The Barber

Prospect Heights is by no means a bustling commercial district, but thousands of people still make their living in our small, welcoming community. Policemen protect our streets. Dentists check our teeth. Garbagemen remove our trash.

In "Working," a new feature inspired by the work of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Studs Terkel, we will give people who work in Prospect Heights a chance to tell their story in their own words.

This week, we spoke with Sylvan Benoit, a longstanding Prospect Heights resident and the proprietor of Benoit Barber Shop on Park Place between Vanderbilt and Carleton Avenues.

How long have you been a barber?

I've been cutting hair since 1971 in here.

In this shop?

In this shop.

How old are you? Were you Born in Brooklyn?

About 60. I was born in Haiti. I was cutting hair since my school age, cutting my friend's hair.

What do you like best about what you do?

I like it. That's how I make my living, Raise my children, take care of my family.

There is no best. I could do something better, but it's what I've been doing all my life and I kind of like it. I've been doing it and I don't have any problem doing it.

Did you ever think of changing careers when you were younger?

It's too late for me now, too late to think about changing. I am working for my retirement. That's about it. A few more years I'll be gone.

What time do you typically get here?

I get here at 8 o'clock. Eight to eight. 12 hours a day, six days a week.

Do you ever worry about other stores that open in the area? Salons and such?

We have a pretty steady stream of costumers. I don't worry about the stores. They come and go. I don't know why. I don't know what's their reason they didn't stay longer. I don't worry about it. I figure everybody has to make a living.

Do you have any stories that happened here over the past 30 years that are especially memorable?

The story is my partner – I had a partner here – my partner got shot and killed here in 1990. They come to rob him, to rob the shop and killed him. He was my only partner.

Did you open the store when you first came to America?

No, my cousin had the store. Same spot. It was called St. Joseph's Barber Shop.

How has the neighborhood changed since you first started working here?

In a lot of ways. When I just started, around here was like a jungle. They were robbing you. You had to keep your door closed even in daytime. I remember something happened at the subway. They called the police. They never showed up. They were scared to come around here. I used to live right on the corner there. They broke into my house. In three months they broke into my house five times. It used to be bad down here.

That building across the street there, it was owned by a friend of mine. He give me that building for $20,000. I said, "I don't want it." The people used to live there, they were so bad. Drugs. smoking, selling drugs. I tell you, it used to be bad.

It started to get better in the early 80s.

Have recent economic troubles affected business here?

I'm telling you, it has really affected me. People can't come to get their haircut no more. I had customers who used to come here every week or two weeks. Now they come every two, three months. They lost their jobs. A lot of people moved. They cannot afford to pay the rent down here. It is getting so expensive here. We lose a lot of business. The economy has really affected us.