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The Alley Hair Salon
Rating Details »
Category: Hair Salons [Edit]
Neighborhoods: South Street District, Society Hill118 South Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147
(267) 825-8573
- Hours:
Tue-Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Fri. 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
- By Appointment Only:
- Yes
69 reviews for The Alley Hair Salon
This is so long overdue!
I heard about the Alley from Yelp, and saw some of their hair creations on friends. I loved what I saw and vowed that once my hair grew back from (an unfortunate) fauxhawk type thing that I was going to make an appointment and get it all fixed.
Most of the reviews on here raved about Jeremiah so when I called he was pretty booked up. No worries, I got an appointment with Kelly the following week and was stoked to have it.
The one thing about my hair is that I DON'T CARE about it. As far as I'm concerned, hair grows back, I own a hat, I'm punkrock, who cares. Each time I go to a new stylist I have to really impress upon them that if I say "Do what you want" or "I don't care whatever you think is best." That I mean it. It makes them nervous and then I feel bad. So when I met Kelly, with my big shaggy grown-out mess and told her to do whatever she thought was good, I think she was really worried that I would be upset. So she sat with me, showed me her portfolio, talked about colors and figured out a game plan. She took her time and didn't rush anything, she just wanted to make sure that I was sure about it, and I was appreciative.
To be honest, I forget what that game plan was the first time. I think she tightened up my cut, bleached out some sections and put either pink or red (or maybe both) dye in it and it was fabulous!
I've been to other stylists who were either a) great with cuts but crappy at colors or b) amazing with colors but gave cuts the equivalent of supercuts. With Kelly, you get the best of both, seriously.
The South St. shop is not only a convieniant location, but the new decor is fun. The cutting stations are currently on the 2nd level so you can just people-watch the traffic below. They're both such friendly people and to be honest, the prices are outrageously affordable, like NOTHING else in this city. For what I have Kelly do to my hair would cost me at least $100 anywhere else but at The Alley, it ranges from less than half of that to maybe $65, tops. Sometimes I'm in there for about 3 hours to get all of the bleaching, 2 colors, 2 shampoos & conditionings and a cut. It's a process and to think that all of that is around $65 is amazing.
So whenever I'm done, I make an appointment for the next month, just to make sure I'm in the books. Even if it's just for a touch up (which it almost ends up being, since Kelly's cuts are so fckng great that even after some growth they really hold up and look good.)
Complete strangers are always complimenting me on my hair. They want to know how I get the colors so bright, or just the funky colors in general. I always make sure to tell them that I go to "The Allley on South Street" in hopes they'll check it out themselves.
Oh and give little Zodiac some scritches behind his ears, he is a little prince that demands and deserves attention! :)
Ever had a dream where you showed up to class the next day with a new haircut and everyone laughed at you or didn't recognize you, not in a good way? Oh wait, that wasn't a dream. When I was 12, I had a traumatic hair cut - one where the lady just didn't listen to a word you said, and just started hacking away with what might as well have been a weedwacker. People started calling you a little boy, and hats of course were not allowed in class. So every two years since then, I grow out my hair, donate it to Locks of Love, and get a simple cut across, nothing fancy.
Needless to say, I was incredibly scared to get a dramatic haircut. I cut off 10 inches again, but I decided that it was time to give someone a chance. Kelly is a godsend! She listened to my every fear, and held my hand (not literally) through each step of the way. She even asked me twice whether I was ready to have my 10 inch ponytail sheared off. In the end, I was happy about the haircut, but not ecstatic. Kelly assured me that, after a couple days of getting acclimated to my new haircut and I still didn't like it, I could come in and we'd fix it. Well, who needs to come in? The ecstasy has settled in, and I'm incredibly happy with how my hair has turned out. And all for $30?? What a steal. Now I have a place my hair follicles aren't afraid of.
Over the last few years, I have gotten less than five haircuts because I am too proud of the mess I have grown out and after my favorite hair stylist moved to Hawaii and getting a hideous, old lady haircut somewhere in between, I became skeptical of all salons. Cynical. But then I moved to Philadelphia and, based upon glowing Yelp reviews, gave The Alley a call.
I've been there twice now and have had my haircut by Kelly both times. She and Jeremiah have a great thing going - it's comfortable, inexpensive ($30 is basically unheard of for the quality of their cuts), and not obnoxious. Kelly's awesome and her haircuts are always on point.
I've been using these guys for two years now and all I can say is, Jeremiah and Kelly do fantastic work. Even after they were on vacation and I impulsively went elsewhere, Jeremiah squeezed me in to fix the bad cut before I went on a last-minute job interview.
Once or twice, I walked out feeling the cut was nice but nothing special. But then the magic happened: As the hair grew out, it got better and better and I grew to love it. That's the main thing. Their cuts hold their shape for a LONG time. And the color work is great, too. (And cheap!)
This place isn't just for hipsters. They're artists, so they're for anyone who appreciates creativity.
I wanted to follow up on this review... because even 3 weeks later, my hair still held shape! Not many other stylists can do that effectively... I'm very impressed and looking forward to going back this week!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/28/2009
This is my first review on Yelp in over one year and I'm happy to start off with five stars.
I left… Read more »
I went about a year ago after reading great things on yelp. I had super long hair that I wanted to chop off. Jeremiah seemed annoyed that it was such a big job and I didn't really get the super friendly vibes that I've been reading in other reviews.
The cut...was ok. I went in with absolutely no idea what to do except shorter and choppier, and maybe that was my fault. When I'm getting a professional cut though, I expect the stylist to have some ideas of what would look good and give some suggestions. The best thing about the cut was how Jeremiah thinned my hair out. I have super thick hair and he thinned it out so that it was smooth and perfect. The rest of my cut was kind of blah. Maybe I should go back with a clearer idea of what I want because the price can't be beat and he is still getting incredible reviews. Maybe I was having an off day, or he was.
I loved this place the moment I walked in. I stepped into the Alley and heard psychobilly blasting over the salon's radio. I was greeted with smiles by Jeremiah, Kelly, and Joe (?).
I had a really great experience here. All the staff was super friendly and asked how everything was (I came earlier in the week and had to reschedule due to other problems coming up last minute...). Jeremiah was really fun to talk to and he really cares about your hair and how you feel about it. He's willing to work on it with you if you don't quite like it the first time around. At the end, it was only $20...another plus in my book.
I'll definitely be back next time I have to get my hair cut.
Back in November, my boyfriend came over to my place after having gotten his hair cut. To spare you the dramatic retelling, the story involved him yelling "IT'S NOT MY FAULT, I HAVE MONGOLIAN HAIR!" and me shrieking "OMG, YOU PAID $60 FOR THAT?"
Too many stylists think that the only way to cut a man's hair is to swipe a set of clippers through, give him a fade, and call it a day. And, well, thanks to Ghengis Khan & co., his hair is impossible to style when cut with clippers unless he wants to look like he is suffering from male pattern baldness. Long story short, I told him about Jeremiah's reviews on Yelp! and sold him on a $20 haircut that doesn't make him look like he needs Rogaine ASAP.
I'll be honest, I have yet to get my hair did by Jeremiah, but I have come with my boyfriend every time he's gone. He continues to impress me every time from the convenient, gorgeous location, the awesome music and unique reading materials (Weekly World News book? THAT EARNS ONE FULL STAR ON IT'S OWN!) to Jeremiah's personable, friendly-without-being-overbearing demeanor, his very affordable pricing, and his refusal to use clippers on my boyfriend (THANK YOU! ONE FULL STAR FOR NO CLIPPERS). Normally, waiting for someone in a salon would make me fidgety, but even the waiting area is comfortable and chill. Love him.
The Alley is deserving of 10 stars, but I'll settle for 5.
The Alley and Jeremiah were very worth making the tedious trek to Mifflin St. back in the day. And ever since they relocated a little closer to South Street it's made it even better. Because not only is it easier to get to, it gives Jeremiah and Kelly a spot that really does suit them better (even if I do miss the electric purple).
I have to say too that I'm not fully sold on some of the off reviews, and I'm not just saying that because I've had a great track record of six amazing cuts from here in the past year. I can sympathize with the people who had to wait an extra while longer. But if your reading so many 5 star reviews, than your also reading into the demand for Jeremiah. And that can be a tricky for a smaller salon to deal with. So keeping that in mind you can either do two things - 1) Factor in a wait time when you're planning ahead, because it should be expected. 2) Request Kelly, or check the availability for both. Because she isn't a slouch with the scissors and gives a great cut in her own right.
Also as Emerlyn G. said, While Jeremiah is capable of giving you the haircut of your dreams, he isn't a mind reader (is there any hair stylist that is?). Every time I set foot in The Alley I come in knowing full well what I want done with my hair (or at least with a good idea of it). And every single time Jeremiah has worked the scissors like only he can, and the cut came out exactly as I was hoping for, if not better. But if you come in with zero ideas then you shouldn't expect to come out with the best cut that you ever had. At the very least you should be glad that you don't come out looking like Aaron O. (just saying). If you tell him what you want, he'll be the one to deliver the best results.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/20/2007
Believe the hype! Jeremiah is not only a haircutting visionary, He's also very easy to talk to and… Read more »
Mifflin street is far away from my house. Septa's website is a pain in my rear to navigate if there are going to be bus switches involved. Cabs are expensive and hard to catch on Passyunk/Broad/whatever at night. Fresh pasta at the fresh pasta store across the street from the Alley was sort of meh (i.e. not a good "I'm going out there for TWO reasons, not one!" excuse). The many reasons I have not been back to the Alley in a long time.
So.. delight! Jeremiah has moved to South Street. Now that's a trip I can handle.
I've been through at least four salons, including the Alley, since moving to Philly. I haven't had any really atrocious experiences or anything, but I also haven't had any experiences that have made me think, "wow, why the hell do I go anywhere else?"
Just had a cut and color at the Alley .. first return trip since about a year ago, I think and I definitely left thinking, "wow. why the hell do I go anywhere else?"
First things first, when I say "electric purple" what I mean is, electric purple. Purple that does not occur in nature. Purple that could only have been created by electricity, neon, plastics, or artificial dye number 65 or whatever. Yes, you are going to have to bleach the crap out of my hair. Look, here's a picture, And yet... eggplant. Sigh. If I wanted eggplant, I would have asked for eggplant. I know what eggplant is. Aubergine. Deep midnight. Brinjal, even. Not the same thing as the aforementioned electric purple.
Second, A-line bob, high and tight in the back. Not a complicated thing. You're probably picturing one right now, right? Looks a little bit like Charlize Theron in that one terrible futuristic movie that I can't remember the name of at the moment.
Finally... where else can I obtain these two things together for under $100?
I agree with the one negative review that sometimes the thinning gets a little out of control. Next time, I'm just going to ask him to leave that bit out. Jeremiah is always so awesome about basically doing whatever he can to get what you want.. I can't imagine this is going to be an issue. Yay new Alley! The space is a) gorgeous and b) in a way more convenient location. Whee!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/11/2008
For a while I held off on rating the Alley because I was afraid I would ruin the five-star streak.… Read more »
I dunno, dude. I had extremely high hopes for this place, but I definitely walked out with a three star haircut. Five star attitude though, hence the four star rating.
Jeremiah is an absolute doll, and terribly concerned with making sure that you get the cut that you want. Unfortunately for me, that's not how I roll. I want the hairdresser to give me the haircut that's going to make me look totally rockin, based on their professional opinion. I cannot tell you how I want my hair. That's why I come to you, good scissor master.
If you have a specific thing you want done to your hair, you can probably get something five star worthy here for extremely minimal dough. If you're seeking the haircut that you never knew would change your life (as I always am), I guess the hunt is still on...
I'm a guy with hair that's a bit tricky - it's a curly, blond fuzzball, and very easy to butcher. A standard guys' cut does not work in the least, as people have difficulty cutting curly, men's hair without distorting the shape into some topiary nightmare. Jeremiah actually worked it into something manageable and appealing.
After going there, it suddenly switched from people telling me I looked like Napoleon Dynamite to Ryan Phillippe - a pleasant evolution for me.
So far I've just had him go short - a first for me after a few traumatic attempts many years ago. He pulled it off, unlike the others. I'm not sure what more complicated styles he could pull off with my hair, but I'd be interested to see.
The prices are actually fantastically reasonable - compared to the $50-$75 cuts you'll get elsewhere. I have no idea why this is rated as $$ - it should be $. It's barely more than Supercuts, price-wise, and quality-wise *infinitely* better.
Lovely establishment, lovely people.
After all the glowing reviews I had to give it a try myself. And I was severely underwhelmed. My hair turned out... well... BORING. It was a fine haircut in and of itself, but there was nothing special about it. I could have had the same looking cut at hair cuttery. For real. I told Jeremiah that he had creative freedom, that he could do whatever he wanted to do with it, and told him that I did not work anywhere conservative. And yet I ended up with a boring hairdo. And he put really short layers in it so that it stuck up at the top, like freakin alfalfa. It took me awhile to grow those damn things out.
Maybe I wasn't cool enough for him, or punk rawk enough, but he wasn't all that warm or friendly to me. I felt like he could care less that I came there to pay him money for him to provide me a service. There was nobody else there, maybe they just wanted to leave and go home. Well, that's just what I did, with my boring do, and I will never go back there again.
What's even funnier is that he gave me a bunch of business cards so that I could give them away to friends. Not only did I not give them to any of my friends, I tossed them promptly as they had a horrible typo on them. I would never have my own business and have a business card with an obvious spelling mistake. That's pretty damn embarrassing. At least it wasn't expensive, but I'll stick to Miki at Juju for the rest of my days.
Yep, still 5 stars! Went back here today and got a great cut and great color once again thanks to Kelly...The difficult thing isn't getting them to do what you want, it's actually deciding what you want, lol. Probably will go back soon to get more red in though ... can't help that I'm so indecisive with my hair! Thanks again guys!
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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5/15/2009
The first time I tried to get my hair highlighted red, it came out a little darker than I wanted.… Read more »
I am on a never ending quest for the perfect hair dresser. I'm bi-racial and my hair texture can be kind of baffling to some; not so much the cut, but the styling aspect. It's long, thick, and literally has multiple different textures all swirled together (fine, coarse, curly, straight, etc). I've had a million bad haircuts and styles and while Jeremiah has not put a complete end to my quest, he did a solid job and I was impressed.
His shop is really laid back and I felt completely at ease with him. I always walk into hair appointments a little bit uptight and nervous, but after talking him through my worries and explaining what I wanted, I was able to relax and leave my hair in his hands. My cut turned out almost perfect. Because my hair is so long and thick, its near impossible to get my layers even, but Jeremiah nailed it and gave me exactly what I wanted.
The only reason I didn't give 5 stars is because I thought he thinned it out a little too much (I like that its thick) and I wasn't thrilled with the flat ironing job that was done. Although that could have been my bad, because I didn't explain that I don't like my hair to be ironed stick straight.
Overall though it was a great experience and I will definitely go back when I move back to Philly this summer.
I knew what I wanted walking in, and that was a good dye job. I even brought a hair-swatch so they could match it. In the past my description of "lighter, with little copper undertones" has resulted in at least 3 different salons and 3 different results. I just wanted a dye-job in a regular, work friendly chocolate color and that is EXACTLY what I got. THANK YOU, for once! Things at a salon work out the way you want?! Unheard of!
Oh and I've always paid $60+$20tip at my other places just for a mere root touch up ($120 for full). This place? Full single-process for $40. Awesome.
I docked one star because I had to wait around 40 minutes even with an appointment since their scheduling was off, but really it's only a half star deduction.
I went there on New Year's Eve to chop off my hair that I had been trying to grow out. Yeah, I made an appointment on a whim. Totally almost went to the old address in South Philly, then walked right past it on South Street because there was no sign up yet (FYI it's a big red door).
I just wanted bangs at first, but then decided at the last minute to have more cut off.
Kelly is very attentive and really listens to what you say. She knew that I was kind of hesitant and didn't really know how long or short I wanted my hair to be (I'm a real pain when it comes to getting my hair cut), so she took baby steps to make sure I was okay with everything!
In the end my hair was nicely layered and I got my bangs :)
I think this is the first time I really, really like a haircut.
And the dog's adorable.
Yeah I know. Another 5-Star review for Jeremiah & Kelly. You might even ask why I bother to write a review when all the other reviews are so stellar. And the #1 Reason: Upgrade.
Let me explain what I mean:
Upgrade in terms of space: Alley Hair Salon has moved to South St. just over a month ago. Let me tell ya, this place is f*in dope. 3-story loft space versus the place they had on Mifflin---South St. wins, hands down. Good call, Jeremiah, good call!
Upgrade in terms of my hair:
A lil history on my locks: I've got beautiful black, thick, flowing, Pantene Pro-V type of hair, and had it since birth. However, during my teen & college years, I'd done everything in the book to destroy it (coloring, perm, straightening, relaxing, you name it) and the result was my hair falling out in clumps in the shower, while I cried and cried as it happened.
Fast forward to 3 years later (that's how long it took to regrow my hair and this was when I realized my natural hair was more awesome than when I tried to do everything with it)----needless to say, I was very very very apprehensive to the littlest thing touching my hair.
So anyhow, to make this long-ass story as short as possible, Kelly chopped my hair. It looks fabulous. And I didn't cry. Yay~
*Looks in the mirror* Who is that sexy bitch? It's ME.
Kelly did an AMAZING and I mean AMAZING job on my hair. I look freakin fly as hell. I will take some pics soon. She did my hair exactly the way I wanted to look and I didn't even have to tell her.
Just let her work her magic. You won't regret it.
This is by far one of the best salon's I have ever been too. I had a suggestion from a friend to go here, and I absolutely loved it. It's a very large salon that specializes in edgey/punk rock styles but I am sure will do whatever. The prices are so reasonable (cash only though) and the service was great. I loved the fact that I when I went in there and said "I want a short, edgey hair style" Kelly (one of the co-owners) said "ok, let's do this!" They will do what YOU want done with your hair, and not what they want to do with it, which is rare to find. I can't wait to venture back to get my hair colored!
So, I was really nervous about my haircut.
I have really thin pin-straight asian hair, which has been butchered too many times. I was planning on cutting off over a foot of hair to donate to locks of love and was scared about the change.
From all the yelp reviews, I found out about Jeremiah. All I can say is that he really lives up to what everyone has said. Plus, he's just a really cool human being.
No one ever really understands what I want with my hair so I always end up working with my haircut until it's acceptable, or just cry about it until it grows out. This wasn't the case with Jeremiah. I left the salon feeling ecstatic and amazing about myself. I finally understood how days at a salon are usually a good experience for people; I never knew.
I'll definitely be back!
I found out about this place thru yelp when I was searching for hair salons in the city, after my regular hair stylist moved to Wisconsin. Today I finally went, and now I'm on freaking cloud 9.
This is, hands down, the best cut and color my hair has ever received in its long, varied, and sometimes disasterously unfortunate life. I look like a million bucks - check out the photo in my profile. You'll know which one I'm talking about.
Jeremiah is an awesome dude, real easy to talk to, and his lovely dad and Kelly were there to chat as well. Did I mention this place was cheap? I came in expecting to pay DOUBLE what I paid; when he told me the price, I was shocked. That's what I get for going to overpriced, gilded chop shops in other parts of the city.
Like I told Jeremiah after I was done: I feel like putting on my steppin' out clothes to get a hoagie and some drinks. And I am. I'm starving. But I had to write this review first.
Jeremiah has a new client to add to his minions. He better stay put on Mifflin, I don't want to have to follow him around for the rest of my life.
Back in September, Kevin W. recommended the alley to me. Like Kevin, I joined yelp just so I could sing Jeremiah's praises. I've been going to him for six months now and I've had nothing but awesome hair.
I came in with very long hair and asked him to cut it so that it was still long but less boring. I wanted cool hair. Jeremiah looked me in the eye and told me that you can't have cool hair and have it long. That's the kind of guy he is - he won't bullshit you and he refuses to give a shitty haircut, even if you ask for it. That evening we bonded over our mutual hatred of scene mullets and our mutual love of Mohawks. I walked out with a super-cute bob that I never thought my naturally wavy hair was capable of pulling off. I got compliments on it for a month.
The second time I went in, I walked out with an orange Mohawk, and I never felt more badass in my life. I went in wanting to go orange, not necessarily wanting to change my length, but nonetheless intrigued by his hints of "you could rock a mohawk" from the last visit. He convinced me to go for it, and it honestly changed my life (if you've never had a mohawk, get one now! you'll see what I mean.)
If this is all too touchy-feely for you, let me speak to his craftsmanship. The first time I went to the Alley, Jeremiah spent two hours cutting my hair because he wanted to get to know it and be sure he did it right. He's a perfectionist, and it's good news for you - I don't know anyone else who will be so careful and attentive with your hair for such a reasonable price.
The first time I walked out of the alley, I felt like I had rediscovered everything cool and non-conformist I'd tried to hide in my frantic post-collegiate search for a "real" job. Jeremiah brought out the person who knows that's all bullshit and doesn't give a damn. Every time I walk out of his salon I feel empowered. I don't want to sound too florid, but if you're still skeptical, I can link you to the exultant blog entries (complete with photos) that I posted after each cut.
Let me start by saying, my aunt owns a hair salon and has been cutting my hair perfectly for years, so any review I give to another salon could be biased. But that aside, I'm totally a fan.
Right now, you're probably asking yourself, "why, if my aunt cuts my hair so "perfectly" would i go somewhere else?"
That's a good question.
And I have answer. Simply put, I was looking for a fresh perspective.
And I'm really glad I got it.
At first I was little nervous, Jeremiah's shop is a lot more "punk rock" then I was expecting, I even considering leaving out of fear that maybe this was not the place for me. But, I'm so glad I stayed.
Jeremiah was really nice, and even though i couldn't give him much direction with my hair, he understood what i was looking for.
There's one thing I feel should mention, and it's about his pets. While they were all super cute and friendly ( I especially loved the dog), it can be a bit overwhelming for someone (like me) with asthma and allergies.
Pets aside, I'm sure I will go back.
A little grungy and annoying music but a talented hair dresser. If you like places with no false pretenses and bottom line pricing and don't mind the little dog that pees on the walls and are not allergic to cats then this is your new hair salon. Some extreme cutting but after i got over the shock of alot of hair on the floor.. My hair looked, felt great.
Update: After going there for 4-5 times Jeremiah had a hard time controlling the coloring of my hair but what stopped me from going was my calls for another appt. were never returned
For Alley Hair Salon its CASH ONLY
I have been searching for a long time for that magical pair hands wielding scissors of my dreams. Someone who would take what I wanted my hair to look like, really listen to me and decide what's best for my hair. Then create the perfect follicle confectionery for me. I certainly found it when I went to The Alley.
When I arrived, I was greeted at the window, (yes before I even walked in) by 2 very friendly assistants. They just happened to be cats. Then as Jeremiah opened the door, a bright flash bounded at me. It was the cutest dog ever! Their demeanor let me know that I was in the right place. As soon as I looked at Jeremiah though, things really clicked. I had met him several years ago with echoes of people telling me that he did their hair and I always remember them looking fabulous. Why I didn't go to him sooner is beyond me.
So after he looked at my pictures of the different styles I liked and listened to what I was ultimately looking for, (which was that I was tired of my hair weighing itself down and being flat) he sat me at the shampoo chair. As he massaged my scalp and washed my hair, one of his precious felines jumped into my lap and nuzzled me. It was the most relaxing shampoo ever!
He sat me down in his chair and with the music playing at the perfect pitch, he began to orchestrate the dance between hair and hardware. As he cut we gabbed incessantly at times. My friend who came with me was not bored at all as the pets played with him just as much. I could see that Jeremiah was really intent on not only making me feel comfortable, but making sure that he executed the cut perfectly. There was no rushing here!
When I thought he was done, he blew my hair out. The after looking at it for a minute or two he picked the scissors back up and starting chopping some more. I loved the fact that just because my hair was dry and styled that did not mean he would shoosh me out the door. Instead he made sure that each hair was exactly the length it needed to be in order to achieve my perfect hairstyle.
When he again was done, he gave me instructions on how I should go about recreating the look. I felt a little daunted because usually you look one way at a salon, and then something completely different every day of your life. He styled my hair for a few seconds, then let me play with it to get a feel for it's new weightlessness. I asked what product I should use and he gave me the container so I could easily find it myself.
I have to say it has been only two days since my cut but, I have been able to do it exactly as it looked when I was there. And thank goodness he gave me some cards to take because I have given out 6 since being there. I have never had so many compliments on my hair.
And to make it even better later that day I saw a mutual (brightly colored mo-hawked DJ) friend of ours, (who also uses Jeremiah and has for years I found out) and he gave me a big hug and said my hair looked amazing. I replied with a smile "Well I did just go to the best hair stylist ever"! He gave me a knowing wink as if I had finally been let in on the secret of his follicle success as well.
So bottom line is this. Jeremiah is insanely talented, thoughtful about your needs and wants, and has crazily reasonable pricing. I can't wait to go back and get my hair dyed. And to see him, his lovely shop, and he equally enthusiastic animals too!
Wow the new place is fandamtastic...I wish you guys all the luck in the world..
Now on to my hair..
Once again my hair looks amazing...and i am overjoyed with it...the style is awesome..the colors fantastic.....everyone tells me this is my best look yet...I did not get to take a pic..camera is dead...but i promise you it looks fantastic....
Come on people take that step into the world of the alley you wil not regret it ...
I most deff..will continue to go and have both Kelly and Jeremiah work on my hair..they both have a wounderful gift...
3 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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8/21/2008
Will everyone please take a long hard look at this picture..I went back to THE ALLEY last week I… Read more »
Just got another cut and color! Loved it loved it!!! :)
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/20/2008
I have been going to Jeremiah for nearly a year now and he never seems to dissapoint.
His prices are… Read more »
I had high hopes for this place, based on a friend's recommendation (and cute haircut). I showed up 15 minutes early and was told to have a seat. Another 45 minutes go by, and nobody's said anything to me about when my turn will be or what's going on. The clients scheduled after me (a family) had also arrived at this point, and they got a much warmer greeting. Maybe I wasn't "punk" enough? I couldn't handle breathing the overwhelming incense smoke and being ignored indefinitely, so I finally gave up and just left.
Jeremiah is the absolute best stylist I have ever met. He had been cutting my partner's hair for a while when I decided to stop in to see if he could do an "updo" for our commitment ceremony. I brought him several pictures and he was able to recreate EXACTLY what I wanted. Jeremiah is also great with waxing- one of the few people I trust my eyebrows to.
Jeremiah puts his clients first, is super professional, and an all around friendly guy! What am I going to do if I move?
I really love this place. I have had my hair cut by Jeremiah a few times and it always turns out so great. He's really down to earth and great for conversation and always just "gets" what i'm asking for. His prices can't be beat. Can't forget the cute pets and awesome tunes. :)
After reading all these rave reviews I was psyched to give Jeremiah a try. I've been to so many salons around the city and just haven't found "the one" to settle down with - either they're way overpriced or snotty or I walk out of there looking like a midwestern soccer mom. Luckily, I had none of those experiences at The Alley.
During the consult we talked about what I wanted and what I didn't, and then he got out his magical laptop and showed me some photos of what he thought would work. And guess what - he was right on the money! That dude knows what he's doing, and he's nice and down to earth to boot. My hair looked great and I left feeling like I finally found a place I want to go back to.
In the vein of rock-and-roll hair salons (twist, Barberella) The Alley with stylist Jeremiah Sisco (previously of Barerbella) has opened up in the East Passyunk section of South Philadelphia. Stylistically, the salon itself is battles out between punk rock and old school South Philly. For some reason this actually works! A lot of the salon equipment has that leftover kitsch while some modifications have been made (the walls are painted bright purple and green and black and white checkered contact paper has been applied judiciously throughout).
Jeremiah gave me the best haircut I've had in a long, long time. I like do's that are funky, adventurous yet feminine and he got it all on the first try. He also did my brows and I told him he's not only my new hair stylist but my brow stylist as well!
My favorite part about the Alley is that it had the homey family feel of a barber shop (his girlfriend, roomie and dad were hanging out and chatting) but done in a really rock-and-roll sort of way. It's definitely worth heading down Passyunk for this absolute gem. Particularly because he only charges $30 for a haircut that for me turned out to be priceless. He also made my friend Hailey look like a rock and roll princess, so kudos, Jeremiah!
The last place I went to was going to charge me $70.00 for a haircut and I just didn't feel like paying that much so I looked on yelp! The Alley seemed to have a lot of satisfied customers for a very reasonable price. So, I got an appointment for me and my daughter, with Kelly. She did a wonderful job of listening to what was important and then achieving the desired result. I'm not at all punk but she did a beautiful cut, taking her time and blowing it out so that I felt really good. I had to go to a black tie event that night and I felt terrific. As the cut has grown out, it has
continued to perform. It's really easy to take care of. I can blow it out and style it or just let it be curly. She's also really sweet and nice to talk to. Both my daughter 17 and I (not 17) felt very comfortable. What a great value!
Tempted to give the Alley and Jeremiah a bad review just so I have a shot of getting a Saturday appointment once in a while. No can do, though: excellent work for a very fair price.
His cat and dog usually hang out in the area, though if that's a problem for you and your allergies, he'll march them back into their apartment.
Article in Philadelphia Inquirer about The Alley:
http://www.philly.com/...
What can I say that has not already been said? If you are still on the fence about going to The Alley - just go! You will not regret it.
Jeremiah was able to squueze me in on New Years eve and I was thrilled. I wanted a cut and some crazy red color. I knew I couldn't go to just any salon for the kind of punky color I was going for. I have been going to the same boring salon for over 6 yrs and I have had the same boring cut, too. Jeremiah changed all that.
What was really amazing was when I showed him pics of my ideas and he asked me what I liked about each one. He managed to incorporate everything I liked, from the color to the cut. He really takes his time and listens to what you want. Not only that but you can give him the freedom to what he wants cause he knows what the hell he's doing. So in the end I got an awesome awesome color that I love and that I have literally been stopped while I am out and complimented on! Then he gave me the perfect cut to compliment the color. Oh and I didn't want my bangs cut cause I was growing them out after a previous bad cut and he told me we should trim them up a little to make them more manageable and so they go w/the cut.....the craziest thing is that I love what he did with my bangs and I wanna keep 'em now! He did what I wanted initially!
I just really can't say enough good things about this awesome salon. Jeremiah will spend a lot of time on your hair and it will show in the end. He seems like a total perfectionist. Oh and he totally doesn't goop up your hair with tons of products either, that in the end you feel like you need to buy. Great prices, cool shop, and good music! Def ck out The Alley!
I added a couple pics to my profile of my hair and my sister's.
Jeremiah is very creative and talented, and he makes you feel right at home. He is not just a hair cutter, but a hair sculptor, stylist and designer. His own personal style is punk, and he is constantly changing the colors and style of his own hair. While he is punk rock, that doesn't mean that when he is done with your hair, that you will look punk rock, unless of course that is what you want. He can do any type of hair style you may desire. His clients range from the punk and indie rock, to moms (including mine), to business professionals and everything in between.
Jeremiah came up with color theme and the decor of his shop, and even put down the floor himself, as well as reupholstering the chairs with his choice of vinyl. The place looks outstanding and it has it's own style. In a neighborhood filled with other salons, The Alley truly stands out as a different and fun hair salon, and it is a very nice addition to this already hip South Philly neighborhood. His prices are reasonable too, it is really hard to find a quality stylist for prices you can afford.
I am so happy I found Jeremiah, now I will never go to anyone else!
Thank you Jeremiah!
The Alley has provided my first real test as a Yelper. Is it possible to rate a business completely fairly when you know the owner reads Yelp and is proud of his 5 star review? Is it still possible when the owner in question is extremely nice and friendly? Apparently, it's possible when they do a good job.
I was almost afraid to review Jeremiah and The Alley Hair Salon. So afraid, in fact, that I put it off for a month. I didn't want to rate him because I know he reads the reviews and is immensely proud of them. But then I wondered why I was so scared... because I planned on giving him rave reviews!
There's not much to say that hasn't already been said. Jeremiah is a great stylist. He listens to what you really want, and cuts accordingly. He makes everyone feel comfortable, which is something every stylist should do (but doesn't always).
Again, like everyone has said, he listens to your wants. But he also listens to your needs. I need to wear my hair in a pony tail 5 days a week, so he gave me a cut that would grow out well. Luckily, since I'm writing this review a month and a half later, I can tell you that it has grown out well.
He also spent a very long time on my hair. I have very fine hair, and people never really spend much time cutting it. With Jeremiah, it was different. I was there for a full hour and 15 minutes, and I was the only person there. Now, it's possible that he was just bored and trying to kill time, but I appreciated the time and work he put into my hair, nonetheless.
Jeremiah is the best thing about the Alley, no question about that. But the decorations are pretty great, too. There's something about a checkerboard salon and listening to old(er) punk while getting a hair cut that just makes me happy.
I can't wait to go back and I recommend it to all of my friends (and family).
I had been going to the same fancy salon in Philly for the past five to six years, and finally made the decision to give The Alley a try based on all the positive reviews. One of the best moves I've made in a long time. I have long hair and have has a difficult time getting an "edgy" cut. Jeremiah worked wonders on my hair. I came out with a totally hip new 'do for the summer and have been getting compliments left and right. He took over three hours working my hair into the perfect shape and was as friendly as could be. I personally didn't have to wait long for my appointment, but even if I did it would be okay. It's worth it. When it came time to pay up, it turns out my new hot 'do cost me fifty bucks less than a cut and highlights at my old salon, and when I tipped Jeremiah for the cut and Kelly for the wash, they were genuinely appreciative (even seemed surprised, actually). I'm definitely going back and have been telling all my friends (male and female) to check them out. While Jeremiah gave me my cut and color, I saw Kelly give a few girls really great cuts. I'd hand my head over to her any day as well.
Alley is the reason I joined Yelp. After reading both Jen and Nicole's review, I decided to venture over for a go at it. Everything they said was right on the money and I concur -- five stars.
I have a feeling that Alley is like a rotting carcass waiting for Philadelphia's flock of hipsters to descend upon it. (I know that it might not be the best idea to compare a place I like to a carcass, but it's true. Anything good and underground will inevitably be devoured by those people.)
But anyway, back to Alley. Yeah, Jeramiah is a really cool guy and he does a hell of a job too. If you're a 20-something in Philly who is at all counter culture, I'd recommend this to be your place to get your hair cut. Jeramiah is a professional who has gone to school for cosmetology and, while talking to him, he prided himself on his ability to cut the hair of older, less counter culture people. Judging by how he did my hair, I'm inclined to believe him.
Ps. My cut cost $20 and he told me that a webpage is soon to come.
