BEST BARBERSHOP

A clean crop is very important among the increasingly metrosexualized male population. Even the ghetto-fabulous hip-hop sect is all about looking so fresh and so clean these days. But that doesn't mean you have to leave behind your gansta' flair for a fine fade. Cutz, located on Biscayne Boulevard on the Upper East Side and co-owned by ex-Heatster Alonzo Mourning, has the flavor of an urban hangout, but with the polished appearance of a high-end salon. Wood floors, old-style stools, and portraits of black icons adorn the place as BET and rap tunes entertain those waiting. And wait you will, because these guys take their time, making sure the cut is just right. But it's always worth it -- ask any player on the Miami Heat roster. On any given day you can catch Dwyane Wade, Loren Woods, or Rasual Butler getting a pregame buzz. This place is so popular that not even the gangland execution of a hip-hop label exec, XELA Entertainment's Alexander Bernard Harris, as he sat in a stool at Cutz one fateful night last summer, deterred its faithful clientele; in fact business increased. But the real reasons for Cutz's success is the quality of its barbers/stylists, especially Jason, a Cuban link from Jersey, and Claude, a Haitian Biggie Smalls look-alike with a bellowing laugh. Just make sure you tip them, or your next do might be uneven.