Boston

Popular Boston Barber Retiring After 6 Decades in Business

A popular barber in Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood will be closing his doors next week after nearly 60 years in business.

"It's not easy," said Joe Monahan. "Not easy not at all."

At 86, Monahan decided it was finally time to retire and spend more time with his family, which includes nine kids and several grandkids.

"You wonder if I feel like retiring? No, I don't," Monahan explained. "But it's alright, all these memories."

The shop first opened along Hyde Park Avenue in 1959. Monahan was in his late 20s and had been working for a business in Roslindale until then. Once he opened his own space, he never left.

"It's like a bygone era. You don't see that anymore someone like this is around for that long," said customer Allen Donnelly, who has been coming to Monahan since he was a kid.

While many of his customers have moved away over the years, they still return whenever they can for a conversation and haircut.

"If you're lucky, you walk in and there's about four or five guys here, they're all talking about the same thing," said John Hughes, a longtime customer and local police officer.

While Monahan is looking forward to missing the morning commute to work, he will always miss the business and its customers who have helped make the shop a second home.

"You don't know if you'll ever see them again. It's tough," he said. "They're family."

Monahan's final day will be Friday, Sept. 14.

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