Salon Santa Cruz

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Santa Cruz Salon, named not for the California city but for its down-to-earth owner, relies on word of mouth to draw clients to its loft in the shadow of the Flatiron Building. Cruz, who trained with pros like Garren and John Dellaria, opened her first salon—a “beautiful three-chair hole in the wall”—in 1983. Frustrated by the lack of salons catering to curls, Cruz made the styling of curly and ethnic hair her specialty, focusing on precision cuts that make the most of the hair’s natural texture and helping clients find the perfect products for maintenance. Cruz plays it straight too, offering both Japanese and Brazilian keratin straightening, as well as color, manis, pedis, and waxing. Cherry wood floors, a black-and-gold tin ceiling, and two Old World chandeliers give the eight-chair salon a homey, vintage New York feel, and the space feels airy and comfortable even on a busy Saturday. The for-sale products represent a range of prices, from the higher-end Aestelance and Phyto to Moroccan Oil Curl Cream and Sebastian. — Chrissy Persico