Leboulevard Marketplace: Pulsing with activity in Lakeview

Some locals refer to it as the old Rite Aid building; other locals remember its heyday as store number 15 of the Katz & Besthoff (K & B) bright purple empire. “People come here all the time to reminisce about the years they spent, literally right here, ringing up customers or visiting with friends at the soda fountain,” interior designer Janet Molero explains as she points toward the front of LeBoulevard Marketplace, a retail and consignment business she owns and operates along with her client and friend, Sandy Faught, and established local designer Debbie Boudreaux.

Previously, Molero, a licensed ASID interior designer, managed her own showroom and store on Metairie Road where she worked independently on both residential and commercial projects. “But I just came to a point where I wanted to do something else. I wanted a new adventure,” she recalls. Having set her sights on the old K & B (or Rite Aid, depending on who you ask), she called up Boudreaux and Faught and filled them in on the seemingly outrageous idea she had been cooking up. Molero wanted to convert the15,000 square foot building, which sat vacant and unattended for three years post Katrina, into a retail destination in the heart of Lakeview. “It was a monumental task to pull it off, and we all knew that from the start. No one of us could have done this alone,” she explains. “The hardest part, looking back, was securing the lease. We looked at a number of other locations, but we kept coming back to this space. We absolutely needed the wide-open floor plan and the central location in order for this to be a success. Thankfully, the Besthoff family understood the importance of what we were trying to do, and they eventually granted us permission to lease the space,” she says. Eight months later, LeBoulevard Marketplace hosted an eager crowd of over 2,000 guests at their grand opening event.

LeBoulevard Marketplace has since taken on a life of its own. Visitors from all around South Louisiana flock here to enjoy an all-encompassing shopping experience. Soon, they will also be able to dine on freshly prepared dishes and gourmet coffees and desserts at Café LeBoulevard. The scale of the space is another huge attraction. It affords the opportunity to feature a variety of wares all under one roof. Everything from vintage items to antique furniture to clothing, original art, and jewelry are displayed at the various booths occupied by over 100 different vendors. Currently, there is a waiting list to reserve a booth space at LeBoulevard, but once a new vendor is granted access, Molero, Boudreaux, and Faught take care of all the details. LeBoulevard is organized in such a way that the only vendor responsibility is to deliver a selection of unique, affordable items. It’s a win-win situation for shoppers and participating businesses alike. In addition, LeBoulevard was recently designated as part of the Museum/City Park Cultural District. As such, all purchases of original art are exempt from sales tax at LeBoulevard Marketplace. “My design clients love it! I have everything I need to complete a project right at my fingertips,” Molero continues, “and since we place a priority on affordability throughout the entire store, clients are always pleasantly surprised to discover how reasonable it is to create the environments that they love. They never have to settle, and they don’t have to waste time looking around the city for what they want. It’s all right here,” she concludes.

“Come in, have fun, and shop all under one roof. That has been the idea from the beginning,” Molero continues. But LeBoulevard has inherited a much larger role in the rebuilding of New Orleans. Pique Children’s Boutique, for instance, relocated to a booth here after their previous building was destroyed by the storm. “Without realizing how it would all turn out, we’ve been able to help local businesses get back on their feet again, just in a different capacity than before,” Molero explains. “It’s a great feeling. We put in the hard work to get it started, and now it has a life and an identity all its own!” Visit Leboulevard Marketplace Monday through Saturday 10am to 6pm and on Sunday from 11am to 3pm. ✦

LeBoulevard Marketplace
5201 Canal Blvd.
New Orleans, LA 70124
504-483-3242
www.leboulevardmarketplace.com