Patti Astor, Fun Gallery Co-Founder, Dies at 74 The New York Times

Table Of Content

• Astor Place Hairstylists: The former barber of Childish Gambino, Adam Sandler and more
• JPMorgan Chase opens news Bronx community center …
• Astor Place Cut Hair for Warhol and De Niro, but Won’t Survive the Pandemic
• Barbershop by day, dance club by night: Astor Place Hairstylists
• City Navigation
• (great) Mother’s Day gifts

The shop’s new owner, Jonathan Trichter, fondly remembers the days of the punks; all Mohawks and hair dye, and Astor Place’s uncanny ability to adapt to the burgeoning hair movement in the 70s. Everything about the barbershop is genuine, and there exists within it a sort of timeless spirit, a happiness that can only be found in locales of a specifically iconic and time-tested realm. And it is that spirit that the pandemic has been seizing, leaving holes in cities all over the country and the world over the past year. It became a beacon of New York City cool and maintained a status as a place where celebrities, tourists and ordinary New Yorkers could go for a cheap, reliable and fashionable cut. Even Mayor Bill de Blasio got his hair cut there.

Astor Place Hairstylists: The former barber of Childish Gambino, Adam Sandler and more

How the barbershop Andy Warhol made popular keeps the swanky salons at bay - New York Business Journal - The Business Journals

How the barbershop Andy Warhol made popular keeps the swanky salons at bay - New York Business Journal.

Posted: Mon, 01 Feb 2016 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Big Mike is known to every tabloid newspaper, local news station and any downtown blogger worth their salt. He is a graduate of Rutgers University with a degree in business who can do math in his head quicker than a gameshow contestant. Julia Diorio is a sophomore studying journalism at CAS. When not reminiscing about 2000s pop-punk music, she can normally be found drinking copious amounts...

JPMorgan Chase opens news Bronx community center …

She was a founder of the Fun Gallery, which staged early shows by Keith Haring and other artists who defined the city’s downtown scene in the 1980s. And like many of the great New York characters the city is eager to embrace, Mike is also an artist—specifically, a painter and sculptor. His work is currently exhibited in Chelsea galleries as well as ones in New Jersey.

Astor Place Cut Hair for Warhol and De Niro, but Won’t Survive the Pandemic

No one in the shop can remember the last time he willingly took a day off. The place was just eight by 25 feet, and the idea was to make a gallery by artists, for artists. They had no money and no art experience, but they had a lot of creative friends. Josefina has perfected the art of women’s hair.

From his past experiences with nightclubs, Davis found that security was often lacking, and he knew that many of his friends regularly encountered uncomfortable situations. With Astor Place, he was able to find a space where he could create a stress-free environment for fun, he said. Astor Place Hairstylists, a New York City institution, recently broke into the party scene with help from NYU sophomore Quincy Davis. Former Mayor Bill de Blasio has been a client since the days he attended NYU.

Even so, few businesses can encapsulate the word “iconic” like Astor Place Hairstylists. With the 40 folks still clipping and styling hair, the salon has been guaranteed at least another 10 years of life. Its owners say it is a cut above the others because it is more than a hair salon, it’s the very essence of New York. Scotty Eisenstein, 70, has been cutting hair at the salon for 43 years and he has no intention of stopping. He has a clear reason for why he keeps clipping hair. For decades, Astor Place Hairstylists has stood at the edge of Manhattan’s East Village neighborhood, its barbers guiding residents of a style-conscious city through ever-shifting hair trends.

Looking down the barrel of a 75-year legacy coming to an end, these personalities continue to do what they do best and make people smile while doing it. He got that way from surviving the war. He’s been cutting hair ever since; that’s why he’s peerless.

The legendary barbershop has been operating for nearly 75 years, serving everyone from punks to rappers to politicians to NYU students. Pictures and paintings of a diverse array of New York icons — from Chris Rock to David Blaine — cover the walls. Amid all this is Mr. Gogu, with his old-world charm and accent, his devoted clientele of men and women, and his equally indefatigable scissors and mouth.

(great) Mother’s Day gifts

Mike Saviello, nicknamed “Big Mike,” is the manager and face of Astor Place. He not only organizes appointments but also keeps customers coming back with his warm personality. I spoke to Mike about Astor Place’s history and current situation. Scott is another old school barber who hasn’t slowed a step and can still move through a head of hair with the dexterity of a new school stylist—only in half the time and without the fuss. Jessica can take care of all types of women’s hair and treat it like it’s her own.

The shop is bustling with barbers and customers of all ages. There are over 50 barber chairs laid out across the shop. The large area can be overwhelming for new customers, but longtime clients know which stylist they want and where to go.

Both attendees and staff were very nice, with employees going out of their way to make sure everyone was comfortable. The night was memorable for sure because of the location, but also the music. After Astor Place was nearly forced to close its doors due to the pandemic, a group of deep-pocketed investors led by Jonathan Trichter stepped in to purchase it in 2020. As the current chief executive officer, Trichter is proud of keeping Astor Place alive and well for its loyal customers. During these unprecedented times, Astor Place’s survival is bittersweet, no longer a family company, yes, but it is, in many ways, an encouraging story. A silver lining in this dark and terrible cloud we’ve lived in.

On the verge of closing in 2020, a knight in shining armor stepped in with a group of investors. His passion for painting adorns the walls of the cavernous shop. He says it’s the customers who are credited with keeping the shop alive for so many years.

Local artist and manager Michael Saviello has art pieces around the shop, which glow in the dark under blue light. The walls were plastered with photos of different hairstyles and celebrities throughout the years, with even a festive Christmas tree up. Mike Savello, owner of Astor Place Hairstylists, talks about how his business survived during the pandemic and its long history of serving some of the world’s most recognized names. Mr. Gogu puts in 12-hour days, seven days a week, with no vacations, except for the half-dozen holidays a year that the shop is closed. The shop could not recover from the toll of the coronavirus pandemic. A steady stream of customers has dwindled to a few people a day, not nearly enough to stay open.

He was also given the opportunity to name the place for its duration. But she’s a better stylist and is great. Regina is a magician with scissors and has the widest repertoire of any stylist in the shop. Louis totally thinks he’s an actual rock star.