It's as shady as it looks.

But that's what gives Astor Place Hair its grungy - umm - charm.

Everyone knows how hard it is to find a consistent barber or hairstylist; after all, there are several variables that need to be considered. Price. Consistency. Conversation. Convenience (both in location and in open hours).

Let me back track for a moment. I've been devoted to barbers the way people commit to buying Ford trucks and Craftsman tools. From my first haircut at a barber until the day I left for college, I went to two barbers - Palumbo's Barber Shop and somewhere else one time when Palumbo's was closed. Why didn't I ever return to this other establishment? Because I walked out of that stuck-in-the-fifties-Sinatra-throne, marched straight to my father's car, and grabbed the first baseball cap I could find. Simply put, I was not in the market for a Richie Cunningham look. Moving on to college, I was devoted to one barber in Happy Valley (probably because of the football stories that were shared), so it was only natural that I wanted to find a go-to, no frills spot when I moved to New York. Behold - Astor Hair.

I found this place on Yelp when I was a lowly intern four years ago. Open late, it's the factory of barbershops. A cold twenty will cover cut and tip. You want corn rows? Coloring? Clean it up? Shaved head? Done. Open late. Cash only. Karaoke is in the back. The RW local rumbles underneath your chair.

Ledo is my guy. Moroccan father of one, he swears by Cafe Mogador, and does your cut while you're surrouned by postcards of bikini-struttin' ladies and pictures of his homeland. A "friend of a friend" recently installed his new counter, which is boasted about proudly and often. The cashier's wardrobe consists of nothing but Yankees t-shirts and he keeps the teli squarely on the YES network. Even during the offseason. Famous (and not so famous) actor head shots cover the walls and the areas surrounding the 40+ barber chairs.

It's a truly an "only in New York" kind of scene. Men, women, young, and old can all be found at Astor Hair. Hipsters pay in change while Wall Street types ask to break a fifty so they can tip out. If you're ever in the city and need a cut, check it out. Broadway and Astor, underneath the Vitamin Shoppe. Just remember to bring cash.