Photo: Michael A. Muller

Steve Marks, owner of the popular barber shop in Carroll Gardens, Persons of Interest recently opened his second location in Williamsburg. All the standards of POI are intact, a good soundtrack, a cold beverage, and most of all friendly service and a great haircut. We caught up with Marks over email to discuss his new shop.

Can you give us all the details on the new shop?

The new shop is at 84 Havemeyer right at Metropolitan. It’s a great area. We’re neighbors with Fette Sau and Saltie and Spuyten Duyvil. We’ve only been open a few weeks and already I can tell the shop is starting to build. The feedback we’ve gotten has been great! Everyone loves the space. Guys are really glad to have a barbershop in the area. Meaning a place for guys to get their haircut. Williamsburg is awash in salons but no dude wants to get their hair cut in one.

What are the similarities and differences between this shop and the Carroll Gardens shop, in terms of service and aesthetic?

The new shop has some aesthetic similarities to Smith Street (the luan paneling) but it is by no means a carbon copy, which was intentional. Most notably, the space was not previously a barbershop. We used images of the UN Secretariat as our guide in designing the space. I really wanted it to feel like your dad’s office. I was also very conscious of creating a space that was not too done. That isn’t the spirit of Persons of Interest or the spirit of Williamsburg (or Brooklyn for that matter). I found a 1950 door frame with transom which we installed in the back with glass surrounds. At night we leave the light on in the back so that it glows from the street – I guess you could say this is our mural.

More after the click…

Photo: Capsule

Along with its trade show, Capsule is pulling together a side market filled with quality vintage finds and new wares at the Donut Shop. The list includes an impressive lineup of dealers and companies like Orange Crush Exports, Heller’s Cafe, and Strongarm Clothing & Supply Co. Brooklyn favorites In God We Trust and Kings County Salvage will round up the vintage goods. Other participants include Terrapin Stationers, Izola, Bellocq, and others. The Donut Shop will only be open for two days, January 16th and 17th from 10am to 7pm.

Photo: Staff

Detroit has been revving up for some time, with the hum of young, creative entrepreneurs finding opportunity amidst the much lamented urban decay. On a recent day trip there, we just scratched the surface of Detroit’s sprawling neighborhoods, museums, and public art — but we did stumble on a particular block in the Corktown neighborhood that’s been rebuilt with a serious dose of local pride.

In the shadow of the once grand Michigan Central Station is a cluster of activity. SLOWS Bar BQ was one of the first to open on Michigan Avenue, with patrons now willing to wait two hours for their dry rub baby back ribs. A new cocktail bar in the vein of NYC’s Milk & Honey and Angle’s Share recently opened, by the name of Sugar House. A few other businesses are taking root, mainly under the guidance of Phil Cooley and a close knit group of family and friends.

Meghan McEwen is part of that circle. She is also the proprietor of Honor & Folly — a small-scale inn with a focus on design a few storefronts down from Slow’s and Sugar House. She has been writing and documenting her obsession with travel and design for some time on Designtripper, and prior to landing in Detroit she was editor-in-chief for a Chicago design magazine. Her expertise and passion came together with brick and mortar when she opened Honor & Folly.

The inn has a large open living room and kitchen space and two bedrooms. Exposed brick and antiques create a warm, textural backdrop for beautiful and functional objects by local designers (all available for purchase.) In addition, cooking classes and events are hosted in the space. It’s a cozy home base, from which to explore Detroit’s grand architectural relics and wide open avenues.

Next time you’re passing through the Detroit area, stay a little longer. There are sure to be more undiscovered gems waiting.

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