I had a hard time locating a good haircut I could afford when I moved to New York; everyone was either off-the-charts expensive, or wouldn’t let me choose exactly what haircut I wanted, or just plain scared me. Like you, I’m pretty picky about who cuts my hair and how they cut it. I want it done right. And I don’t want to have to forfeit two weeks’ worth of groceries for it.

Enter the Aveda Institute. The Institute trains hairdresser, colorists, and aestheticians, and to help them learn, they provide low-cost haircuts, facials, and other spa treatments to clients under the watchful eye of an instructor. Unlike some training programs for hairdressers, Aveda allow clients to choose exactly what haircut they’d like. I brought pictures and was thoroughly pleased with the results.

And best of all, treatments use Aveda products, which are manufactured using natural ingredients from sustainable and organic sources and “green” power (100% wind power). So you can look pretty and feel good about what you’re contributing to society and the environment.

Expect the haircuts and treatments to take longer than most – one to two hours for a haircut – and book the appointment weeks in advance.

Aveda Institute New York
233 Spring Street at Sixth Avenue
A/C/E to Spring Street
212.807.1492
Call for appointment

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There’s many tiny cafes and brunch spots in the West Village, and on a lazy Sunday morning, it’s hard to pick which one has all the necessaries: a chill-yet-cosmopolitan attitude, great food, great variety, easy on the wallet, and with that certain je ne sais quois of the West Village. A block away from the famous Magnolia Bakery, Marc Jacobs, and my favorite bookshop, Philip Marie is just the place.

With inside and outside seating, including a huge window nook, Philip Marie provides a view of Hudson Street and some excellent cuisine in the “innovative American” genre, guaranteeing both your vegetarian best friend and your meat-and-potatoes brother can happily sup together. They even serve gluten-free options for celiacs. Their brunch (accompanied by live jazz music) focuses equally on breakfast and lunch – so if you got up early and your girlfriend slept in, you can both be happy. The variety spans from salads and omelets to chicken and lobster ravioli to my favorite, a white chocolate French toast.

Philip Marie has two private rooms downstairs for more specialized events. The first is the Tasting Room, an 18th-century farmhouse kitchen that was built over and then unexpectedly unearthed a hundred years later. Up to 20 people can eat in the Tasting Room. And next door is the Wine Room, a two-person private dining room and wine cellar that started life as a door to the tunnels that led to a Speak-easy during the U.S. Prohibition in the 1920s. Be sure to ask your waiter for the full history of both rooms.

Philip Marie accepts all major credit cards. Reservations are accepted, but with a small enough crowd you can usually be seated quickly without one.

Philip Marie
569 Hudson Street at West 11th Street
A/C/E/L/1/2/3 to 14th Street
212-242-6200
Open Tuesday – Sunday
Lunch: 12pm – 4pm
Saturday & Sunday Brunch: 10am – 4pm
Dinner: 4pm – 11:30pm, till 1am Friday and Saturday

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