When I learned I was going to be living in a small town in central NY for two years, I never thought that the one thing I would love the most in Ithaca was going to be a barber shop. If you book an appointment be ready to experience the ultimate barber experience (for almost the same price that you would get a cheap haircut in a shopping mall). This place is a spa for men, and you'll love every part of the experience from the atmosphere, a stylish high quality cut, great service, and even a relaxing hot towel. Alex is a true master of her art. She can do clean classic cuts, and exciting wild styles. The best part for me is that I barely had to give her any instructions. After exchanging just a few words she always seemed to know exactly what I wanted. My one complaint about this place is that the price is too low. Which means that Alex is always overbooked. When she is busy, you'll have to call 3-4 weeks in advance to get an appointment. I would have gladly payed twice the price for such a high quality service. read more

This is 2023 and Narrative Space is now almost exclusively a barber shop (they don't sell boots and shirts anymore). I looked online for a hair-cutting place that did both men and women (I am a woman). I didn't want a fancy-looking salon. Narrative has a lovely, old-fashioned look and feel. Their web site said their prices were $40, $45, or $50.00. MUCH too expensive, but I realized I was paying for ambience. My barber was Michael Clark. (One got whoever was free when you arrived.) I showed him 2 sets of drawings of the cut I wanted (front and profiles, the difference between the 2 sets being where I wanted the main curve to be: a little higher or a little lower. To begin with the outcome: The drawings clearly showed that the hair should be even with my chin. It ended up, in fact, 2 inches too short...... just below my ears. The cutting experience was very weird. On 4 occasions, he grabbed the hair at the very top of my head and repeatedly pulled it up and down, as if he were washing something on a scrub board. I don't know what on earth that was about. The way he was separating strands and cutting was quite baffling to me. There seemed to be no organization to it. Unfortunately, I was unaware of how short it was getting. I was focusing on it covering my ears. At the end, it didn't even fall nicely and I had to do some repairs when I went home. Unfortunately it was too short to do all the repairs it needed. He had paid no attention to my drawings or instructions. I knew what the price was before I sat down in the chair. This is embarrassing. I paid $70.00 for this cut. read more

I had done research on local salons, and Narrative Space was at the top of my list. I really liked the fact that Chris Burnett had both clipper and scissor expertise. My research paid off. Chris did a great job on my hair - short and tight on the sides and textured on top. Great haircut and great shop - cool original barber chairs, warm, industrial Instagram worthy design and a fab shop pup to boot. read more

A new somewhat inconspicuously placed shop with a great selection of quality americana clothes and apparel-- mostly men's but some women's. Aparrel is higher priced but definitely quality brands like Woolrich and Redwing. Within the shop there is a barber chair in the back where my husband just got a haircut and says it was one of the best 25$ men's haircuts he has had in a long time (maybe ever). I'm glad there is finally a place like this in Ithaca with lots of personality and high quality gear! read more

Today I had my first haircut and beard trim with Alexis, and it was absolutely fantastic! She was sincerely friendly (but never garrulous) in a way that is often reserved only for regulars and favorites. Her technique was refined: accurate, attentive and detail oriented, while relaxed in manner that put me at ease - it was clear that I was in the hands of a real professional. This is one of those rare occasions when a task you need to accomplish (Oh no! I need a haircut!) is replaced by an entirely enjoyable and satisfying experience, and I'm already looking very forward to the next time. To any men (or short haired women) looking for a superb cut without the undue fussiness of a salon, I couldn't recommend Alexis at Narrative Space any more highly. read more

Yesterday I had my first post-pandemic haircut with Alexis, and it was fantastic! I'm in the process of growing my hair out after shaving my head last year, and she listened to what I was going for & offered great suggestions for how to get there--I wound up with I think the best haircut I've ever had. Everyone is so friendly and the shop itself is a great environment. I'll definitely be coming back, and telling all my friends to come here too! read more

This is the best haircut I've had in my life in no small part because of the cozy Americana ambience that permeates every part of the establishment. A warm fragrance coupled with a relaxing haircut that is well worth the price; additionally there are many hair products available for purchase that are all high quality. I'm a freshman at Cornell (male for hair related info) and this is my new place for haircuts. If you want a salon experience with a fresh vibe check this place out, but reserve a time for your haircut as only 1 cut goes per a certain time. There is also many stylish apparel to choose from, so if you can appreciate the finer things in life you've found your store. For an up and coming downtown establishment this one is on my top tier list. read more

Best new barber in town! Somewhat hidden in the back of a store that'll make you wish you arrived early and had time to browse. I received the royal treatment here when I walked in for a fresh cut. Great old school atmosphere blended with new style. The staff was very friendly and skilled, and the chair conversation flowed easy. I'll definitely be going back! BEARD BONUS: those of us who value our facial hair know it takes a special set of skills to tend and won't let just anyone hack away at it. This will become my go to when winter hits and I grow it thick. read more

Went out of my way for this place looking for a quality beard trim...huge mistake. I had Ben who was very friendly but did a horrendous job in so many ways I'm not even sure where to begin. I had to do so much more work when I got home to even make it remotely even - I actually considered shaving and starting over on a beard that is over a year old. Should have saved the ridiculously overpriced amount and done it myself...go ANYWHERE else!! read more

Barbershop: DO NOT go here if you have long hair, undercut, etc. Went out of my way to get a haircut here for a wedding. Wanted only half an inch off the length, ended up with a minimum of two inches off. Even if I was going that short, the undercut was not great at all. The environment, people, setting, is all great but do not be fooled. The hair cut was horrible. Not capable of doing moderate to complex cuts for such expensive prices. Will never be returning. To make this a little more pronounced to anyone considering going here, I have never felt the need or have gone out of my way to leave a review for any business until this experience. -Refer to a more in depth review from Vijay. I had a similar experience as my barber was Tim as well. WIsh I had saw his review prior. read more

I always leave here with a great haircut. The people working at Narrative are wonderful and the store has played a big part in shaping my personal style. Also a friendly place to stop in and say Hi. A huge asset to high quality clothing in Ithaca and a fresh haircut. read more

This was my first haircut at Narrative Space. My barber's name was Tim and he was really nice and friendly. The haircut started on time and the ambience of the shop is great. Unfortunately, the actual haircut with Tim was horrible. I sat in the chair and showed Tim the haircut I wanted, even describing the clipper number to use on the back and sides and then describing the graduated taper cut I wanted on top. This isn't a new cut for me, it's just a shorter version of the cut I have now...easy-peasy. Tim immediately washed my hair and then proceeded to cut it wet. He did a fine job on the back and sides, with the clipper, and then struggled with everything thereafter. He couldn't seem to blend the top with the sides easily and used thinning shears to blend, which generally just produces frizziness when the hair grows out. Then, on top, he cut my hair extremely unevenly, leaving a long strip down the center of my head a full half inch longer than the rest of my hair. He seemed extremely unsure of what he was doing, so I kept checking in with him. Then, he grabbed a tin of pomade and put a lot of product in my hair and sort of just pushed it around. I asked him if he was done and he said, "No, I just want to put some product in it and see how it looks." What? I glanced in the mirror and it looked nothing like the cut I'd asked him for. Tim then proceeded to cut more hair randomly on top of my head, in different places and at different lengths, with the product in. He then went back to get more product and added that to my hair, at which point I was really getting concerned. It seemed like he didn't know how to get the final haircut complete and was just sort of randomly hacking away and adding product, hoping it would somehow miraculously turn out well. I eventually asked him if I could take a closer look at my hair. I ended up having to point out numerous areas where the top of my head was unevenly cut and that there was no way he would be able to make my hairstyle appear with the direction he was going. I politely asked him to rinse the product out of my hair and then I told him that I would blow dry my own hair into the shape I want it, so he can see all the flaws in his cut and fix the cut. I did exactly this and then showed him a handful of places that he hadn't cut at all since I walked into Narrative Space. He went through and finished the cut, per my instructions, and I paid and left. $35.00 for this kind of sloppy, unprofessional work is deeply frustrating. Tim clearly didn't know how to cut my hair and instead of simply communicating this, he decided to wing it. Being new in town, I'd assumed that the steep price at Narrative Space meant that they had the most skilled barbers who are trained in modern, younger styles. I honestly could have received a similar (if not better) cut for less than ten bucks at a random barber shop. The person working the front desk appeared to witness how poorly the cut was going and didn't offer any sort of "Hey, come back and we'll fix it on us" kind of recompense. Word to the wise...skip getting your hair cut with Tim. read more

Haircuts at Narrative Space are top notch - a bit expensive but you can sit back, relax, and always be sure that Alexis will do a fine job.

Great place to get a haircut in Ithaca. It is the best alternative, but comes at a higher price point. Overall, I think it more than pays itself in quality and longevity, since a bad haircut makes you want another within 5 minutes of looking in the mirror. Highly recommended. read more