So I'm a dude. I grew up going to smoky barbershops with my dad, with the brass and leather chairs and the barbers chewed cigars, spit on the floor, and asked if you wanted the #1 or the #2 off the poster on the wall (I usually got the swanky flat-top). I'm comfortable in these shops, and I relish my time in them - the tonsorial arts are in decline, and our civil society is the worse for wear because of it. Yet, while I was relatively pleased with my local fellow here in town, I felt myself yearning for something more... I happened to meet Jacqueline through luck and circumstance and decided to take a chance on the unfamiliar, an alternate dimension, the "upside-down" from my usual barbershop, if you will: The Cocolo Spa.
Where can I begin? Cocolo is well lit, clean, welcoming, as one would expect an up-and-coming spa in Upstate NY to be. 5 stars all around for professionalism and courtesy. What sets Cocolo apart, though, is the fact that Jacqueline and her staff can out-Patsy Patsy's, and teach those lads a few tricks to boot. Stellar fade? Check. Great styling advice? Check. A hot towel? Check, with added lemon freshness. But no straight razor shave like the barber though, right? Wrong. Jacqueline lays down a sharper shave than Sweeney Todd himself, all in blissful comfort and safety. This is usually the point where the classic barber experience ends, but Cocolo just begins. A luxurious shampoo and scalp massage are visited upon you, along with a nice cold towel to seal things up. Bonus points for getting your Shrek eyebrows waxed into Jon Hamm shape.
5 stars is not an adequate summary of the experience. Cocolo does all this and a big of chips considering even Jean Paul in the frou-frou Stuyvesant Plaza couldn't play at this level, and would have charged twice as much. Brother, listen: leave the shop, just for an afternoon, and give Cocolo a try. You'll see what I mean, and come back like I will. read more