Dumbo NYC

Within minutes of meeting Robert Isakov, owner of Barber on Pearl in Dumbo, you know he’s a social man whose mission is to provide complete satisfaction for his clients. No, he did not make me write the above statement. However, I was offered drinks, food, and he’s planning community events and was kind enough to provide a special offer for DumboNYC readers. We stopped by his barber shop and asked a few questions.

Why did you open a store in Dumbo?

I own another barber shop in Brooklyn Heights, Clinton Street Barber Shop, and several regular customers are from Dumbo or moved to Dumbo recently. A few years ago, I was curious to find out what Dumbo was about and really like the atmosphere, views, and of course the community in Dumbo. So I decided to walk around after hours, on the weekends, and in the morning to look for space to open a second location. When a location became available on Pearl Street, I signed a lease. I decided to open on Pearl Street because the landlord allowed a 5 year lease with the option to renew for another 5.

Who are your customers? And has the customer base changed over the years?

I opened my shop in Brooklyn Heights over four years ago, where most of them are local residents. I make sure they are happy with their cut/shave. If they aren’t, I will do everything I can to provide 100% satisfaction. So I have a dedicated customer base who return. Not much change in the customers, but they bring back their children for cuts. Some of my Dumbo customers are my customers from the Brooklyn Heights location.

You do children’s haircuts too?

Absolutely, I am great with boys and girls as young as 3. I have many tricks to keep them sitting still to get the best cut possible. Men are associated with barber shops, but I also have women customers who are very happy with our cuts.

You mention that you want to be involved with the community. How will you do that?

I want to host parties, gathering, and sponsor events. I see lots of events in Dumbo and would love to sponsor events by providing food, drinks, discounted haircuts. (side note: If you are looking for an event sponsor, Robert is open to discussion. Contact info below). We see lots of young professionals and families in the neighborhood and want to talk to everyone about how to make the community one happy family.

You’re offering a special for DumboNYC readers. What do they need to do?

Yes, for people who mention they saw this interview, bring in your kids and I can provide a 20% discount for your child if you get a haircut. Our cuts are $15, and we keep the prices as low as possible, but we love Dumbo and want to see more regulars come by.

Thanks to Robert for the special. Stop by and tell them you saw us here. Looking forward to seeing you around.

Clinton Street Barber Shop (Yelp review)
104 Clinton Street (between Joralemon St & Remsen St)
Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn, NY 11201

Barber on Pearl (aka Pearl Street Barber) (Yelp Review)
57 Pearl Street (between Plymouth St and Anchorage Pl)
Dumbo, Brooklyn, NY 11201

Shop hours:
Mon-Fri 8am-7pm
Sat 9am-6pm
Sun 10am-5pm
Phone: 718-855-3090

Previously:
{Barber on Pearl Now Open, 27Jul2010}
{Barber Shop “Coming Soon” to Dumbo, 02Jul2010}

Seen: Street art on a street sign in Dumbo with commentary about reality tv via an image that looks like a movie poster. The sign reads: “Reality Killed the Video Star” The Horror – The Terror – The Implants

You may have seen other works by Russell King, such as this sunflower under the Manhattan Bridge.

Previously: posts tagged “streetart”

There’s a new barber shop called “Barber on Pearl” in Dumbo. Based on some comments from customers, a men’s barber shop is a welcome addition to the neighborhood:

• “its an old school place, no fanciness, just a good cut, fast and inexpensive ($15ish..) great addition to the neighborhood.”
• “Got my haircut here Sunday. Great neighborhood shop. Friendly and professional barber.”
• “I have been waiting for an authentic barber shop in DUMBO for over 3 years now… FINALLY I FOUND MY NEW SPOT. This guy comes with amazing experience, and adds a wonderful razor finish with a hot towel massage”

Welcome to Dumbo!

Barber on Pearl
59 Pearl Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201

Shop hours:
Mon-Fri 8am-7pm
Sat 9am-6pm
Sun 10am-5pm
Phone: 718-855-3090

Previously:
{Barber Shop “Coming Soon” to Dumbo, 02JUul2010}

We saw this earlier this week on Pearl Street in Dumbo (between Halcyon the Shop and Dumbo Muffin (the cafe). This could be good news for men who are looking to get a haircut in the neighborhood. Salon de Quartier is the other hair care option in Dumbo, and caters to both men and women.

Also, the Dumbo Muffin cafe is moving to the space a few doors down to expand once the renovations are completed. According to a tip from a reader, they plan on acquiring a license to operate a bar and may rename it to “Archway Cafe”.

Barber Shop (Unnamed at this time)
59 Pearl Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201

Dumbo’s Farmer’s Market starts a new season on Sunday (June 6) at Pearl Street Triangle (Pearl Stret and Anchorage Place near 62 Pearl Street) and is open from 11am to 5pm. Local growers and food producers will set up their tents every Sunday (11am-5pm, rain or shine) until November 21st this season. In celebration of the re-opening of the new location, there will be a ribbon cutting at 12pm and live music (an indie rock group called Railbird from Saratoga Springs) from noon to 2pm.

Community Markets, which designs and runs farmers markets throughout NYC said that in addition to the local produce, barrel pickles, artisan breads, baked goods and organic nuts, and nut-butters available from last years vendors, “this season’s market will feature new products like: raw honey from Burt’s Mountain Honey, gourmet marinated vegetables from Dolce Nonna and specialty mini quiche and savory bites from Yona’s Delights.”

Throughout the season Community Markets will be featuring cooking demonstrations, apple and tomato tastings and a composting workshop at the market.

(Photo of Pearl Street Triangle)

We’ve seen a lot of motorcycles and Vespa scooters around Dumbo. For those who need a place to park, MotoDumbo is a garage for motorcycles and scooters on Pearl and Plymouth Street. They have spaces available in their garage, which has a shared workspace with air compressor, bike lift, work bench etc. We hear they’re planning some BBQ’s and get-togethers over the summer and generally treat the garage like a home away from home. If any Dumbo denizens that ride are looking for a spot, email them at info@motodumbo.com or stop by on a Saturday afternoon. There’s generally someone there, working on their ride.

MotoDumbo (MotoDumbo.com)
52 Pearl Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
info@motodumbo.com

We posted about Dumbo Muffin (the cafe) before and how it’s unrelated to the Dumbo Muffins wholesale business. Despite the similarity in the name, the Dumbo Muffin cafe opened a few weeks ago. We haven’t had a chance to try the cafe yet. Has anyone tried and if so, how is it?

Dumbo Muffin
63 Pearl Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
718-596-6700

Filming on Monday/Tuesday, January 18/19, 2010 in the Pearl Street Triangle. Anyone know what film this is for?

A few of our readers noticed the new storefront “Dumbo Muffin” on Pearl Street. Naturally, we thought that it was the DUMBO Muffins (featured on DumboNYC last year) opening a retail outlet in Dumbo. So we contacted the owner of DUMBO Muffins, Gregory, to let him know we’ve received emails from our readers about the new cafe. We did not realize that it is not his company, DUMBO Muffins (with an “S”) and that “they are impostors”. His lawyers have sent a cease and desist letter to stop using the DUMBO Muffins name. Says Gregory, “The awning on their store says Dumbo Muffin, not DUMBO Muffins. They need to stop using our name. Although we intend to open a retail location in time, this is not our store and have no affiliation with them whatsoever.” Oops. Hmm, maybe someone can open a McDonald in Dumbo so we can have our burgers.

If you’re the owner of “Dumbo Muffin”, please email us so we can clear this up?

Google Map has started adding ‘points of interest’ on their Dumbo map, including restaurants, bars, stores, and companies in the area. A few of them are misplaced on the map (for example, Brooklyn Flea Dumbo is no longer on Front Street and Blueberi is misplaced on Pearl St) and there are many others missing (though I’m sure it’s a work in progress). Is Google planning on mapping out all the street level retail stores in the area? They’re not yet at the level of detail that, say, MondoMap has, but given their mantra of organizing the world’s information, perhaps they’re moving towards combining maps, business listings, and local blogs on the map. They’re not going to catch up with hyperlocal news and content of outside.in (outside.in’s Dumbo news: outside.in/DUMBO_Brooklyn_NY), but it looks like Google is moving towards that direction.

And the center of Dumbo according to the map? Galapagos Art Space; could be a center of culture (or something), but based on Dumbo Historic District boundaries, the Pearl Street Triangle would be more central on the map.

Google Map of Dumbo