SLO TOWN
Ah Louis Store - Palm Street
San Luis Obispo - Then
In the early 1900’s, Palm Street was San Luis Obispo’s Chinatown. Still standing is Ah Louis Store. Ah Louis was not a trained herbalist, but he was known to carry the best quality “medications, vitamins and tonics”. I remember visiting his store as a child in the early 1960’s and being in awe of the hundreds of “my-size” wooden drawers that seemed to be everywhere I looked. I don’t recall how my family happened to be in the store. He was known for his herbs that were cut on-site - much like we strive to do locally today.
Ah Louis served as merchant, labor contractor, banker, physician and pharmacist and bar tender to the Chinese community.
Most of the laborers who worked on laying the track extension between Avila and San Luis Obispo were Chinese immigrants recruited by Ah Louis, an early entrepreneur, leader in the Chinese community, and founder of a family and that is now a member of the establishment in San Luis Obispo (Nicholson, 1980). Ah Louis also ran a merchandise store at the corner of Chorro Street and Palm Street that catered to the local Chinese population. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places. It is also one of the few remaining historic structures leftover from Chinatown, roughly considered the area between Chorro, Mill, Morro, and Monterey streets.
The majority of Chinese laborers who worked on building the narrow-gauge track lived in historic Chinatown and were recruited at the Ah Louis store. This narrow gauge rail, however, was fated to become obsolete.
Marilyn Mooroe was one of the participants of the Cowparade - the whimsical art event that ran from September 2016 through May 2017 featuring life-sized cow-art throughout SLO.
San Luis Obispo - Now
San Luis Obispo has a very active downtown community. Summertime brings music to Mission Plaza on Friday evenings where folks come out to people-watch, tap toes and dance. Our Thursday night Farmers’ Market is renown as a five-block event that has the finest in fresh produce and flowers, Barbeque hot off the grill along with other incredible eats, and music playing on several street corners. Stay until the end, and if you’re lucky it will be on a Thursday when the cyclists close the event by riding from Santa Rosa down Higuera by what seems to be dozens and dozens of them!
There is almost always something organized for the various holidays, as is typical for most cities, but we tend to takes things a step farther to honor our local heritage and traditions. How about a CowParade!?!
CowParade SLO County showcased 101 (for Highway 101) of these life-size, 120-pound, fiberglass works of art. The CowParade started in 1999 and has been in 75 major cities throughout the world - including Paris, Hong Kong, Athens, Moscow, Milan, London, New York, Cannes, Rio, Rome and beyond. The event raises money for charities. Speaking on behalf of SLO, we are honored to be amongst such company!
Cal Poly Rodeo - Typically an April event hosted by the college of Agriculture, Food & Environmental Sciences and enjoyed by locals and visitors alike for over 80 years!
We’re not just wine in SLO County! Click here to visit my favorite resource for information on breweries in our County.
San Luis Obispo has recently changed their parking fees and they have new meters. here is a link to a pParking Guide page provided by the City:
https://www.slocity.org/visiting/transportation/parking-downtown
Featured Eatery
Novo Restaurant & Lounge
726 Higuera Street, San Luis Obispo - (805) 543-3986
Novo is located in what once was a legitimate cigar factory. Serving globally-inspired food with locally sourced produce in a setting that is truly breathtaking. Come for the food and the atmosphere and plan on spending an enjoyable, relaxing afternoon creekside.
The original Cigar Factory was founded by the Kluver family in 1879. The factory produced its own registered cigar band, the Pioneer Cigar, and employed 14 persons to make the hand-rolled cigars. During the 1920's, Kluver's Cigar Factory was converted to a tobacco store. It remained such a store until 1964 when Roy Klaucke and his son-in-law, Burt Fugate, purchased the property and building. At this time, John Sues made use of the building and converted it into a very elegant restaurant and bar. It was very appropriately called The Cigar Factory Restaurant. There were luncheons and dinners served upstairs and singers entertaining in the intimate bar below the street level. At this point in its history The Cigar Factory became an exciting cabaret. The restaurant was reminiscent of the early days with historical records and old photographs covering the walls of the richly decorated interior. Dinner menus were produced on old cigar boxes.
Streakers in 1974 ducking into the Cigar Factory to avoid getting caught!