Neighborhood barbers — Local services in New York

'Welcome to Summer'

Tucked away in the heart of Ukrainian Village, Manhattan, this hidden gem provided one of the top 3 haircut experiences I've had in my life thus far. The first thing to note is they're cash only (typical of most small barbershops in NYC), so there's an ATM directly outside if you didn't come prepared like me!

Walking into the shop, you're met with a long bench to the right – it's the waiting area. There are 3 barbers in total at any given time. Walk-ins are welcome, so you don't have to worry about making appointments ahead of time and then freaking out on the MTA on your way over wondering if you'll make it. It's okay! This place is suuuuper chill, so as long as you're patient, just stroll in and you'll be seated.

I was seated immediately at the front of the house – my barber was soft-spoken and gentle. His name: Eugene. For the love of all that is holy, you owe it to yourself to get the "Eugene treatment". I expressed to him that I'd like it short on the sides/back and that I don't like to fuss with my hair too much. I just like to wake up mess with it a bit using my hands and just go. He listened to my request and started working his magic right away. Altogether I spent about 20 minutes on the chair. Eugene used a series of clippers and scissors to slowly shape down the disaster on my head and made me look like an acceptable human being again. All of the equipment he used was super duper sanitized and gave off a wonderful, refreshing clean aroma. You can tell Eugene loves what he does, because he sings here and there in the process, and that's sweet – truly touching to know that you're being worked on by a human who deeply cares and is having a good time. This particular afternoon the Spotify algorithms served us 80s rock, so that was a side delight.

He finished up with the hot foam on the neck and a straight razor shave finish (insert chef kiss here!) – what a way to finish the entire experience. After blow drying all of the excess hair off and hitting my hair with a dab of gel, Eugene softly exclaimed, "Welcome to summer!"

Thank God for my wife who found this place for me, and thank God for Eugene's magic hands and warm heart. Neighborhood Barbers is my new regular spot for getting haircuts and listening to 80s rock. I'm looking forward to my next therapy session with Dr. Eugene ❤️

Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Neighborhood Barbers and Eugene. God...

I was looking for a new barber that was close to my place and cheap with solid reviews, but I should have just shaved my own head for free in my apartment instead. This would have been a bad experience any time, but was especially terrible given that this was my first time in the shop. The man who cut my hair only said a word when asking for affirmation as to what he was doing with my hair, and when I would provide direction, he would grunt, roll his eyes, and mutter "I'm not done yet." I would ask his opinion - again this is my first time here, this is supposedly his area of expertise - and he appeared visibly offended that I was waffling as to whether I wanted a line in my part or to have it blended, when I was merely asking his thoughts. He didn't provide his name or ask for mine, I imagine this isn't the first lousy experience of his that made it to Google Reviews so maybe that's by design. I would be disappointed in the experience even if I liked the cut, which needless to say I do not. It's not some intricate haircut either -- two on the sides and blend the top. I will never step foot back in this...

If you want a quick, simple haircut then this is your place. If you care about your hair, however, I recommend somewhere else. I was extremely surprised at how rushed I felt by the whole experience; the guy who cut my hair literally wanted to start cutting before I could tell him what I wanted. I tried explaining to him what I wanted, but he clearly didn't listen. It isn't a bad haircut, it's just one I could have done myself if I wanted to keep my $20. Oh, and the Google add for their services is 8 years old so the prices have increased. Apparently I was "supposed to look at Yelp" for their...