First Decisions

I went in on a Thursday evening. There wasn’t a lot of crowd and I was called upon pretty quickly after I walked in
The hair stylist kept talking on the phone, texting and chatting with other hair-​stylists about his girl problems while he did my haircut, although to be fair, he gave me a good haircut
However, I docked two stars because it cost 25 bucks for a simple haircut which was 10 bucks more than I paid at Juju’s in Society Hill who did as good a job with my haircut

Great hands. Nice execution. Fantastic cut. Definitely glad I made it my first decision.

A decent wait, but that’s expected for a walk-​in on a Saturday afternoon, and with the amount of care the barbers put into each cut.
First Decisions has a great vibe, with staff clearly having a solid relationship with many of their long time clients. You’ll get a warm welcome when you walk in the door, whether it’s your first time here or 20^th.
$ 20 + tip, very satisfied with the end result. First Decisions shows that you don’t need to go to Center City to get your mane in order, we’ve got it here in West Philly.

This humble establishment is the friendliest, most welcoming barber shop I’ve ever patronized. No matter your color, creed, gender, or sports affiliations, everyone working here will make you feel right at home. I was in town for a conference and checked Unilocal for the nearest barber shop. Two others popped up but First Decisions had the best ratings. I didn’t have an appointment, but Siran (sp?), the owner for over 20 years, sat me down right away and delivered a classic cut for $ 20. As someone who is very particular about his cuts – I’ve been going to the same barber back home for 10 years – I was wholly impressed by the product.

I loved the place, hair stylists are friendly and the haircut is the way i wanted it to be. For $ 20 bucks, it surely is on my top recommendation list for getting a haircut in and around University City.!!

Best barbers in the City! Lively conversation and all are welcomed! Your next cut or hair styling should be here!

The guys here definitely know what they’re doing. I’ll be going back. 20 $ for a cut plus tip. Well worth it.

Cool little place sitting on Penn’s campus. Gentlemen working there were conversational and friendly. I got a great haircut for $ 20– a little on the high side but worth the money.
I gave the place three stars for one reason: I didn’t see a single sanitizing bin for brushes, clippers, scissors, etc. They sat in a Tupperware bin on the counter.
Excellent cut but if you are a germaphobe, steer clear.

Best haircut I have had from a barber shop in years. 20 bucks is worth it. Little bit of a wait but the barbers have a rapport with everyone that goes in.

First Decisions straddles the line between two spheres of West Philadelphia culture. Walk north of Market and 40^th, and you’ll see what I mean. The space between Lancaster Ave and Baltimore Ave is a strange mixture of people and places — and most West Philadelphians wouldn’t have it any other way.
Haircuts are inevitably stress-​inducing matters for anyone because who among us hasn’t had a bad haircut or two in their life? In West Philly, there are only a few real options to lower the ears, and though Michael’s came highly recommended, my first and last experience there ended with the girl accidentally applying the clippers to the hairline behind my ears: a diagonal jag partially covered by my dumbo ears. I didn’t complain too much, but I found it strange that there was no apology or acknowledgement of the mistake. She made a slight grunt, which brought my attention to it, and then she pretended not to have made a mistake. Whatever, life goes on.
So, I found my way to First Decisions and never looked back. To be as upfront as possible, there’s a range of styles at First Decisions, which might be problematic for some people. I’ve had my hair cut by three different barbers: two used only clippers, but one used scissors and thinning shears on the top (the latter was the best haircut I’ve had in Philly). The clipper cuts were good enough to earn my business, but I might request scissors the next go around.
In a way, First Decisions embodies the mixing and melding that occurs everyday in West Philly. Different barbers have different styles, the clientele is certainly diverse, but one thing that doesn’t change is the attitude and attention of the people holding the clippers. The guys in here are great people. Easy conversation, careful cuts, and all at a reasonable price. As far as the $ 20 haircut market goes in University City, this is the best around.

A great, relaxing place to go for your hair needs. Good conversation, great barbers!!!