When Freemans Sporting Club opened in Manhattan's Lower East Side in 2004, it was intended as a refuge for modern men seeking old-world practices. The restaurant and menswear shop later launched a backroom barbershop. In 2008, the expansion continued with F.S.C. Barber, a freestanding men's salon in the West Village. The 1930s Art Deco design features vintage barber chairs, antique oak floors from Appalachia, and interesting touches like subway tiles, antique oak church lockers and a hair-washing station made from an old auto garage slate sink. "The barbershop was where men went to discuss sports, politics and culture while getting a haircut or shave," says co-owner Sam Buffa. "We want this space to represent that same kind of engaging atmosphere."
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