The Master Barber Joe Castoldi is among the very best I have known in my 77 years. The way you want…read moreyour haircut is the way you get. Not a chatter in your ear guy unless you start the conversation. None better than Maestro Joe.

If you want to walk out of a barber shop looking and feeling great, then Castoldi's is where you…read moreneed to go. I am staying in Pittsfield for 2 weeks so I decided to find a barber shop. Alec is a master at his craft. He really cares about what he does and it shows. He even made me look good. No small task. Since my in laws live in Pittsfield, I will definitely stop in for a cut every time I'm in town.

Made a 5:00 appointment. Waited until 5:30 with no apology or acknowledgment. Left. I'm sure they…read moredo a good job, but be prepared to wait much past your appointment time. How long? Who knows since we didn't stay. We'll be making an appointment elsewhere.

Came in for a quick buzz and had no appointment. They were able to fit me in and I received great…read moreservice - the same you'd expect from an appointment and more. This is the place to go in Pittsfield. Chris is a great barber and takes care of his business - 5 stars and would be more if I was allowed.

Carlton did a great job on my head. Thank you! I got right in and the price is right. Also, good…read moreconversation. Very personable person. Highly recommended.

I've probably been to a dozen barbers in Pittsfield and frankly been dissatisfied with all - except…read morethis one. It is immediately evident that Carleton knows exactly what he is doing. Technically, he is careful, precise, thoughtful, and understands the craft to an unusual extent. The results were superb, among the best if not the very best haircut I've ever had. His studio is spotless, well lit, orderly, comfortable, and relaxing. To boot, he is a gentleman and clearly has a good character. I saw him give a haircut to a small child, and he was patient, gracious and respectful to the child. I was not expecting a barber shop experience to be so positive. Centrally located, but easy free parking in front or back of the building. This is as good as it gets.

Worst barber in town. He is moody and self serving. Talks a lot but full of bologna juice. Loved…read morehis father. He has to get out of this business. I heard him say he did not like barber service. Cut was aweful

Sorry, this is not a suitable barber. He is very available, but for a reason. I think I got the…read morefather.

I walked in without an appointment on a weekday, about 2:30 in the afternoon. I'm an old guy (70+)…read moreand the atmosphere is decidedly "hipster"....and i was greeted in a friendly manner. Two barbers each had someone in a chair, but I would be next. Good cut, great beard trim. Nice shop, well appointed; extra points for the compressed air hose at every station for thorough cleanup. I will come again. My cutter was Al, but everybody looked thorough, competent & professional. Standard pricing--cut+beard trim=$40. One minor note--they don't seem to take credit cards. Venmo or cash works. I'd prefer credit cards.

I've been going here ever since i got into high school. Outstanding service and always leave here…read morewith a nice cut from Matt. They have nice music and nice people.

I regret having to give this rating to any business, however, there is value in giving owners a…read moreheads up. I went to the Pittsfield shop on Sunday, September 30. There were two barbers working. The floor was notably dirty, with pieces of tissue which hadn't been picked up. The backbars were generally in some order, however, the personalization by some of the barbers gave an overall sloppy look to the shop, especially with the dirty floors. The more experienced barber (in this shop, I learned later) told the other that he had a 1 pm appointment, and that he would return by that time, and he exited. That left the barber who cut my hair. Please know that I stopped at Sim's en route to Maine from Pennsylvania, because I was impressed by the owner's YouTube interview and, needing a trim, was eager to stop in when I learned of the shop's Sunday opening. The barber I had did introduce himself, and I'm remiss in not remembering it now. It may have been "Will". I had brought a couple of photos of what I wanted done, which were very close to the way I was wearing it that day. We discussed what he would do - a high taper in the back, with no hair cut above the taper's color line (I'm in my 60's), and as much of a dark shadow below it as possible. I also said that I wear a low "business pomp" at the front, and that I comb the front up and then over to the right, with my part on the left. I may as well have made no effort whatsoever to explain what I wanted. Two minutes into his cutting, he took two large fingers of a pomade and slicked the front flat, combed back and over, nearly a slickback, with no attempt at a low pomp or a wave in front. I use pomade and paste as well, but I do not plaster my hair flat, and he combed this slickback for what seemed like five minutes. No harm - it could be washed out. However he spent the rest of the haircut giving me what I'd describe as a "high and somewhat tight" which means he left no more than 1/4 inch of hair from my nape to my crown, completely eradicating the long hair which had come down in the back to meet the taper. On the left, he did leave enough to barely part my hair, but the hair below the part was much too short, and on the right, he left a jagged shelf where the long top hair meets the side, the latter being buzzed (again) to no more than 1/4" and VERY high. Perhaps he wanted the effect of a huge RECON. If so, the result was very weak, even had it been a field cut. While cutting, he told me he was new at Sim's,having abruptly left another shop after a disagreement with the owner. He told me he was starting over,but that he was "good". Perhaps that is so, if I was aching to convert to a neo-Nazi militia. I should have inquired about stiff new jeans, clip on braces,white sox and I've forgotten the brand name of the boots, though my daughter wore several pairs fifteen years ago in high school. Ah, yes, Doc Martin's! Overall, you hopefully can understand my disappointment. As for the barber, I hope his anger quiets and he proves to be as good as he claims - and that his listening skills improve. As for the shape of the shop, it needs attention, from both management and the barbers who work there. The owner has another, more upscale salon in Great Barrington and may have neglected to recall that any grooming establishment should appear to be groomed itself, at all times, his barber shop included. I'll bet some fantastically good cuts leave Sim's, from other barbers, but mop the floor, people! I received a grunge cut in a grungy looking shop. Time to pay attention to basics. Next time I want my retro 1940's hair cut, I'll wait until Monday, and look for an aging but skilled Italian barber who knows his way around clippers, scissors and putting in his hearing aid, religiously!

Waited over 2 hours for a haircut. Barbers were taking others without appointments before taking…read morethose who were waiting for 2 plus hours. Not very professional in any sense.

i made an appontment online for a haircut today. very easy to do. karen was very personable and…read moregave me a really good haircut but....$30.00!!! for less than 15 minutes is too much! i have always been given a retired military or senior discount...not now...this is too much money for me.

Patsy's, and the Heart of a City The heart of a city doesn't…read morebeat in time to the rhythm of landmarks whose silhouettes are stamped on postcards. Its pulse doesn't shake the shopping centers or the offices or the multitudes they carry. It honors no arrhythmia before the Capitol or the architecture that has grown around it. Because it's often the case that the biggest machine lives and dies not by its most imposing part, but by the smallest pin in its center. It's easy to miss Patsy's Barber Shop if you're weaving through the traffic of State and Pearl. You have to know to take the right onto Howard Street and go slowly enough not to miss the white neon tubing that brightens the shop and casts just enough of its glow onto the sidewalk to let you see the barbers ply their trade. Patsy's opened in 1930 at the cusp of the Great Depression, when a proper haircut was a man's resume and the newspaper on the empty seat was the employment office. It was a family business, like many that had dotted the downtown and further south to the neighborhoods that would eventually be sacrificed to Nelson Rockefeller's sense of grandeur. William "Tragedy" Yager now presides over the memories absorbed into the mirrors and the padded chairs. Since 2006, he's followed in the footsteps of his great grandfather, a man who likely opened up shop as he always did on the day Japanese planes set off for infamy. And anyone who's had a seat in one of his chairs and a hot towel on their face knows that Tragedy didn't just inherit a trade; he inherited a love and a duty to everyone that crosses the threshold. A large man with a long, thick beard and a tapestry of tattoos lining both temples, he wouldn't strike you as a man you would want to meet in a dark alley. But again, the seat, the hot towel, two minutes in conversation, and you'll realize that he's exactly the man you would want to meet in a dark alley if your car broke down, if you were cold, hungry and scared, if everybody passed you by. Because there are certain things you can expect from those possessed of the instinct of leadership. But what you may not expect is that sometimes, the places where matters are truly decided accept walk-ins. Patsy's Barber Shop has two locations, 3 Howard Street in downtown Albany and Room 126 on the Concourse Level. Call for an appointment and check for hours. And be sure to patronize the many barbers Tragedy has trained personally.

I've always been hesitant about getting my beard trimmed and shaped with the worry of having it cut…read moremore than I want to. I finally had the courage to have Jayden work on my beard and he absolutely did exactly what I wanted and it came out amazing! Thank you Jayden and Patsy's you now have a customer for life!