Park Street Cultural Tour

Style & Grace Salon

1610 Gilson Street

The Style and Grace Hair Salon is a place down a little bit of Park Street. It is, in a way, a kind of neighborhood gathering place, just to hang out and listen to stories or just talk. The stories are usually pretty humorous, and sometimes very short like the one one of the barbers told us.

“When I was a kid,” he said, suppressing a laugh, “I was so fast that I could turn off my light, and be in bed and asleep before the light was out.” And then he began laughing with one of the other barbers there, who is . . . the oldest barber in Madison.

Now the people who work there all have specialties that they do for the customers. For instance, one of the people who works there does all of the fancy braids when she is there.

Some of the time the store is rapidly changing what styles they do, so that people will keep coming. The store has 2 sides, one where women go to get their styles done, and another side for men. If you’re looking to get your hair done, I would recommend this store to you.
–Elena

I was amazed to see how much culture could be in a barber shop/salon. After we sat down and got settled, we met Marique, a barber. He told us about how they make hairstyles, and which ones were most common. Also, we met another person named Smitty. Smitty is the oldest barber in Madison. At age eighty, he looks like he is fifty. He said the most common hair cut is the bald side (not actual name). The bald side is like a flat top with no hair one-half to two inches above the ears. After about ten or fifteen minutes, we went over to the salon side of the shop. The most common hairstyle there is tight braids or “corn rows.” The woman there had them herself. She said you can braid designs in to your hair, and if you want an elaborate design, it can take up to six hours! (You do get a break).
–Sam

People
Coming in
What do they want
They want
A hair-do to stay
For about 2-3 weeks
So they can come again
And chat while they get their
Hair done
–Cristina

Barbers, Hair Stylists
Shape your hair
Do corn rows
And afros
And bald cuts
And waves
Rosy and Mali and Smitty
The workers
Shape your hair
All day
–Sara K.

Home on Park Street Four Days in the Corridor Neighborhoods Experiencing Community What the Kids Said *Day One* Chadbourne College Sadie Pearson & Richard Davis Trinity Church Ideal Body Shop Park Street Shoe Repair Yee's Laundry La Movida Mercado Marimar Bram's Addition *Day Two* Early Childhood Center Yue-Wah Oriental Foods Boys & Girls Club Style & Grace Salon St. Mark's Lutheran Church Romnes Apartments Yasmin's Halal Meat Market Miracle's Home Neighborhood House Italian Workmen's Club Family Potluck *Day Three* Meriter Hospital Bayview Mural Bocce Ball Beth Israel Synagogue Wisconsin Union Hoofers Mexico Lindo Fishing Along Wingra Creek *Day Four* AFL-CIO (Labor Temple) Eugene Parks Quality Ace Hardware Oriental Shop Lakeside Fibers Chicken Underground Family Daycare Tropical Fish World Quann Community Gardens Multicultural Center Street Scenes 1 Street Scenes 2 Park Street Delights 1 Park Street Delights 2 Dane County Cultural Tour Hmong Cultural Tour After St. Mark’s We went to a place And it was called Style & Grace We met a person Who was very witty He went by the name of Smitty The shop had been there For almost 50 years None of the people Had any beards. –Sam	Style & Grace Salon 1610 Gilson Street The Style and Grace Hair Salon is a place down a little bit of Park Street. It is, in a way, a kind of neighborhood gathering place, just to hang out and listen to stories or just talk. The stories are usually pretty humorous, and sometimes very short like the one one of the barbers told us. “When I was a kid,” he said, suppressing a laugh, “I was so fast that I could turn off my light, and be in bed and asleep before the light was out.” And then he began laughing with one of the other barbers there, who is . . . the oldest barber in Madison. Now the people who work there all have specialties that they do for the customers. For instance, one of the people who works there does all of the fancy braids when she is there. Some of the time the store is rapidly changing what styles they do, so that people will keep coming. The store has 2 sides, one where women go to get their styles done, and another side for men. If you’re looking to get your hair done, I would recommend this store to you. –Elena I was amazed to see how much culture could be in a barber shop/salon. After we sat down and got settled, we met Marique, a barber. He told us about how they make hairstyles, and which ones were most common. Also, we met another person named Smitty. Smitty is the oldest barber in Madison. At age eighty, he looks like he is fifty. He said the most common hair cut is the bald side (not actual name). The bald side is like a flat top with no hair one-half to two inches above the ears. After about ten or fifteen minutes, we went over to the salon side of the shop. The most common hairstyle there is tight braids or “corn rows.” The woman there had them herself. She said you can braid designs in to your hair, and if you want an elaborate design, it can take up to six hours! (You do get a break). –Sam People Coming in What do they want They want A hair-do to stay For about 2-3 weeks So they can come again And chat while they get their Hair done –Cristina Barbers, Hair Stylists Shape your hair Do corn rows And afros And bald cuts And waves Rosy and Mali and Smitty The workers Shape your hair All day –Sara K.
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