Not only is the "Heart of Old Town" vacation rental located right in the center of Old Town Bay St. Louis, but it is owned and operated by two of the true heartbeats of the Bay, Sylvia and Ed Young.
Originally from New Orleans, Ed began learning the antique business from his father, who opened his first shop in 1932. Over 45 years later, Ed and Sylvia are keeping the tradition alive with two antique businesses in Old Town Bay St. Louis — Antique Maison and the Antique Maison's Ulman Mall & Tea Room.
Many people know Mrs. Sylvia for her tuxedo, bridal and costume shop, Bon Temps Roule, which she opened as soon as she moved to Bay St. Louis in 1991.
Post-Katrina, Ed and Sylvia opened Antique Maison to help the people of the Gulf Coast replace precious heirlooms lost in the storm and they opened a vacation rental cottage next to their antique store to help welcome visitors back to the Bay.
There are also lots of reasons these days to visit Bay St. Louis.
"I tell out-of-towners, ‘Come, and we'll throw a party for you,’" she smiled. "We have so many events between each month's Second Saturday celebrations and all the festivals in between."
Sylvia has made sure that guests will enjoy all the comforts of their own home in her two-bedroom, two-bath vacation rental. Guests will find a full washer and dryer, full kitchen set up and a fully furnished cottage with a nautical seaside feel.
Guests will enjoy the spacious 1300 square foot cottage, sleeping on the antique iron beds and relaxing on the wicker furniture. There's also lots room for private parking — perfect for show cars, trailers and campers that visitors bring for Cruising on the Coast and beyond.
"People that say with us love that we are in the heart of Old Town where they can walk to everything: the harbor, shops, the coffee shops, the bakery," and, of course, Mrs. Sylvia's Tea Room.
On Tuesday through Saturday, the Ulman Mall & Tea Room serves high tea from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. featuring about a dozen teas to choose from as well as handmade sandwiches, quiches, casseroles, salads, sweet treats and more. Guest love gathering around the tower of beautifully displayed finger foods, sipping tea and catching up. Sylvia also has a selection of hats for ladies to wear if they'd like.
If you're lucky, you can catch Mrs. Sylvia at tea and she can catch you up on everything there is to know about Bay St. Louis. Her chef Missy says, "If you want to know anything happening in the Bay, Mrs. Sylvia knows everything that goes on around here."
