Five Questions with Lucy Moran
Lucy Moran is the owner of Lucia Boutique and Lex & Cleo, both located within the newly renovated Saratoga Marketplace at 454 Broadway in downtown Saratoga Springs.
1
What were the improvements made at the Saratoga Marketplace over the past few months?
During the economic shutdown, the property took the time to update the interiors and exteriors of stores, making the building look more inviting and bright. The Marketplace renovated the beautiful tin ceiling, added new lighting throughout, and freshly painted the entire place – it looks incredible. We’ve also had a few new stores open in the Marketplace, which we’re very excited about!
2
What makes the businesses within Saratoga
Marketplace unique?
Many of the business owners within the Marketplace are young, local entrepreneurs. It’s special to have more than 14 retail, lifestyle, and restaurant properties who offer something different to visitors, all in one place. It’s inspiring to see so many young people in business looking to add to Saratoga’s economy and bring new ideas to shoppers in the city. A major plus is all the women-owned businesses we have under one roof too!
3
What makes the marketplace a destination in Saratoga?
There is just so much you can do within our one location. You can spend the morning browsing through the clothing and décor boutiques like Lucia Boutique, Lex & Cleo, or the newly-opened Betsy Olmstead Designs or Into Mischief and then head to lunch at Comfort Kitchen. The property is also home to an impressive collection of art galleries like Frankie Flores, David Hill and Amp – all open to the public. The courtyard was also fully renovated and is THE ideal place to grab a cocktail. The courtyard connects the marketplace to our sister property, 17 Maple Ave., which is home to The Night Owl, a new cocktail bar and dance club, who has some of the best cocktails in town. In addition, 17 Maple Ave. now offers a stay component, The Aston, a modern living space available to book on Airbnb. So you can literally now eat, shop, play and stay, all on the complex.
4
Why did the Saratoga Marketplace decide to renovate the space during the pandemic?
The property saw the recent economic closure as an opportunity, rather than a setback. We decided that when the time came to welcome guests back to Saratoga Marketplace that they would have a completely new experience with a new bright interior, expanded
stores and added customer care. We are so excited that guests can come back and enjoy all we have to offer.
5 Tell us more about your two stores within the Saratoga Marketplace.
I first opened Lucia in 2006, right after finishing college at FIT in NYC. We feature cult-favorite brands, as well as up-andcoming designers, jewelry, accessories and gifts. I absolutely love curating the styles we carry and the overall vibe of the store. I’m always looking for brands to add to the store that are new to downtown Saratoga and that I know my customers will be excited about. I love seeing the store evolve from season to season, and seeing our customers return to Lucia time and time again.
Lex & Cleo is a children’s boutique I own with my mother and we opened in 2014. As a parent of a young child, it makes finding perfect clothing and gifts to offer that much more special. We focus on heirloom-quality gifts and beautifully crafted products and clothing created by artisans locally and from around the world. We expanded Lex & Cleo last Fall, and we are now carrying infant and children’s clothing and accessories from newborn – 10Y. We absolutely love having the window on Broadway, and seeing new faces every day in the store!