Doodle Doo’s
543 Hudson St., nr. Perry St. 212-627-3667
All too often, kids’ chop shops are either members-only enclaves or single-chair afterthoughts stuck in a corner of a salon. The small, bustling Doodle Doo’s is neither. Owner Dana Rywelski is a former nanny (her old charge lives a few blocks from the store) with a master’s degree in education, a (perfectly coiffed) 1-year-old son, and an intimate knowledge of the families tottering around the West Village. She’s filled her store with a well-curated toy and book selection (tell her you’re looking for a birthday present and she morphs into a personal shopper). It’s true, the wooden chairs shaped like boats and cars and the DVD selection (a welcome distraction while cutting) can be found at other kiddie shops around town. But the first-rate hairdressers—all trained in the art of defusing tantrums—can’t.