Fashion Stores
Garrison's By The Park
Garrison's By The Park probably has the best view of any barber shop in the city. Most barber shops look out on a stretch of retail streetscape or the hallways of a mall or hotel lobby, but this new entrant to the field has front windows that frame the southeast corner of Trinity-Bellwoods Park, and its smaller back window looks out at the red and cream brick of Farr House and the condo complex that wraps around it. The space was co-owner Doug Stewart's home for a couple of years, and last year he and his wife Hollis Hopkins had the bright idea of turning it into probably the city's most relaxing barber shop.
They began work last November, having convinced barbers Sydney Woods - Doug's regular hair-cutter - and Alan Brown to go in with them. The result is a bright space that, despite the opening up that Victorian spaces need in this day and age, retains the building's vintage feel. An antique city map covers much of one wall, along with a display of photos of the area from the city archives, while Stewart and Hopkins have set up little displays of retro men's accessories by the park-framing windows.
Stewart looked around at the other guy-friendly barber shops that have been opening up around Toronto and decided to nix the flat-panel TVs tuned to cable sports since they "shut down conversation," and he wanted his customers to have a chance to socialize. Free beer and hot toddies (in the frigid winter months) come with the price of a haircut or shave - $35 for a cut, @25 for a shave, and $50 for the package of two - and there's a spacious deck at the back ready for customers who don't want to cool their heels on the curved church pew inside when the sun is shining.
I sit down in British ex-pat Alan's chair for a shave and trim, which begins with hot towels and an application of pre-shave glide balm from local shave product makers Crown Shaving Co., rich with herbals and a feature of Garrison's. Alan works patiently and carefully, working with the grain of my almost two-week-old beard, careful to avoid triggering the neckline rash I get from quick shaves, and which he was courteous enough to ask about before starting.
If you suffer from an excess of moles, bumps, ingrown hair or any other epidermal issue, then Garrison's is probably the place for you - Alan gave me a shave as clean and close as I've had while working with some very sensitive skin, all the more so since it hadn't seen a razor since Lent. The haircut that followed was quick and clean, exactly what you'd expect when you asked for a close buzz in preparation for the summer months.
You might have a hard time finding Garrison's if you miss the little sandwich board out front or the rotating barber pole by the door, but Stewart says he's planning to add a vintage-style mural to the east wall of the building, in keeping with the neighbourhood's retro character. He's also working on promotions with local businesses like Capsule Music, Green Shag, Grreat Stuff and the nearby Fred Perry outlet, in the hopes of creating a "neighbourhood shop" for local guys.
Writing and photos by Rick McGinnis
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If you are going to play the elitist game, you should at least start in the right place.
If not, then wtf am I paying for?
That being said, I met Alan a couple weeks back and he seemed like a pretty cool guy. I might give it a chance to see what it is like.
35 dollars for a nice cut, done by someone who actually knows what they're doing and offer up a nice space/convo/etc seems perfectly reasonable to me.
SHRUG.
Very glad I did. A good, patient cut, a great atmosphere, and friendly conversation. I consider $35 to be pretty average and reasonable by salon standards, and Garrisons basically combines the best elements of both barber shops and salons. There's no pretension, but there's also no corporate logo on the front sign.
Recommended!
I go to a classic barber shop; three old Italian men who learned their craft and do it gracefully and respectfully. A hole in the wall type place, there's no "kitchy" or "ironic" furniture or art and don't need gimmicks for your business. You walk in and they know your name and know exactly what you want, you grab a newspaper and talk at random. Heavy accents included. All that for 10 or 12 bucks; that's what a barber shop is about.
A place like this pays homage to the classic barber shop, but is far from one.
That being said, when I started to think about the potential advantages of going there (e.g. potentially not having to sit around for an hour or two waiting to get a haircut, the location, atmosphere, free beer, etc.) I consequently had a rethink.
This place is located close to me and seems pretty decent, I might have to give it a try.
The review is meant to inform people about the place and let them decide if they think it is a place of interest or not. Your non-informative opinions are null and void.
Beat that!
Now if only I could find some spider monkeys for beard grooming.
No New School (young), Barbers, Dentists or Doctors.
50 years of age or older = Experience.
And $35 for a Mens Haircut. REALLY!?
The O.G’s would never charge that much.
I am pretty sure that the men that run this establishment know their craft and do great work. And hey, I might actually check it out; but to call it a classic is far fetched. That's the point I was making.
LOVE IT!
A little too much for you? Then you're worrying about the wrong things in life friend -- you need some TLC more than me :)
Speaking from experience I would recommend going and finding out for yourself. The barber I had was kind and attentive to what I actually wanted done with my hair and didn't stop until I was happy with it. Overall I was impressed and I'll be back hoping the next experience will be as good as the first.
Been going there for nearly 5 years now and I've never gotten one bad haircut.
He immigrated from China and speaks fluent English.
P.S. Please don't start bashing Chinese or non-caucasian barbers now. If you got a bad haircut, then big f*ckin' whoop to you too!
http://englishharbouronline.com
Get a brain or go back to high school. Childish.
Price - $135
Original price - 199 + TAX.
------------------------------------
* Barbers' favorite hair clipper! Barber supply necessity!!
* Powerful Universal Motor Clipper has maximum power for cutting through thick, thin, or coarse wet, damp or dry hair
* Detachable Cryogen-x clipper blade system allows for a quick blade change
* Operates quiet and cool
* 12 Cryogen-x clipper blade sizes available
* This kit includes: - classic 76 clipper
- size 1 (76918-086) and size 000 (76918-026) detachable clipper blades
- clipper blade guard
- clipper blade oil
- clipper grease
- cleaning brush
- instruction sheet
no wounder the cuts suck..
you sound like you just discovered this barbershop ordeal, as if the crows nest started somthing new... pfft..
this shit aint anything new, "IT's CLASSIC IDEA"
if you want to talk about who's ripping off who, then check out hawleywoods barbershop. www.hawleywoods.com youll see that crows nest is doing it exactly the same, same tattooed rockabiily (hipster in toronto)barbers, even selling the original product made by Hawleywoods Barbershop called layrite.. did you know this much? u idiot!!
you must be a friend of there's to be so blinded to think crows nest is an original, or your one of the obnoxious pretentious hipster that hangs there talking about your obscure music while eating you obscure breakfast talking about taking that obscure shit your gonna take out your mouth while replying to this...