There’s a new buzz around barbershops
BY ROSE ADAMS
When Alex Nuñez’s father, Patricio, returned
home one evening in 1994, he asked his
12-year-old boy for an unusual favor.
“Son,” he said, “cut my hair.”
Patricio sat in a chair by the bathroom mirror
and Alex stooped over him, gliding a pair of electric
clippers over his scalp. When the buzzing stopped,
Patricio looked in the mirror and smiled. Alex was
a natural.
News of Alex’s barbering skills spread across the
Lower East Side, and soon, his tenement building
on Suffolk St. became a destination for trims and
shaves.
“I started to do all my friends, my school friends,
my church friends, the friends in the neighborhood,
my family,” Alex said. “I fell in love with it at an early
age.”
When Alex was 14, his father helped him set up a
miniature barbershop on the tenement’s top fl oor.
“My dad bought me what I thought at the time
was the coolest barber chair,” Alex said. “But it was
kinda rinky-dink, really old-school. I guess one of his
friends had it in the basement.”
With the addition of a full-length mirror and a tool
rack that Alex and his friend built themselves, Alex’s
fi rst barbershop was complete.
Since then, Alex has turned his makeshift barbershop
into a grooming empire. In 2010, he started
Neighborhood Cut and Shave — an upscale barbershop
in Greenwich Village. Two more locations, in
Prospect Heights and on the Lower East Side, have
since opened their doors, and plans are to expand to
Downtown Brooklyn in April and to Midtown over
the summer.
Alex isn’t the only barber setting up shop these
days. While most brick-and-mortar stores struggle to
compete with online corporations, the barbering industry
has been steadily growing for the last 10 years.
Between 2008 and 2018, the number of licensed barbers
in 19 states grew 34 percent, according to Maura
Scali-Sheahan, C.E.O. of the National Association of
Barber Boards of America. More notably, the number
of barber schools — an indicator of job opportunity
— grew 47 percent. And in New York City, barbershops
have begun to crowd blocks.
“There’s defi nitely been more people in the last few
years,” said Dimitri, the owner of Royal Class, a barbershop
on W. 20th St. Royal Class is one of about
15 licensed barbershops in Chelsea, where —despite
the high density of tonsorial artists — business is as
good as ever.
So, what’s all the buzz about? Many Manhattan
barbers attribute the uptick in business to today’s
popular hairstyles that favor shorter, slicker dos
for men — like undercuts, skin fades and well-kept
beards. Others point to the infl uence of platforms like
Instagram that pressure men to put more effort into
their appearance.
“It’s a social-media thing,” said Ben, who owns
a barbershop called Wize Gize, about the coiffure
craze.
To keep up with the young and trendy clientele,
many new barbershops have adopted a swankier setup.
At Hell’s Kitchen Barbers, on W. 56th St., a wall
of exposed brick stands behind a row of glossy barber
chairs.
“In the ’90s, it was just a chop shop,” said Steve,
the owner of Hell’s Kitchen Barbers, which opened in
2015. “Now men want more: They have a beard; they
want a facial.” Like many modern barbershops, Hell’s
Kitchen Barbers has turned what could be a quick
buzz into
a luxury experience,
offering clients heated
towels and complimentary shots of whiskey.
But, in addition to changing hairstyles and the rise
of social media, there’s a third reason young men have
been fl ocking to barbershops — namely, because of
the male community they offer. Alex Nuñez cites the
support system he found at his childhood barbershop
as one of the reasons he was drawn to the profession.
In fact, Alex met Travis, his close friend and business
partner, when Travis wandered in for a haircut
in 2010.
According to Alex, barbers are trained to listen
well and give advice when their clients are in need.
“A lot of the time, you end up being lifelong friends,”
he noted.
By the entrance of every Neighborhood Cut and
Shave, Alex hangs the iconic “I Am A Man” poster
that pervaded the civil-rights marches of the 1960s.
By hanging the sign, Alex hopes to foster an open,
welcoming space in which men can be vulnerable.
“Empower men to be themselves,” Alex said of the
concept. “Doesn’t matter their walk of life. They can
just come here and take off their tie — everyone’s in
PHOTO BY ROSE ADAMS
Rudy trimming a regular
customer’s hair at Chelsea Gardens.
the same playing fi eld — and they can really just be
themselves and connect.”
Neighborhood Cut and Shave has locations at 37A
Bedford St. in Greenwich Village, 250 E. Houston St.
on the Lower East Side and 616 Vanderbilt Ave., in
Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. For more barbershops
near you, check out the list below.
Bishops Cuts/Color
This shop, which opened its fi rst New York City
location in February, aims to bridge the gap between
a high-end hair salon and the classic barbershop, delivering
a fashionable haircut for a reasonable price.
Specialty: Full-service styling menu open to all
ages and genders
Cost of basic cut: $55
Address: 10 Downing St.
Chelsea Gardens Barbershop
Chelsea Gardens has been a local staple since 1959.
Stars like CNN anchor Anderson Cooper and celebrity
chef Bobby Flay have stopped in for trims.
Specialty:Offers a range of emerging styles and upto
date looks
Cost of a basic cut:$22
Address: 255 W. 23rd St.
Hell’s Kitchen Barbers
Hell’s Kitchen Barbers gives clients slick cuts along
with quality service, including a hot towel fi nish and
complimentary drinks.
Specialty: Knowledgable staff and a relaxing experience
Cost of basic cut: $25
Address:667 Ninth Ave. and 410 W. 56th St.
Wize Gize Barber Boutique
The six-months-old Wize Gize has been serving a
wide range of looks in its stylish, 14th St. shop.
Specialty: Well-rounded, on-trend haircuts at a
reasonable price
Cost of basic cut: $30
Address:237 W. 14th St.
Royal Class
This old-fashioned, no-frills barbershop offers clients
reliable haircuts and an optional shot of liquor.
Specialty: One fi xed price for everyone, no matter
your gender
Cost of basic cut: $24
Address: 256 W. 20th St.
PHOTO BY
ROSE ADAMS
Alex Nunez at his Neighborhood
Cut and Shave barbershop on
the Lower East Side, one of the business’s
three locations.
Schneps Media TVG April 18, 2019 11