Many of you discerning males, and some of you discerning females, know that one of the worst kept secrets in New York City grooming is the charming, pleasantly masculine cut shop located at the back of Freeman's Sporting Club. With its manly nautical theme, chalkboard, and vintage chairs, the men's hair salon is a favorite of the fashion set and any red-blooded male who wants a shave and a trim without a side of pretense. Now Westsiders won't have to travel to the Lower East Side to look sharp.
On Tuesday, we got a first-hand look at the new FSC Barbershop on Horatio near 8th Avenue in the West Village. Like it's Freeman's Alley counterpart, the West Side shop oozes dude. This location, however, has a smoother, sleeker aesthetic to go with it's new, more upscale surroundings—white tile replaces beadboard, smoked-glass fixtures replace raw bulbs. Says co-owner Sam Buffa, "What we're hoping for in this location is to open up earlier in the morning 'cause all the guys in the East Village get up at like noon which is definitely different over here. There are a lot of families over here, a lot of businesses and a lot of kids. One of my favorite things that I saw when we opened up the other barbershop was when we had an eight year old and a 70 year old getting cuts right next to each other. This place isn't just for hipsters or anything like that. We'd like to think it's for everyone." Starting today, FSC Barbershop will be open to kids, hipsters, senior citizens, and everyone in-between.
FSC Barbershop, 5 Horatio Street, no appointments necessary. For more information go to www.freemanssportingclub.com.