Shave And A Haircut — Plus A Sublime Holiday Window — At The Park Slope Barber
Creature comforts and annual rituals serve as the foundation to the holidays. And sometimes the simplest ones are the most appreciated.
Angelo Fiumefreddo knows this well. As owner of the Park Slope Barber & Hair Stylist (223 7th Street between 3rd and 4th Streets), he’s made it possible to be a fan of his business whether or not he’s touched a hair on your head.
Witness the stunning annual holiday display in his window, and you know why the place is still going strong after a whopping 108 years.
“We’ve been doing this one for about 25 years,” says Fiumefreddo, describing the window display as he stands and chats with his brother John Fiumefreddo and customer Bob Hammond.
You’d have to nose around in the display window multiple times to capture all the details. Ostensibly a joyful holiday display, the world created is a mix of miniature castles, Norman Rockwell-esque characters, and wintry comforts.
In the center of it all is the Statue of Liberty, ringed by a circular train track with classic toy locomotives that seem frozen in time. The trains travel round and round Lady Liberty; in this world, there’s no rush to go anywhere.
Religious elements blend effortlessly into fairy tale tropes. It’s a well-staged dual-level scene (directors, take note).
“I’ve been getting my hair cut here for 55 years,” says customer Bob Hammond, flanked by the Fiumefreddo brothers.
The breeziness of the trilogy does not betray the incredible detail work which goes into their display.
The good news is that Park Slope Barber doesn’t need to go anywhere anytime soon.
“It’s a family affair in every sense of the word: the boys took over the business from their father,” The Weekly Nabe writes. “They moved from across the street, a space now home to Mr. Falafel, in 1974. They own this building and rent out the upstairs apartments.”
While nothing stays the same — especially in Park Slope — this business bucks that trend. The gentle world on display in this window momentarily mutes the double-parked trucks on 7th Avenue. Linger just enough, and the street sounds as if it’s been covered with a fresh blanket of snow.
