Saturday, February 24, 2007

Start Choppin'

One of my biggest fears about moving country was having to face the trauma of finding somewhere new to have my hair cut. I know this might not sound like a big deal, but I don't really enjoy the experience. I've been going to the same salon for about 5 years: it's hard to teach an old dog new tricks.

I've been in New York for three months now, but I was in London around New Year and made the trip to my usual hairdresser whilst I was there. This allowed me to defer the agony for a few more weeks, but recently I've started to resemble the Wild Man of Borneo so it was time to take the plunge.

There are a number of hack and slash places down near Wall Street, but I've grown to be a higher maintenance client than that in recent years. A little tickling of the web suggested that I try John Allan's, a small chain of men's salons that have been serving New Yorkers for some 19 years.

I wandered down there for my appointment this morning and found that I enjoyed the experience immensely. Their Full Service package offers slightly more than a haircut: I also had a hot towel treatment, a manicure (a personal first) and a shoeshine (another personal first). The staff were pleasant and the surroundings suitably "TriBeCa funky". I was also entitled to a drink from the bar. It seemed a little early for a beer, so I settled for an ice-tea instead.

The annual membership program might encourage me to go slightly more often, so as to make the economics viable. They also complimented me on my grey hair. Anywhere that can lie so convincingly has to be worth a second look.

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