The Yankees are up by five. The Mets still suck. You might just be lucky enough to stumble upon a similar conversation that barber Ed Rodriguez Jr. and regular customer Joe Farmer will share, whenever the latter is in need of a fresh cut.

Founded in 1964, Downtown Barber Shop is the oldest barbershop downtown. Current owner Shana Dean purchased the shop this past May. On the other end of the barber chair, Ed Rodriguez has been clipping and styling hair in Harrisonburg since 2019.

Rodriguez, who describes himself as “Nuyorican,”or being from New York with roots in Puerto Rico, says his interest in barbering came from a fusion of his interests: styling and small-talk. While Rodriguez has always had a passion for conversation, he began taking up haircuts as a hobby in college 30 years ago.

“Barbering is where I can make people feel good about themselves and also give them a haircut that they like,” Rodriguez said. 

However, haircutting, just like any other hobby, is a skill to be honed. Rodriguez compared it to learning an instrument. 

“There are techniques you need to master and there are skill sets. But with time and practice, it’s like anything,” Rodriguez said. “If you’re going to learn how to play guitar, if you just do it every now and then it’s not going to work.”  

Harrisonburg, happening to be a college town, brings both opportunities and challenges to the shop. No matter what time of year it is, business is largely the same, even when school is out. Although JMU students still need haircuts just as much as anyone else, the majority of customers are older folks who grew up visiting Downtown.

“Because the shop is as old as it is, there are families that have been coming here since the sixties,” Rodriguez said. “One generation after another.”

Aside from that, JMU brings people of all races and ethnicities to Harrisonburg which sometimes poses a challenge for the team of barbers since many are not as used to styling diverse hair types. 

However, when he’s faced with challenges like this, honesty is always the best policy. While the team is always committed to taking care of every customer, it’s important to recognize limits and boundaries; there might be certain things customers are looking for that he or the other barbers just can’t provide. 

“Lesson for life, to just be honest,” Rodriguez said. “Just be honest.”

Aside from haircutting, socializing is another forte of Rodriguez. That’s where barbershop regular Joe Farmer comes in. Despite his name, Farmer was raised in New York, giving him and Rodriguez something in common. As a result, both are passionate Yankees fans and enjoy trashing the Mets whenever Farmer needs a haircut. 

All in all, Downtown Barber Shop isn’t just a place that people go to for haircuts, but it’s a place that represents the heart and soul of Harrisonburg.