The Life of Riley’s

Driving up to Riley’s Tavern is like hanging a left into history. The neighborhood bar in Hunter will celebrate its 90th anniversary on Sept. 30, and pulling into the shade-dappled parking lot, it’s easy to imagine what life might have been like nearly a century ago.

A thin layer of dust coats the tavern’s external walls, kicked into the air by a loud and growly stream of 18-wheelers hauling gravel from nearby concrete plants. The faded green paint calls to mind old diners and dance halls, the kinds of places where our grandparents would go on dates.

Crunching across the driveway, visitors first encounter the historical marker proclaiming Riley’s as the oldest business in Hunter.