Don Juan's Barber Shop closing after 25 Years following rent hike

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

After 25 years at 303 E. Fourth St. between Avenue C and Avenue D, Juan Rosado is closing his Don Juan's Barber Shop. 

You've heard this story before: The lease is up, and Rosado said the new rent is too much for him. 

"We had a good run, I can't complain," he said. "I raised my son here."

Rosado, an East Village native who grew up around the corner, started cutting hair by setting up in the empty lot next to the post office branch on Third Street and ran an extension cord to give $5 haircuts to the neighborhood. (An aside: He's also an excellent photographer.)

Since opening Don Juan's, the shop has become a thriving family-friendly business and a local hangout that provides a much-welcomed community spirit.

Thankfully, Rosado isn't going too far: He'll have a chair at Jay Joe's Classic Cuts at 256 E. Third St. between Avenue B and Avenue C. 

And this, he hopes, is an interim situation. Rosado plans to open a mobile barber shop in the future. 

"My power move," he said.

June 23 is the shop's last date...

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• A Visit to Don Juan’s Barber Shop on 4th Street