Hyde Park, Chicago · Est. 1927
A Chicago institution.
100 years of
craft.
community.
history.
Rooted in history. Committed to the future.
Since 1927.
1927
The yearit opened
99
Years inHyde Park
6
Barbersbehind the chair
4
Custodiansproudly served
The institution
The chair has seen Chicago change.
It opened in 1927 as Taylor’s Barber Shop in the entrance of the historic Harper Theater building on 53rd Street. It became Cain’s Barbershop during the Civil Rights era, and officially took the name Hyde Park Hair Salon in 1975. The name changed. The block changed. The craft and community did not.
Three generations of Hyde Park families have had their hair cut here — first haircuts, wedding-day cuts, and the Saturday appointment somebody has kept for thirty years. University students, neighbours, people who moved away and still book when they are back in town.
The conversation matters as much as the cut. That is the part no chain can copy, and the reason people who could get a haircut anywhere still drive to Blackstone Avenue.
Read our story
Historic Hyde Park: The Harper Theater building on 53rd Street, 1927.
Walk-ins welcome. On the same block, since 1927.
Lineage
Our Custodians of HPHS.
Institutions don’t endure for a century by chance. They stand the test of time because they are grounded in purpose, connected to their communities, and guided by people who care deeply about their future. Behind every lasting legacy are custodians who understand that true ownership is not simply about what we possess, but what we preserve, nurture, and pass on to the next generation.
Ishmael Coye
Current OwnerJoined at twenty as the shop's youngest barber. He mastered his craft to become owner, relocating and expanding the shop while preserving its historic soul.
View ProfileNaim Sabree
1985 — Present LineageTransformed the shop into a cultural and spiritual hub known for its warm camaraderie, inclusive energy, and high-profile clientele.
Leroy Cain
1964 — 1985The first Black owner. Bought the shop during Urban Renewal and built a diverse, staple community institution serving prominent Chicago figures.
Joe Taylor
Prior to 1964Operated the original barbershop prior to 1964 out of the storefront at 53rd Street and Harper Avenue.
Master barber Ishmael Coye with Cedric the Entertainer, Regina Hall, Ice Cube, Anthony Anderson, and Deon Cole at Hyde Park Hair Salon.
People
The people who sat in these chairs.
Mostly neighbours. Teachers, students, tradespeople, families who have been coming for decades.
Along the way the shop has also cut the hair of Chicagoans whose names travelled further — athletes, entertainers, and public figures, among them Barack Obama, a patron here long before the rest of the world was paying attention.
We do not make much of it inside the shop. A haircut is a haircut. But it is part of why people come from other countries to stand on this block, and it is a history worth telling properly.
Visit
5234 S Blackstone Ave.
Hyde Park, Chicago, IL 60615. A few minutes from the University of Chicago campus and walkable from the Metra Electric.
- Address
- 5234 S Blackstone Ave, Chicago, IL 60615
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Sat–Sun: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM - Walk-ins
- Welcome
- Phone
- (773) 493-6028
- Parking
- Metered street parking on S. Blackstone Ave & E. 53rd St
- Accessibility
- Step-free street level entrance
Experience Hyde Park.
A neighbourhood institution. A century of stories. A working Chicago barbershop.
People already travel here to see the shop. We are building a proper way to welcome them — heritage visits, group bookings, and a route through the neighbourhood that starts at our door. Nothing is bookable yet.
In the shop
Hyde Park, day to day.
