Nick Castrello has one of the best ground-level views in downtown Syracuse.
On the first floor of Syracuse’s famous “flatiron building,” Castrello cuts hair six days a week at Wave Lengths Cutting Salon at 231 E. Washington St.
He and his clients love people-watching from the floor-to-ceiling windows, as passersby grab coffee from Recess or seafood lunches from Fish Friar around the corner.
“I’ve been doing hair so long, my customers come from all over,” said Castrello, 71. “That’s the nice thing about this business, your customers become friends.”
Longtime clients now bring their kids and grandkids to his chair. They’re local lawyers, bankers, photographers, students, and government workers. Castrello has no idea how many customers he has now.
“A lot I guess; I got my Old Faithfuls,” he said. “And I’ve always taken pride in my craft. It’s just me working here, so there’s not a lot of chatter. I think my customers like that, the intimacy.”
Pictures and memorabilia cover the walls of Castrello’s salon. There’s a New York Giants football pennant and helmet, old boxing posters, photos of beloved family dogs, and shots of Castrello performing with his band. (He sings and plays guitar for The Scoundrels, a summer funk/blues/rock group.)
Castrello has always worked downtown. He gets lunch at his favorite spots throughout the week: Soup R Salads, Darwin, Fish Friar or Story’s). He likes The Communion, Cha McCoy’s new wine shop next door.
And he’s watched the downtown skyline change drastically in his 43-year career.
“When I started, there were all those department stores downtown,” Castrello said. “That was kind of neat. They all left when they built the Carousel Mall [now Destiny USA]. So we lost that. But the people living here has really picked things up.”
That’s the biggest change he’s seen downtown, Castrello said: Constant development of new condos and apartment buildings in the past two decades.
“Downtown used to be just people working here,” he said. “Very few people lived downtown. Now it’s people working here and living here.”
Castrello never wanted to move to a bigger city.
“I like the affordability of Syracuse,” he said. “I need my space. I need my garden... All the years I’ve been downtown, I haven’t had trouble. It’s been smooth-sailing.”
Before Nick Castrello moved in, the space was occupied for decades by Alderic “Al” Caza, known widely as Frenchy. Frenchy’s Barber Shop was a fixture in Syracuse from 1922 through Caza’s retirement in 2005. Frenchy’s original hand-painted letters still remain on the window. Castrello put up his own Wave Lengths sign underneath it. (Katrina Tulloch)Katrina Tulloch
Back in the ‘80s, Castrello worked two years at a salon called Headlines and two years at a shop called Backstage. Then he “got the itch” to open his own place.
When the State Tower started renovations on his previous salon five years ago, he moved across the street to the East Washington Street space.
On clear mornings, sunlight streams in through his large windows, bouncing off Castrello’s mirrors and illuminating the triangular salon. His 10 leafy plants bask in the glow.
“It’s so sunny in here,” a customer remarked. “If I close my eyes, I could be on the beach.”
Before Castrello moved in, the space was occupied for decades by barber Alderic “Al” Caza, known widely as Frenchy. His father, the original “Frenchy,” opened the barber shop in 1922.
Frenchy’s Barber Shop was a fixture in Syracuse from 1922 through the second Caza’s retirement in 2005.
On the salon’s main window, Frenchy’s original hand-painted cursive letters remain.
“I knew Al Caza; Frenchy was a nice guy so I kept [his sign] up,” Castrello said. “My lawyer suggested it was ‘iconic Syracuse’ so we left it there.”
Castrello put up his own Wave Lengths sign underneath it.
Al Caza was the former owner of Frenchy's Barber Shop in the City Hall Commons. He retired in 2005 after 55 years as a barber. "It's been a lot of fun, it's been a good ride," he said in 2005. Caza died in 2020. Photo by Peter Chen.Peter Chen
On a prominent spot on Castrello’s wall is a wooden sign that reads “I’m a beautician, not a magician.”
It’s a good reminder, he said, to keep people from cutting their hair themselves.
That sense of humor served Castrello well for 43 years of business.
“Repair jobs are hard; I should charge double for those,” Castrello laughed. “This is a comb, it’s not a magic wand. We can do a lot but don’t expect miracles.”
Wave Lengths is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.
Katrina Tulloch shoots videos and writes stories for Syracuse.com and This is CNY. Contact her anytime: Email • Instagram • X • Facebook • 518-810-5022
Nick Castrello, the longtime barber shop owner of Wave Lengths, has been cutting hair in downtown Syracuse since 1981. He's pictured outside his East Washington Street salon in December.Katrina Tulloch