Barbershops are cornerstones of neighborhoods. They are place where people socialize, talk about issues that affect the neighborhood, and get trimmed up.
There was a time, not long ago, when barbershops were going the way of the dinosaur. It seemed as if trendy salons were the popular choice of the day.
Slowly but surely, barbershops began to make a comeback, along with record shops. Nowadays, it appears as if there’s a barbershop on every corner, just like the good old days.
For certain lucky commercial streets, the neighborhood barbers never faded away at all. They just kept on cutting. This is the case with Mr. Love’s Barbershop, located at 1388 Jefferson Avenue.
Leroy Love – aka Mr. Love – and his barbershop have become beloved and respected institutions on the street. Not only does Mr. Love give “the best haircut in town,” according to his customers, he also cares about Jefferson… a lot. That’s why he’s interested in contributing to Jefferson’s renaissance. Mr. Love wants to bring Jefferson back to the golden era – a time when the street was booming.
With assistance from East Side Avenues, Mr. Love is embarking upon a renovation project that will result in a significant transformation of his building – into something that the entire neighborhood can be proud of. Here’s his story:
The Commercial Building Stabilization Fund is made possible thanks to the Empire State Development and the East Side Collaborative Fund
Applications are still available for the East Side 2023 Community-Based Real Estate Development Training program. They are due on Thursday, November 17, 2022