• XO Blow Styling Salon

  342 W. 14th St., 212-989-6282

  At most salons, a standard blowout can take a scary chunk out of your wallet—$65 and up—and still you feel like a second-class citizen next to the people getting pricier highlights and haircuts. At Blow, blowouts are the main thing (although updos and other styling options are available). There are twelve staff on permanent blow-dryer patrol, so no appointment is required. They use the high-intensity T3 ionic hair dryers, so shoulder-length hair is sleek and shiny in about half an hour. And the base price is $40, which means you can tip generously and still be out of there for under half a C-note.

From the 2006 Best of New York issue of New York Magazine