Allied took a trip to the Lower East Side to bring you this look at Frank’s Chop Shop, barbershop and epicenter of downtown cool. Its nondescript, Essex street storefront nearly lulls the curious passerby into believing the shop is no different from any other on the block.

Upon entering, however, the interior immediately reminds that this is the nostalgic brainchild of the street-culture gurus behind the Frank151 Media Group. The space is decked out with vintage barber chairs and other old-time accoutrements, but details like the photos hanging from the walls that amount to a who’s who of downtown NYC and the sick Frank151 gear on display keep you from ever doubting that the guys and gals behind FCS are hipper than you know. The brilliantly confused old-new aesthetic is in large part the allure of Frank’s, inciting the curiosity of international megastars, local idols, and average joes alike.

Luckily for all of them, the skilled barbers here know that their straight razor shave might be the closest a client gets to escaping the tumult of the city and are ready to scrap the phony pleasantries for some real talk. Come for a good cut, stay because it’s a chill spot and they’re honestly glad to have you, which sad to say is rare to find in a business these days.