Astor Place Hairstylists has been saved from closure by wealthy customers

It's a holiday miracle and a very close shave. The Village's iconic Astor Place Hairstylists, which has been in business for over 75 years, was set to close at the end of November, but the NY Post reports that the business has been saved thanks to a wealthy customers. A group of donors -- which includes financier Jonathan Trichter, Mike Bloomberg advisor Howard Wolfson, pollster Jefrey Pollock, and real estate and gaming bigwig Jeff Gural -- have raised enough money to keep the barbershop “open for at least another 75 years," Trichter told The Post.

“We were going to close this week," manager Paul Vezza (whose grandfather was one of the original owners) told The Post. "This was an 11th-hour save. Better days are ahead."

Gural, who owns the building Astor Place Hairstylists is located in, agreed to waive rent for the time being after personal calls from Trichter and NYC mayor Bill de Blasio, who is a longtime customer. "I’ve been going to Astor Hair since my college days, and I’ll be going back until there’s nothing left to cut," said De Blasio in a statement. "I was proud to work with some fellow customers to find a way to keep this institution in business, and I hope New Yorkers will think about all their favorite local spots this holiday season."