On the first week since I moved to San Francisco, I had it made. In a town where I thought I might have to pay $50 for a haircut, I discovered a barbor shop less than a block from our downtown apartment building. The proprietor was none other than the well-known Jimmy Underhill; an earthy and gruff local fixture who charged $15 a cut and, best of all, a Detroit native like myself.
But that good news did not last for long. The landlord forced him out with sky-high rent in order to take his shop and the next door store to build a new Indian restaurant. He moved to Castro and I decided he was certainly worth the short Muni ride to a neighborbood I am very fond of anyway. But that did not last long either. One Saturday afternoon, I walked in and he was gone. I learned he was forced out yet again and moved to SOMA. Tired of following around someone who would likely retire soon, I looked for a new barber.
Luck smiled on me again and I found a Chinese-owned hair salon across and down the street that did haircuts for the same price. Her English is not the greatest and conversation should always be polite in mixed company, but that's fine. At least have a place to go for a haircut. Well, maybe not for long.
Recently, she told me she may have to sell the shop he has run for more than 20 years because she was now required to pay for water and other utilities in addition to the rent, no doubt a move to force her out. She is a proud person and does not want to give up so easily. Even more, she does not want to go to work for the evil empire known as Supercuts. I don't want to go to the salon down the street that cuts hair for $30. Please, I'm not running for president.
The point of the diary is not my hair, I am sure I'll be fine. The point is the changing face of San Francisco and whether locally based business owners like Jimmy and Susan, who live in the city, do business in the city and pay taxes to the city, may continue to thrive in a place that once celebrated to local shop owner. So, if you live in San Francisco or plan to visit, think before you go to Supercuts, Starbucks or Virgin Records and ask yourself if you want to see your money stay in the community, or go off to some corporate office. Thank you so much for your assistance.