David Ryan Salon

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Plunked on one of the better blocks of ever-trendier Hell’s Kitchen, David Ryan Salon could easily hold its own on the streets of Soho or the West Village. Quaint and stylish, with a casual vibe, this neighborhood salon has developed a near-cultish following for its French Balayage highlighting technique, a freehand painting method that turns up a more natural result than traditional applications. (Plenty of standard foil-covered heads also sit before the hanging gilded mirrors at each station.) As far as cuts go, you can expect modern-looking scissor and razor shapes. Achieving a complete look here has been known to command a hefty chunk of minutes, since stylists prefer to take their time with each client, from the obligatory scalp massage to the Phyto-polished end result. Luckily, plush jewel-tone settees and local art on exposed brick walls create an attractive setting in which clients can sip tea and groove to some lively tunes. The stylists all favor a laid-back jeans and T-shirt dress code. A hearty clientele of men also seems to feel at home at the salon, most likely because they’re not treading on too-girly territory. — Molly Noonan