Flatbush deserves a diversity of businesses, and as I've noted here great things are happening. When everyone was dogging the neighborhood after K-Dog and Blue Roost's closings, I tried to stay upbeat, and I think folks have to realize that change takes time and the dedication of dedicated residents. People are beginning to mobilize in the neighborhood for all kinds of consensus-built change, and I'm overwhelmingly bullish on the area's ability to change smart and sensitively.There are new bizzes in the works on Lincoln Road. Change coming to plaza and train station at my beloved Q at Parkside. The cops are starting to pay attention, sanitation is being addressed, a building is finally coming to the huge vacant lot on Lincoln, new trees are being planted, the trees and plaza at Empire/Flatbush is being addressed, arts initiatives, youth initiatives...keep your eyes on prize folks! We're making progress...
Oh, and check out that movie and once you have please comment, respectfully of course. I'd love to hear what people think about the very industry that is so central to our neighborhood's economic vitality. A past post on local Cameroon-born hairdresser Laura Puemo here.
10 comments:
This topic comes loaded with cultural and social baggage. For example, in my culture, I have "bad" hair and so does my daughter. This conclusion is drawn on the fact that our hair is very curly and we wear it as it is. Growing up, my mom chemically straightened my hair every six weeks from about the age of 7 or 8. Even though my hair regularly fell out due to the chemicals, it was straight and orderly and thus considered "good" hair. Several generations later, these beliefs still hold true and while walking down Flatbush I've had several ladies in the Dominican salons offer me a discount for the opportunity to straighten my daughter's "bad" hair.
As a long-time white resident, I do not understand the animosity towards the hair places. Most of them are decent looking places; they do cause disgusting food smells; they do not encourage groups hanging around outside; there's no loud music at 3 a.m. I would much rather have one on my corner than a tacky 99c store, bodega, or smelly fast food place. I watched this movie some time back - it's a good movie.
Yes, we need some restaurants and other diverse stores but as Tim said, this is a destination for hair supplies much like The Bowery is for restaurant supplies.
For those, like me, who are to cheap to spend 10 bucks on downloading this movie, Netflix also has it.
Great point on Feel not necessarily existing in opposition to places like Tugboat. Feel is bright, clean and sells lots of products that were pretty hard to find in the neighborhood and appeal to a range of hair types. And it's a good thing to have a well-lit, seemingly well-run store open at night on that stretch of Flatbush.
Tugboat is a fabulous addition to the neighb and fulfills a much-needed slot, too, but it's not a Tugboat-vs-Feel thing. Legitimate new businesses here are a welcome thing, and tend to help with lighting/trash/safety etc., whatever specific merchandise they're selling.
The hair industry pushing its one vision of what is "good" hair is lame. I think "bad" hair is beautiful. All my life I always thought a natural afro was so stylish and lovely and it's very flattering the way it frames a woman's face softly. Takes ten years off a person. I am blonde and blue eyed and have a bit of wave in my hair and I get that too from hairdressers, wanting to flatten and straighten my hair. In my experience all it does is damage it. No thanks.
I don't think any of us have problems with the idea of "hair stores". Personally, as someone who spends a nice chunk of change keeping my own locks stylin' (and would spend more if I could) I think what bothers me is the amount of money and product spend making "bad hair" look "good", when the bad is "ethnic" and the good hair is, you know, "Not ethnic". However, I respect the right of women, (and people!) to decide where to wage their own battles. And hey....they ARE successful businesses. Which is always a plus for the neighborhood. Keep that money Local!
I saw the film "Good Hair" last night. I guess I never quite realized what an enormous business this is; I withdraw my previous uninformed predictions that Feel would be gone in six monthsas I think it will do quite well.
Right on, Bob. Btw, a friend who is very, very familiar with, and a customer of, the neighborhood's hair retail scene said this: "Feel Beauty Supply is fantastic. They have stuff you can't get anywhere else." I went in today and my impression was that it was a higher-end version of what you see elsewhere. And white guys, don't think this place isn't for you! I noticed a great selection of exciting hair dyeing products for Caucasians males that can eliminate the gray and take years off your age. I don't think they can do anything about that paunchy midriff, though. We gotta work for that one, fellas.
Thanks Tim, but I'm afraid that the gray grows too sparcely on my head for those "exciting hair dyeing products for Caucasians males" to do me much good
:-)
Bob: Upon entering Feel, turn right. You'll find a fantastic selection of wigs.
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