A love letter to Lou’s old buildings

Exploring the history of Louisville’s Old Spaghetti Factory building

The Levy Brothers Building is a five-story, red, Richardsonian Romanesque building in downtown Louisville. Its first-floor is home to the Old Spaghetti Factory and there's a street-level awning with the restaurant's name on it.

The Levy Brothers Building is currently home to the Old Spaghetti Factory. | Photo by LOUtoday

As a city with 244 years of history, we’ve got some pretty cool buildings scattered throughout the 502 — which is why we’re starting a new series to explore these architectural remnants of the past one building at a time.

Because let’s facade it, though we drive past some of these buildings each day, we don’t always remember their origins. And the first one that’s caught our eye is the Levy Brothers Building at 235 W. Market St — better known today as the Old Spaghetti Factory.

This Richardsonian Romanesque five-story feat — designed by Clarke & Loomis — first opened in 1893 as the Levy Brothers Clothing Store. The red, smooth-faced sandstone building used to be lined with bright lights to attract customers, popularizing the now archaic phrase “lit up like Levy’s.” It was also one of the first buildings in the city to be outfitted with electricity.

While it’s had the addition of an annex + some first-floor modifications, the building’s exterior remains largely unchanged from its original design. In 1978, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places — and Levy’s ceased retail operations in 1987.

During its 90-year tenure as a department store, Levy’s had a custom of sending a pair of tiny pants to newborn babies throughout the city with a card that read, “When he shall have outgrown these we shall be glad to have him call on us for another pair.”

Now, the Levy Building is home to the Old Spaghetti Factory and apartment units. We love the look of this giant, half-circle window of an apartment overlooking 3rd + West Market streets.

Have a cool building you’re curious about? Tell us all about it and we might cover it in our next installment of Behind this Cool Building.

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Today

WFPK Waterfront Wednesday | Wed., Sept. 28 | 6 p.m. | Big Four Lawn at Waterfront Park | Free to attend | Catch the final concert in this free summer series with performances by Yonder Mountain String Band, Hotbrown Smackdown + Houseplant.

Thursday

Nerd Nite Louisville | Thurs., Sept. 29 | 7-9 p.m. | Gravely Brewing Co., 514 Baxter Ave. | Free to attend | Hear locals present on topics of interest including tourism, alternative energy sources + Louisville Beer Week. 🧠

Friday

Burger Night | Fri., Sept. 30 | 5-9 p.m. | Full Stop Station, 1132 E. Saint Catherine St. | Free to attend | Eat burgers, sip on beer from Apocalypse Brew Works + shop local vendors. 🍔
St. James Court Art Show 2022 | Fri., Sept. 30-Sun., Oct. 2 | 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | St. James Court, 1387 S. 4th St. | Free | Peruse artwork from around the country at this 66th annual art show in historic Old Louisville.

Saturday

Masquerade Burlesque | Sat., Oct. 1 | 8-10 p.m. | Logan Street Market | Free | Kick off spooky season with burlesque performances + make your own masquerade mask at the craft station and dress up to compete in the costume contest. 🎭
PicklePalooza | Sat., Oct. 1 | 12-11:45 p.m. | Hi-Wire Brewing, 642 Baxter Ave. | Free | Celebrate Wickles Pickles beer release with a pickle eating contest, pickle-themed beer flights, pickleball + pickle costumes are encouraged.
Yakitori Night at The Merryweather | Sat., Oct. 1 | 5-9 p.m. | The Merryweather, 1101 Lydia St. | Free to attend | Try delectable grilled chicken and veggie skewers from Renshoku Ramen. 🍜

Sunday

First Sunday Fun Day | Sun., Oct. 2 | 12-2 p.m. | Waterfront Botanical Gardens| Free | Enjoy nature-based crafts and learning with your kiddo ages 5-12.

We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

For tickets to local and regional events, check out our 6AM Tickets resale marketplace.*

100+ MORE EVENTS

Weather

66º | Mostly sunny | 10% chance of rain

Coming Soon

A new dance club is planned for the lot between Nowhere Bar and Akiko’s at 1125 Bardstown Rd. Led by local developer Utopia Ventures, the 4,500-sqft club would include a bar, lounge area + an enclosed patio and garage door. Construction could begin by the end of the year or in early 2023. 🕺 (WDRB)
Down One Bourbon Bar at 321 W. Main St. is reopening on Tues., Oct. 4 after being closed for what seems like forever. As part of its return, the downtown-based bourbon bar will feature live music every Friday night from Oct. 7-Nov. 18. 🥃

Announced

Louisville Beer Week returns next month with the inaugural Louisville Beer Festival at German American Club at 1840 Lincoln Ave. on Fri., Oct. 21. Tickets are $10 and include a commemorative tasting glass for beer samples. There will also be food + live music by The Lost Pockets. Beer Week will continue through Sun., Oct. 30. 🍻

Biz

Ford unveiled its new 2023 Ford F-Series Super Duty truck at Churchill Downs last night in a celebration where Gov. Andy Beshear declared it, “KenTRUCKy Day.” It’s part of a $700 million investment by the automaker that will create 500 full-time jobs in the 502. KFC released special “KenTRUCKy” buckets of chicken as part of the celebration. 🛻 (WLKY, Louisville Business First)

Seasonal

Kentucky Kingdom is spooking up its park for Halloween with a new event called Pumpkins at Kentucky Kingdom — which will feature 1,000 glowing pumpkins, 50 rides, themed displays + more. Tickets start at $29.99. 🎃 (WLKY)
Hermitage Farm will host its Meet Your Maker Halloween Market on Sun., Oct. 30 from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. The event features live music, food + cocktails from Barn8, hayrides, and trick or treating. You can also sign-up to be one of the local arts and crafts vendors.

Award

The ninth-annual Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Awards return on Sat., Nov. 5 — and one of this year’s awardees is Louisvillian Alice Houston. The fundraising gala began as a way to honor great leaders from around the world. While this year’s event is sold out, you can still support the Ali Center. 🏆

Asked

Back when we first began sending you newsletters, we helped a reader track down the best Italian sub in the city — Reader Julia B. told us it’s found at Garden Gate Fruit Market. Now, we want to know where your favorite sammie in the city comes from for some upcoming content. Tell us. 🥪

Eat

Gravely Brewing Co.’s Oktoberfest bratwurst special is now available ahead of its German celebration on Sat., Oct. 1. Crafted by Mayan Street Food, the brat is loaded with cabbage slaw, pickled jalapenos, and dijon aioli. It pairs well with Oktoberfest activities like the stein hoisting contest, glassware giveaways, and live music.

Number

26,056. That’s how many newsletter subscribers (like you) we reach every day through LOUtoday. Have a local, regional, or national business and want to expand your audience? Learn how to advertise with us.

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The ulti-mutt pet shopping list 🛍️

A “Meowbucks” apron pet Halloween costume for coffee-loving kitties* | $12.32+
Chef’s whites to whip up the perfect pet Halloween look* | $16.90+
Nourishing bone broth treats from The Honest Kitchen* | $9.99
A dog sling carrier for toting your pup around* | $21.99+
An interactive treats toy to challenge your dog’s mind* | $19.99+
An ultra-quiet cat water fountain with filters* | $34.39+
A cozy crate cover made from tweed + cotton* | $195.18+
Hogwarts-themed toys from BarkBox’s monthly toys + treat box* | $23+

Louisville’s fall accolades

An aerial view of St. James Court shows the lush trees beginning to turn orange and red. Several buildings are illuminated by street lights. In the distance, the Louisville skyline glows softly.

Louisville appeared on at least 16 fall attractions lists. | Photo by Louisville Tourism

We’re not the only ones who know Derby City can’t be beaten when it comes to autumnal activities — it’s been recognized as a fall destination by at least 16 national publications this year alone.

Since we’re list lovers, here are three featured attractions to add to your fall bucket list.

🍂 Visit Waverly Hills Sanatorium, 11 Epic Southern Ghost Tours

The reputation of this former tuberculosis hospital precedes it, as it’s one of the most-visited haunted attractions in the city. Book a haunted house tour or a six-hour investigation of the property.

🍂 Stay at the Seelbach Hilton, The 27 Most Haunted Hotels in America

Known for the Lady in Blue ghost, this opulent hotel was also a favorite haunt of 1920s gangsters like Al Capone. Book a stay + check out the otherworldly Rathskeller Room.

🍂 Attend the Jack O’ Lantern Spectacular, 30 Best Halloween Events Near You

Opening on Tues., Oct. 4, this annual display of 5,000 expertly carved pumpkins at Iroquois Park is family-friendly, running all month + is a must-see. See our 10 favorite pumpkins from last year.

THE WRAP

	Today’s issue was written by City Editor Sarah. Editor’s pick: I think I’ve already outed myself here as a pumpkin spice devotee, but I have a new pumpkin beverage to add to my mental scrapbook — the pumpkin cream cold brew from Everyday Kitchen Cafe. It’s a cold brew topped with pumpkin white chocolate sweet cream + spices. And it rocked. Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Prepare for takeoff at BowmanFest 2022, here.
Read More

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Editorial: Sarah Shadburne, Katie Molck, Jessalin Heins-Nagamoto, Kaylee Holland, Ashlea Hearn, Emily Shea | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

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