Tucked away in a little corner of Memorial Heights, a man and his son are keeping the tradition of neighborhood businesses alive. Raymond's Barber Shop hearkens back to days when men went to the barber, women went to the hairdresser and life moved a bit slower.
Nappy-headed kids like myself know how hard it is to find someone who knows what they are doing with the clippers. Fortunately, Mr. Raymond and his son, Carl, can sling the shears like few in town. Metrosexuals be warned; don't freak out when the straight razor appears at neck shaving time. Also, you should not go there expecting a shampoo girl and frappucino. But, you should expect a great cut that is worth every bit of the up-to-an-hour wait.
More about Raymond's after the jump.
Raymond's Barbershop
812 Jackson Hill St
Houston, TX 77007
Tuesday - Saturday
Walk-ins Only
Houstonist first found Raymond's six years ago after a buddy moved into a into house near Cleveland Park. Over the years we have watched as town homes have taken over the area like weeds in a vacant lot. Gone is Garden in the Heights. Gone is the neighborhood bodega that occupied a lot near Jackson Hill and Dickson. Only Raymond's and Patrenella's remain.
The haircuts are consistently great and the $9 price is hard to beat, but it is the nostalgia of going to a neighborhood barber shop that keeps us going back. The regulars are men of all ages, but many are the grey-headed types that you'd expect to find camped out in the Naugahyde chairs reading the paper and talking about local news and events. Businessmen and politicians rub elbows with neighborhood kids as they await their turn in the chair. Judge Judy is usually on the television screens perhaps due to the large number of judges, cops and lawyers we've encountered at Raymond's.
The service, atmosphere and diverse customer base make Raymond's a great place to take a mini-vacation from your reality and peek into the lives of others. One of our waits yielded group discussions about baseball, XBox, LightRail and women, of course. We learned a lot that day and it wasn't about baseball.
Houstonist hopes that Raymond's can keep on keeping on, but the real estate boom is starting to threaten the business. Mr. Raymond bought the location in 1986 for $25,000. The value is more than six times that figure now and appreciated over 58% (in appraised value) last year alone.
Better make a trip over there tomorrow before Raymond's Barber Shop goes the way of Aquarium Lounge and The Gallant Knight and The Fabulous Satellite Lounge and...
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