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One of NYC’s most iconic barber shops came a hair’s breadth away from closing.
Luckily, thanks to some last-minute intervention, Astor Place Hair Stylists will live to snip another day.
The classic East Village barbershop has managed to change with the times for nearly 75 years in order to stay afloat. (The classic story is that the shop saved itself during similarly tough economic times in the ‘70s by pivoting to offer punk-rock cuts like mohawks to the new downtown crowd. We love a rebrand!) 2020’s never-ending torrent of crises, however, finally came close to forcing the local institution to close its doors for good. Business had declined 90 percent since they reopened in June with legally required limited capacity.
In fact, that’s exactly what the shop announced it was planning on doing last month before some deep-pocket guardian angels stepped in to keep the barber chairs spinning. According to the New York Post, a group of investors including financier Jonathan Trichter and Bloomberg advisor Howard Wolfson, joined forces to raise the money needed to prop up the local shop.
The last-minute influx of cash will allow the trim destination to keep its doors open after previously planning on closing this very week. In addition, the shop announced that none of its barbers will now have to leave.
Happy the chop shop's last day is no longer tomorrow? Consider making an appointment for a trim before the holidays and showing your gratitude in person.
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