Real question. Tried 4 places on Saturday in different neighborhoods. All booked. Called 5 more on Monday — all booked through next week. The Instagram DM situation is its own circle of hell.
Is the move to just have a regular and book 3 months out? Is there some app/tool I'm missing? Are walk-ins genuinely dead in this city?
How do you all deal with this?
Long-time AB lurker, recent NYC arrival. Looking for honest stories about how you find the right people for services in this city.
Specifically: how do you find a stylist who actually knows how to cut Asian hair? Or a Korean-style esthetician who isn't booked out for 8 weeks? Or a nail artist whose Instagram looks great but who actually replies to DMs?
I keep finding amazing-looking accounts on Instagram and TikTok and then either (a) they don't take new clients, (b) they're booked through August, (c) they don't reply, or (d) the booking process is so confusing I give up.
How do other AB people in NYC navigate this? Do you trade recs in friend groups? Are there specific neighborhoods or shops you swear by? How long did it take you to find "your person"?
Also genuinely curious — has anyone given up on finding good independent practitioners and gone back to chains? Is that a thing or am I just impatient?