What's the Deal With All the Hair Salons?
Why are there so many dang places to get a cut and color in Saratoga? Plus: A high-in-the-sky event space, Bocage's new happy hour and more.
When it comes to getting our hair done, the ladies of SLAH come from two very different camps. One hails from a world in which weekly blow-outs were the norm, and a favored hair stylist sometimes a literal plane ride away. The other? Let’s just say the last time she got her hair cut, she was covered in a black trash bag, sitting on a stool in a friend’s driveway. (If you know us personally, we bet you can guess who’s who.) But, living in Saratoga the past few years, we’ve both come to the same conclusion: Saratoga has a lot—like a lot—of hair salons.
“There are so many!” hairstylist Jess Homburger, who has worked at Sanctuary Salon on Railroad Place for six years, told me while highlighting her client Amanda’s hair. Around the corner from Sanctuary, next door neighbors Magique Salon and Saratoga Beauty Studio directly face a third salon—Limelight—in about a 50-foot radius. Around the other corner, Blended and Breathe are a stone’s throw apart, and Fusion basically abuts the back of Sanctuary’s building. Those are just a few of the hair salons on just the West Side; on Broadway and the East Side, there’s much more where that came from. Literally.
“Before The Chain I worked at Sanctuary for about three years,” says Emmi Heller, who opened her own salon (yes, The Chain), in June. “I feel like the market is super saturated, but if people are loyal to you, they’ll follow you. We have a ton of hair salons, so if you’re establishing a hair salon, you have to already have a clientele in Saratoga—you can’t just be brand new.” Clearly, that method is working; this past Thursday, The Chain, which overlooks Spring Street from its second-floor space, was buzzing with hair dryers and light chatter. The Chain is also only the latest to open its doors—in April, Studio 219 opened on Broadway, and last fall, The Salon welcomed its first customers just outside of town in Schuylerville. So while Emmi sees the salon market as saturated, there’s clearly some room for growth.
“There’s definitely still a demand for hairdressers,” says Morgan Fisher of Complexions Spa for Beauty & Wellness. “There’s a total of three of us here and I’m still having an overflow of clients.” Jess has experienced the same thing at Sanctuary. “We always have people trying to get appointments here,” she says. Sometimes, when there’s a big event in town, such as the Fasig-Tipton sales or a big gala during track season, the stylists even have to turn people who aren’t existing clients away. (Make Me Fabulous and Complexions experienced a similar influx when 100 ladies were attempting to make Monday afternoon blow-out appointments ahead of Saratoga Living’s Overdress to Impress event this past April.)
Events like those could be a reason there are so many salons: The ladies of Saratoga go to a lot of functions where they want to be looking their best. But Emmi says it’s more than that. “I used to work at the Albany Complexions, and moving up here, women get their hair done so much more—it’s crazy. I have some people I see every couple of weeks for roots. It’s much more of a habit up here.” Morgan agrees. “I have a handful of clients that I see once a week, every week, all year,” she says of the contingent of Saratogians who get weekly blow-outs.
Back at Sanctuary, Alyssa, the woman getting Balayage highlights from Jess, has her own theory as to why women flock to Spa City salons: “There’s a certain expectation of service that you get here,” she says of Saratoga. “You’re going to pay for it—it’s expensive—but you know what you’re going to get. I do the Balayage, and this is the second time in about two years, but I get compliments on my hair throughout. I don’t have to do any maintenance or anything.” In short: There are so many salons in Saratoga, because, well it’s Saratoga.
—Natalie
Quote of the Week:
“This will be the money shot. Oh! He broke the camera!”
—a Ballston Spa DMV employee taking a man’s license photo
Apéro Hour(s)
Bocage Champagne Bar has announced a sweet new Apéro happy hour deal, so if you haven’t stepped into what Saratogians voted “Best New Business” of the past year, it’s (past) time. Starting Monday, four stunning new sparkling cocktails are on offer. And since two is better than one, they’re two for one daily from 4pm-6pm. These craft cocktails at the highest level (all are made with the lovely Ca’ Furlan prosecco) include: Limoncello Spritz made with Re:Find limoncello, Ca’ Furlan prosecco and sparkling water; Lambrusco Sour made with 1800 Tequila Blanco, lime, sugar solution and Lambrusco; White Grape Martini made with ALB vodka, white grape and Ca’ Furlan Prosecco; and Negroni Soagliato made with St. Agrestis Inferno Bitter, Carpano Antica sweet vermouth and Ca’ Furlan prosecco.
Fancy concoctions not your thing? Miller High Lifes are now only $3 bucks during Apéro Hour because, as co-owner Zac Denham says, “Why not?”
Raise the Roof
The City Center’s top floor garage space is now available for events, and Roohan Realty was the first to break it in. The award-winning real estate firm threw the rooftop soirée to “celebrate fall”—and their clean sweep of all three Saratoga media surveys this year (including Saratoga Living’s Best Of). The top-level party on the top level of the Saratoga Springs Parking Structure featured Old Tavern wine, a spread of food and a rousing speech by Tom Roohan about the airy, awesome new event spot.
When the parking structure was built, it was designed to accommodate large tent poles but, as one can imagine, getting roof-top parties approved took a little time. Now, when the weather allows, the stunning sunset views can’t be beat. And come New Year’s Eve, rooftop fireworks are planned for the city’s first official New Year’s Eve party since Covid.
All the Single Ladies
Hey, guys—just an FYI. Our Single in Saratoga singles night is leaning a bit female-heavy, and we could use a little testosterone to balance things out. Get your tickets for the Wednesday evening event now…a free drink by Deep Eddy Vodka is included with your ticket. See you at Bailey’s, Saratoga singles!
This (Boozy) Week in Saratoga Living After Hours
On Monday, we challenged readers with a fill-in-the-blank brews quiz.
Then, on Tuesday, we rounded up some must-try cocktails available locally this fall.