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Beauty

Neighborhood Salons
The local heroes

A cut above: The Upper East Side's Simon Salon.


NEIGHBORHOOD SALON
Upper East Side Simon Salon, 22 East 66th Street; 212-517-4566.
Move over, Le Cirque — Simon is the latest gathering place for Park Avenue ladies who can afford to be choosy. Veronica Hearst, Susan Gutfreund, and Alison Stern are among those who retreat to this brownstone salon. Simon and Adi are talented stylists, from updos to sexy blowouts, and makeup artist Joey Mills is a veteran with years of Bazaar and Vogue covers under his belt. Haircuts: $60-$200.
Upper West Side Salon Above, 2641 Broadway, near 100th Street; 212-665-7149.
Writers, artists, and filmmakers join West End Avenue mothers at Salon Above, a sunny, antique-filled second-floor space dominated by large stained-glass windows. On the third floor, they've just opened a spa where facials, microdermabrasion, and manicures are available, and there's an art show that changes regularly and benefits various charities. Haircuts: $60-$75.
Chelsea Antonio Prieto, 25 West 19th Street; 212-255-3741.
Hipsters who are not comfortable in Madison Avenue salons but are not quite edgy enough for St. Marks Place have found a home at Antonio Prieto, where stenciled wood floors, mahogany-framed mirrors, and an outdoor garden create a warm environment. Stylists are eager to help you transform your look, and are expert at adapting runway styles to everyday life. Haircuts: $95-$150.
SoHo Privé, 310 West Broadway; 212-274-8888.
Gwyneth, Uma, and other downtown residents achieve that "I'm perfect but I'm not really trying" look at Privé. Modeled after a Parisian loft, with an eighteenth-century brick wall transported from a French château, the spacious room leaves lots of air between you and the next client. Shampoos come with scalp massages so good that people are grinning and sighing at the sinks. Best of all, Privé is open Sundays. Haicuts: $65-$185.
Brooklyn Salon de Quartier, 206 Smith Street; 718-246-7244.
You won't need a night spot to hang out in once you become a client at Salon de Quartier, a South Beach-style spot in Cobble Hill. The front desk is more like a bar, with an aluminum top and stools, and house music accompanies the trimmings, highlightings, and brow shapings. The back lounge has couches, an espresso machine, and art exhibits. Oh, and on Saturdays, there's a D.J. Haircuts: $42-$65.
Photograph by Brian Doben.