Just a skip and hop away from the bustling activity of downtown Brownsville is a little cluster of businesses that take people back in time.

Back to a time when homes were filled with families of 15 children, horse drawn carriages were still used as the automobile was being phased in, and the concept of a fuel station was emerging.

"People tell me all the time that they can't believe they're in Brownsville . They're really proud of what we did and really proud that this is in Brownsville ,” said Terri Rendon, owner of The Carriage House Day Spa & Hair Design, 3319 E. Elizabeth St .

Today, the priority of many businesses, which instead of carving a niche or selecting a group of customers is about being in the midst of high-traffic counts. Commercial plazas anchor every major corner in the Rio Grande Valley and outlets offer back-to-back store with an abundance of parking spaces. But a new breed of businesses is gaining popularity with the advent of a do-it-yourself culture.

Stowed away just outside the bustling downtown district is a string of businesses that reflect this culture.

Instead of opting for the commercial success of North Brownsville , these businesses have moved into historic homes or commercial building, renovated them and reopened it's doors as a business.

The Carriage House has the most intriguing renovation story of all to tell.

"Everybody likes the (cubicles) because their small and cozy,” Rendon said about the individual rooms where her clients get facials, body wraps, massages, tanning or manicures.

About 100 years ago, these brick rooms were actually horse stables.

"We didn't re-plaster anything. The bricks used to be painted, and we scraped off the paint to bring out the original brick,” Rendon said.

"This is a place where men don't feel intimidated. It's rustic but yet, elegant,” she said. "This is a place that took a lot of vision at first.”

The stables were used during the late 1800s when downtown Brownsville 's main transportation was by horse. The Carriage House is adjacent to a two-story historic home, has been totally renovated and converted into the Rodriguez & Nicolas law firm.

"This is one of Brownsville 's finest houses,” Rendon said.

Between the law firm and the stable is a brick courtyard with a fountain. Although the fountain was recently added, the brick was removed from the stable and individually placed as pavers to form the courtyard.

Some of the marble flooring from the original home have been reused to form the salon's bathroom floor, Rendon said.

"A lot of work has gone into restoring the history,” she said.