Barbershop Confidential: Troy Anthony's

Bostonist has noticed that haircuts for women tend to be a big, expensive, high-stress affair. The people who do the job take an exceedingly long time to remove a very small quantity of hair at a very high price, and for this reason they are called "stylists," not "barbers." We have observed that these stylists are treated almost like mystic oracles - or at least like rock stars - by their faithful customers. ("I went to Gino today," says Mrs. Bostonist. "Hmmm," says Mother-in-law Bostonist, examining Mrs. Bostonist's hair critically. "He seemed preoccupied," explains Mrs. Bostonist apologetically. "Ahhh," Mother-in-law Bostonist responds.) Now Bostonist doesn't go in for all that. We like barber shops, where electric clippers are the tools of the trade, where appointments are not just unnecessary but unheard of, and where the total cost, including tip, seldom exceeds $20. But finding the right barber shop can be a tricky business, so we're setting out to share our haircut experiences, in the hope that other lowbrow Bostonians in need of simple cuts will benefit. We encourage our readers to chime in or, if they feel enterprising, to submit entire barber shop reviews for possible publication (and accompanying fame).

Troy Anthony's
1199 Cambridge Street, Cambridge (just east of Inman Square)
Troy Anthony Jr.'s shop has much of the feel of old-time barber shops, with neighborhood men hanging out, chatting, and flipping through magazines while waiting for cuts, but the aesthetic is decidedly hip-hop. Rap music is almost always playing (unless some sporting event takes precedence), and local hip hop artists are known to stop by. It helps, of course, that one of the three regular barbers is CheckMark, of the local duo the Skitzofreniks. Despite being heavy on the regulars, Troy Anthony's is a fairly welcoming place for first-time customers. Just be sure to write your name on the list in the composition notebook that sits on the barbers' counter. The barbers are pretty good about serving people in the order they come in, but when the place is crowded they can lose track, and you might end up waiting a long time.

Many customers have a preferred barber, but Bostonist has had our hair cut by all three - (Check)Mark, T. (the owner), and Styles - and we can say that they all did a fine job (Bostonist's tried and true cut: number 2 clippers on top, tapered on the sides, line it up in front). In fact, one of the few down sides to Troy Anthony's is that they do too fine a job. When Bostonist asks for a taper on the sides, Mark diligently ensures a perfectly smooth transition from the number 2 clipper length down to almost bald. Combined with the high volume of business, this can make getting a cut take a little while. Of course, half the fun is waiting, since conversation is always lively (provided one doesn't mind frank discussions of sports and strippers). And, in fairness, Bostonist has never come away from Troy Anthony's with anything other than a perfect cut.

At $14 for a men's cut and an extra charge for hair washing, Troy Anthony's is eminently affordable, although not the cheapest low-end cut in town. Then again, we have found it to be consistently superior to places that charge more, and absolutely unmatched in terms of atmosphere. Although it's not the best place if you're in a hurry, Bostonist highly recommends Troy Anthony's for a lazy afternoon of sports-watching, music-listening, and wide-ranging conversation, capped off by a reliably expert haircut. Update A former client of Troy Anthony's (who has now moved to Hartford and keeps asking when Hartfordist is going to drop) informs us that Troy opens the shop at 6:00 a.m., and even with just one barber, there is seldom any wait first thing in the morning. So if, unlike Bostonist, you have the energy to get up at 6:00 for any reason other than to convince a noisy toddler he should sleep for another hour, you're in luck.