So Long to a Salon of Beauty

Rents and the mercenary landlords who raise them have claimed another victim in Santa Barbara--Nicholas Salon of Beauty, better known as Nicky's, better known as the place to buy your George W. Bush toilet paper. The cheery shop at the corner of Anacapa and the one-block Arlington Avenue has been the place to get the unusual, the political, the flat-out most fun gifts and cards since about 1997. As for the owner, Nicolas Gekis, he not only stocked the shop but kept up the beauty shop, a place so ameniable that the few times my mom came out to visit and had to get her hair done (she was of that generation, after all, of the weekly set and monthly perm) she went there and left happy. Or, at least, happy as my mom got. And that wasn't easy, given she liked to find the one thing to complain about that for her would then ruin the whole experience (bitter coffee after a fine meal--the whole evening was terrible). Nicky's couldn't get a better testimonial than pleasing Marge.

Rumor has it that Nicky will be cutting hair somewhere in town, just not in his own shop, the one his father started in 1956. Meanwhile everyone on our Christmas list will have gifts all the less interesting, while the building's new owner better be happy hearing that ca-ching of cash. The store closes June 30, so be sure to stop in, say goodbye, and get a good buy at the sale. You can never have too many wind-up toys, you know.