Pictures From Freemans Sporting Club And Barbershop In San Francisco

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Fashion

May 2, 2011 3:21 PM EDT

First Look! Take A Tour Of The Brand-New Freemans Barbershop On Valencia

By Katie Hintz-Zambrano, Photos by Gina Esposito

Today marks the highly anticipated opening of Freemans Sporting Club and Barbershop, a much loved New York import now located at the corner of Valencia and 18th Street. We got a look at the space over the weekend, and boy is she a beauty! All decked out in warm woodsy tones, the open, vintage-inspired space features a row of five antique barber chairs, an old-fashioned shoe-shining station, a large waiting area with an oval-shaped, custom-made bench, and a shop-in-shop that will feature the natty clothing and accessories of the much-obsessed F.S.C. label (ie: dudes rejoice!). To find out more about Freemans' move out West, we caught up with Half Moon Bay native (but N.Y.C. resident) Sam Buffa, who runs the barbershop with his brother Jonah, who just happens to live across the street.

Why did you guys choose SF for your first location outside of New York?
“Jonah and I are both from Half Moon Bay, so it’s something that’s been on my mind for a long time. Over the last few years, it seems that San Francisco has changed a lot from when I was growing up. The guys and girls here seem to have a similar attitude as me and my friends in New York. And so we thought this is something that people would enjoy here just as much as they do out there. I originally opened in New York because I saw a gap in the market. It was always like, 'Do I go to the cheap barbershop that does three types of haircuts, or I do go to the $100 salon?' I think there’s the same feeling here that there just isn’t that place in San Francisco. And I hope we can become that place."