few (places that has it). I just hope that more small business comes in here.”

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