Alright so yesterday I figured, you know what, my hair’s lookin’ straight up wild, like some kinda bush got stuck on my head. Time to sort that mess out. Heard decent things about this Arthur Groom place over in Ridgewood, NJ, right off Maple Avenue. Figured, why not give it a shot?
Getting Over There
Hopped in the car around like, 1:30 PM. Traffic wasn’t the absolute worst, which was a nice surprise for Jersey. Found parking about a block away. Seriously, finding parking around there is always a bit of a pain, like playing musical chairs but with cars. Walked over, pushed open the door. Place smells like that classic barbershop smell – you know, hair stuff, maybe a little bit of coffee?
The Wait & The Cut
It wasn’t slammed, but they were steady busy. Sat myself down in one of those old school barber chairs they’ve got, the vinyl kind. Flipped through a magazine someone left behind, something about cars. Finally, this guy, Arthur himself I think, waves me over. “Alright boss, what’re we doin’ today?” Got kinda specific – wanted the sides faded shorter, top left longer but cleaned up, not just choppin’ it all off. You gotta be clear with these things.
Arthur’s chatting away, real Jersey accent, while he’s working:
- Snipping away at the top, takin’ off just enough weight.
- Grabbing different clippers for the sides and back.
- Trying to fade it nice and smooth. Man had a steady hand, gotta say.
- Asking about the neckline – how high, how clean.
- Hitting it with the hot towel for my neck. Always feels weirdly good.
The Wrap Up
After maybe 25 minutes? Done. Arthur holds up the mirror, spins the chair. “Lookin’ good?” Yeah, actually. Cleaned up the mess on my head without making me look like a drill sergeant. Paid the man. Prices are what you’d expect for Ridgewood, not cheap but not insane. Threw a few bucks extra in the tip jar for doing it right. Walked out feeling decent. Hair felt light, looked sharp.
Real Talk Though
Okay, look. Finding a place that actually listens? Rare. Like, genuinely hears “leave it longer on top” and doesn’t just default to the same short-back-and-sides for everyone. Props to Arthur for that. Place ain’t fancy, doesn’t have flat screens everywhere or serve craft beer or whatever. But the chairs are comfy, the vibe’s easy, and the main thing? The hair cut? Solid. Dude knows his way around some clippers. Ridgewood’s got spots like this, hidden in plain sight. You just gotta try ’em.
Honestly, it’s such a basic thing, getting a haircut. But feeling weirdly good about it after? Makes the day a little better. No drama, no crazy stories this time. Just got the job done well. That’s worth sharing.
