Thanks to the success of the first ever Shop the Blocks last November, the event will return for round two this spring. 450 shoppers attended last fall and spent almost $50,000 at the participating retailers in less than four hours, which directly supported our local economy and small-business owners. Downtown boutiques, restaurants, caterers and bars worked together to create the most exciting and glamorous night of shopping Lincoln has ever seen. Luxury Limo provided transportation between the shops, and more than $1,500 in gift cards and merchandise were given away to several lucky winners.

Shoppers can expect to see all of the same downtown boutiques participating, with the addition of a few more locations that are joining in on the fun. Retailers will keep their doors open late on Thursday, April 19th from 5:00-9:00 p.m. and offer discounts, appetizers from downtown restaurants and caterers, as well as games, prizes, and so much more. Don’t miss out on this exciting shopping event. Round up your friends, and mark your calendar today!

For more information, follow Shop the Blocks on Facebook to be the first to know about the details, deals and shopportunities coming your way! Like Facebook.com/ShoptheBlocks for up-to-date details and visit ShoptheBlocks.com for ticket info.

Recent and ongoing developments spotlight the reoccurring vitality of downtown Lincoln:

Last month resulted in a large amount of building improvements and alterations, leading to an investment of $187,100 in downtown construction projects. This includes $135,000 worth of retail enhancements, $100 worth of school enhancements, and $52,000 worth of office/professional building improvements.

Downtown Business News

Capitol City Barber Shop is a Cut Above the Rest

When customers meet Max Starcic for the first time they learn two things very quickly. The first is that his slight accent hints at his New York roots, and the second is that he has a deep-seeded passion for his profession.

“When I was a kid, I always enjoyed going to a barber shop to get my haircut. Barbering is kind of a social club; I’ve been doing it professionally since I was a teenager, and I just really like working with people.”

After serving in the military and working at a few different barber shops in New York, Starcic, owner of Capitol City Barber Shop, moved to Nebraska in 2006 to be closer to his daughter that lives in Omaha.

In 2007, he saw the opportunity to open up his barber shop on 13th street between L and K Streets, and took it. In 2009, the shop closed temporarily while the building was being sold by the owners, but reopened in September of 2010.
Max, who’s trained in both cosmetology and barbering, says that while his shop mainly caters to men, he does offer a few services for women as well.
When he opened the store, Max says his aim was to give the shop an “old-time atmosphere with modern-day services” which would allow customers to go back in time and enjoy the ambience and services that are reminiscent of traditional barber shops.

Among some of the things that give Capitol City Barber Shop its vintage feel are a couple of barber chairs from 1904 Max bought at an antique store.
“And they still work!” he says with a laugh.

One of the big draws to the barber shop has been the straight razor shaves that they offer.

“I don’t know of any shop in Lincoln that does a straight razor shave, but I think that’s something that’s coming back. It seems to be most popular with the younger guys that have never had one done before. Along with the hot towel, it’s a very relaxing process.”
Capitol City Barber Shop is located at 427 S. 13th St. and is open for walk-ins or appointments on Monday thru Friday from 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m., and on Saturday from 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Max: 402.850.3944 David: 402.326.1266

Founded in 1967, the Downtown Lincoln Association provides services and champions initiatives for maintaining and enhancing our vibrant downtown. Our vision is to create an energetic downtown environment where we live, learn, work, invest and play. DLA has evolved into a multi-faceted organization supporting a wide range of programs and activities including maintenance, economic development and advocacy.

For a complete listing of downtown businesses, events and residences visit www.downtownlincoln.org. ‘Like’ us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/downtownlincoln.