NEW YORK — Barber shops are a dime a dozen in Chelsea. Just about every corner has one, each a throwback to a simpler time when linoleum floors, fluorescent lighting and neighborhood dogs were the chief characteristics of America’s gathering place for gentlemen. But times have changed. And for Chelsea’s new CityLife Barbers, change is a good thing.
According to vice president David Niskanen, CityLife was designed with both types of barber shop customers in mind: those who are in a hurry and those who aren’t.
“Being in New York, it just fits perfectly,” Niskanen, a Bronx native — who also is a New York Police Department patrolman — said of the CityLife moniker. “When you think of city life, you think of people in a rush and on the go.”
But CityLife, which is located on Ninth Avenue near 22nd Street, doesn’t just offer quick cuts; the 800-square-foot space is also a place for those who want a relaxing respite from the daily grind.
“Being a barber shop customer for years,” Niskanen said, “you end up going to the same old place. We just wanted to open a nice new place offering old-fashioned services in modern surroundings.”
Although some of CityLife’s more traditional services include a 30-minute shave and a shoeshine, more modern elements include a surround-sound entertainment system topped off by a plasma-screen TV. “Customers can request a movie and we play all kinds of music,” said Niskanen.
While a basic haircut goes for $20, the “old-fashioned razor shave,” a 25- to 30-minute service, is priced at $25. The treatment begins with pre-shave oil, then a hot towel. After an application of Kiehl’s Since 1851 Close Shavers Squadron Ultimate Brushless Shave Cream comes the shave, which is followed by a cold towel. A bit of Lucky Tiger aftershave toner, then Lucky Tiger facial moisturizer tops things off.
“We try to focus on the old-fashioned shave as a CityLife special,” said Niskanen.
Judging by the pace of business so far, CityLife could generate first-year sales of $250,000.
Niskanen partnered on the CityLife venture, which opened in August, with his girlfriend, Autumn Hawk, an aspiring singer, and Edwin Madera, a professional barber for 15 years. Niskanen was a customer at Madera’s Bronx barbershop before the two decided to go into business together. Madera, a native of Puerto Rico, sold his barbershop last July.
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Hawk, a Massachusetts native who also works on occasion as a freelance makeup artist for MAC Cosmetics, designed CityLife’s modern, burgundy interior, while Madera oversaw the assembly of the shop’s six chairs and custom oak cutting stations.
CityLife’s customer base is mixed, Niskanen noted, and includes kids, seniors and businessmen. And, while “a couple of little girls” come in, “the focus is on men. It’s 99.9 percent guys,” he said. After a haircut or shave, patrons can spritz themselves with any number of upscale fragrances, including Jean Paul Gaultier’s Le Male, Burberry Brit, Calvin Klein’s Eternity for Men and CK One.
While CityLife’s retail area now consists of a counter displaying two brands — Lucky Tiger shaving products and gels and Clubman aftershave and hair care items — Niskanen is considering “bringing other brands in down the road.”
For now, though, as the hustle and bustle of the urban world continues on Ninth Avenue, inside CityLife’s glass doors “you can relax — get a hot towel, a shave and a break from a crazy New York day,” said Niskanen. “You can catch a movie, get a shoeshine and relax for 45 minutes.”