Considering Your “Corner” Stores

I am not sure why I had it in my head that the hair on my particular head was worthy of the top dollar prices I was paying for it’s maintenance.  For the last couple of decades,  I bounced from fancy salon to fancy salon paying fancy prices and spending lots of time getting my hair cut and tending to my “blond” locks.  I’m not saying that I didn’t have some awesome people tending to my coif.  I did, but the awesome people and their swanky backdrops came with an attendant price and time allocation that for years I paid in cash and hours.

Often when I returned from my hair appointments in a preened, but dazed state I would walk by this very small but appealing hair salon with a cheerful red awning near our building.  The same gentle looking fellow was ALWAY in the first chair and he was ALWAYS working on someone.  The chalkboard perched outside the salon with it’s appealing prices also caught my attention.

After some snooping about the salon on YELP (rave reviews), I dipped a strand of hair into this salon by having it become my go to blow out place for those five nights of the year where I have to look at least a little pulled together.  On the evening of these occasions the compliments barreled in!  So many compliments in fact that I had no choice but to ponder how badly my hair must look on the other 360 days of the year.

Oh well, hair maintenance is not how I like to spend my time.  Over time I upgraded to a cut and then about 8 months ago I took the serious step of getting my highlights done in this salon.  Out I spilled with refreshed blond hair that was done in half the time and less than half the price.  Sold!

Now the whole family gets their hair cut at this place.  I love that I can breeze in the day before I need an appointment and my person can usually squeeze me in.  I love that the salon is a three minute walk from our apartment. I love that everyone says hello when I walk in or when I walk by a million times a day.

All this love and I am paying A LOT less for what, based on the compliments I continue to receive, is a better product.  The visits are shorter too.  Which, for someone who found hair appointments to be a mostly mind numbing experience, is a giant bonus.  AND I am supporting a small, congenial, and hardworking business.

As I wax on about my big hair care switch it occurs to me that maybe I should withhold the name of this magical salon, so as not to have to compete for an appointment.  But I won’t.  My hidden gem is not the point of this post.  The point is to encourage you to be mindful of the small places worth your attention in your neighborhood.  That sliver of a nail salon.  The corner pharmacy like Tisane Pharmacy which is my go to place for prescriptions.  Or the florist that is tucked into that tiny storefront.  Go in!  Try it on for size!  Make a new friend.  Save some money or save some time.  Break the handcuffs of your go to places or at least experiment a little – and you may fall in love too.

So the big reveal…. Grab Your HAIR and GO to:

C & C Hair Salon, 219 East 85th St, New York, NY