The workshop was ending, and we were using the last fifteen minutes to make our way back to One on One, where we started. As we walked by, I pointed my camera in the direction of the barbershop. This man walked into the frame, noticed my camera and stepped out of the frame.
"No, no. The photo would be better if you were in it.", I called out.
He looked happy as he stepped back and walked back. He posed, and I got the shot. The sign behind him said, "Se necesita barbero con experiencia. Hablar con Raúl Joe", or "Experienced barber needed. Talk to Raúl" in English.
But then the most exciting thing happened. Raúl introduced himself as the owner. He told me about some of the histories of the barbershop and pulled out his phone and showed me a photograph of a street artist he said was famous but I didn’t recognise the man in the photo. He then told me that actor Luis Guzmán got his hair cut here. That his barber was inside.
He must have noticed the disbelief in my expression, so he invited me inside, and I was introduced to the barber. Next to his workspace was a photograph of the barber with Luis Guzmán and Raúl. I know of Luis Guzmán from movies such as The Do-Over, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, and Crocodile Dundee II. I was so excited about what was happening that I forgot to ask the barber's name and photograph the barber at work.
It wasn't until I was home that the disappointment set in. Raúl’s Barbershop is located on Avenue B in the East Village between East 2nd Street and East 3rd Street. It has a 4-star rating on Yelp.
