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Largo Explorer: The Hair Jungle
By RITA FARLOW, Times Staff Writer
Published January 20, 2008
Cross the threshold of Joseph Stefko's hair salon and downtown Largo suddenly seems very far away. Maybe it's the sweet smell of gardenia greeting you when you come through the door, or the hushed song of courting crickets serenading you while you get your hair done. Most likely, it's the lush, tropical back yard that will trick you into thinking you've stepped back in time to old Florida. Located in a charming 1950s bungalow just a block off bustling West Bay Drive, the Hair Jungle offers solutions to more than just a bad hair day. Leave your everyday, workaday world stresses at the door, Stefko says, and he will pamper you until you've forgotten what was bothering you earlier. In addition to cuts, perms and color, the Hair Jungle offers something less tangible: tranquility. Clients who arrive early can wait on the sun porch that overlooks the garden, or head outside to commune with nature. The first thing you notice is the large bamboo cage filled with tiny, twittering finches of varying colors. Walk across the wide, red bridge that spans a small stream and follow the brick path that meanders under the sprawling canopy of a large live oak tree. Have a seat on one of the yellow Adirondack chairs and enjoy a moment of respite among the ferns and caladiums. In September, Stefko moved his business from its former location on West Bay to the home he had renovated and lived in for five years. During that time, the yard evolved from a barren, sandy lot to a garden loaded with tropical vegetation, bubbling fountains and spots for quiet reflection. Go for the haircut, but stay for the aesthetically-pleasing experience. It's a jungle out there, and that's fine by me. All I know is that I don't want to leave. Rita Farlow can be reached at farlow@sptimes.com or 727 445-4162. Where: 154 Sixth St. NW For appointments: (727) 581-6134. Price: men's haircut: $17, women's haircut: $29.
[Last modified January 20, 2008, 01:54:01]
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