After a dozen years of free, uniform-length, electric clipper cuts for my balding head, I decided that it was time for my midlife crisis. For a couple of years beforehand, I had begun dressing more fashionably than ever before, working out 5-6 days per week, and attempting physical feats that a 40-something only does when he wants to feel young again (don't let your mind run too far with this!). Now, I wanted a real haircut. Where else to go but Yelp for the perfect barber shop?
After reading 20 gushing reviews about this charming, old-fashioned, and manly barber shop, I knew I'd found the right place for me. In particular, I wanted my cut from the legend himself--Steve, the owner. So, I called them up on a Wednesday and booked an appointment with Steve for Friday around the lunch hour.
When I arrived, I found plenty of street parking out front in a safe neighborhood. I parked across the street and ran across to the shop. When I walked in, Paul was cutting a guy's hair and asked if I was a walk-in. I told him that I had an appointment with Steve, who was on the phone booking another appointment. Steve was off the phone promptly and greeted me with a smile, a handshake, and a question of who referred me. I said, "Yelp! You guys have great reviews!" Steve quickly quipped, "Yeah, our reviews got great once we learned to write!" Steve, Paul, and I chuckled together, and I knew this was my kinda place. I'd been there 3 minutes, and I already felt like the 3 of us were old friends.
I learned in the course of conversation that Steve has been cutting hair in this exact shop for over 35 years. He obviously loves what he does, and he is a real pro, both at cutting hair and at improvisational humor. He listened intently as I told him what I was thinking. He asked several questions and reassured me with his responses, which made me feel like he was reading my mind. He knew what I wanted, but he heard me out, just to make sure. It was a pure clipper cut--a fade, with very short hair on the sides that started super short on the bottom and gradually got longer moving up the side of my head, with the longest hair on top. Steve explained what he was going to do, got my agreement, and wasted no time getting to work.
Over the next 20 minutes, give or take, we talked about lots of guy topics, much of it not repeatable here (my wife could read it, and that would violate the masculine code of ethics). The 3 of us had many laughs, and I learned that these two guys are running a hopping business that they love. Make an appointment, and make it a few days in advance, unless you don't mind waiting a while to squeeze in with one of them unannounced.
In addition to the good humor, Steve does like to talk about what can be done with your hair, now and in the future, if you choose to grow out this and trim that. I appreciated this, and for the first time in a dozen years, I have a hairstyle that I genuinely like, as well as ideas for after my longer hair on top gets even longer.
I read in another review that they only take cash. I cannot verify that, but I brought cash to be on the safe side. I tipped the $4 to make it a round $20, and Steve expressed his gratitude. I'll be back every 3-4 weeks for as long as I live, or until the rest of my hair falls out, whichever comes first. There are only so many businesses like this still in existence, and I feel like I stepped back in time for a brief spell--back to a time when hospitality and exceeding expectations were more common. read more
