225BatonRouge.com

All they need now is a grocery store.

Sherry and Rick Browns were first to rent one of eight lofts from owner Danny McGlynn. Rick is a partner in Brown + Carruth Studios, the architecture firm McGlynn tapped to renovate the entire building.

The first floor of their modern loft above Rasputin is a blue-period stainless steel cocoon. Sliding beveled glass doors section off a portion of the kitchen for Sherry’s workspace. She produces her Urban Kitty handbags from home (www.urban-kitty.com). A steal staircase leads to an airy living room and a large wood deck overlooking downtown where they entertain guests.

“It’s like a real neighborhood down here,” Rick says. Sherry gives a telling laugh and adds, “Yeah, I can’t walk outside in my slippers because I’ll see someone I know.”