At Large in Ballard by Peggy Sturdivant

Do You Know Angelo?

I used to think I knew Ballard, but after nearly a year of writing this column, I am increasingly aware of what I don't know. Little secrets exist throughout the smaller neighborhoods within the whole. Community message boards, talking sculptures, which employees have recorded CD's and have club dates.... The more I look, the more I find. But how did I not know about the Two Angelos?

One Saturday morning on Market Street I exchanged greetings with a former co-worker and admired her new hair style. She said, "It's the two Angelos. Haven't you heard about them? I always go there, and it's not that expensive."

Over the next few weeks I began asking. "Have you heard a hair salon with two Angelos?" People would reply, "Are there two? I know about Angelo, across from the hospital. He's really Italian, been there for ages."

I set aside a day for research - starting with Double Shot Tuesday at the Express Espresso cart in the hospital cafeteria. "Angelo used to come here," Dean told me. "Very nice guy. Youngest of a family of 12, been cutting hair all of his life. His family was from near Venice. But I don't know a second Angelo."

I walked northwest on Tallman, eyeing the little house with the sign: Angelo Hair Design Studio. A distinguished looking man with grey hair and a firm stride stepped up and put a key in the lock. I recognized the man. I'd seen him walking near my house with a lunch bag on his way to work for the last 10 years - could that be Angelo? Still it was hours before I dared to skirt a classic Volvo parked in front, past the Parking for Accordion Players Only and turn the doorknob.

Two men were standing over clients in styling chairs; they glanced at me without surprise. It's certainly not unusual for strange women to walk into a hair salon. "I just wanted to ask a few questions." The younger of the two, with short bleached blond hair said, "You'll need to complete a questionnaire first." Just like that I'd entered the world of the Two Angelos of Tallman Avenue.

It's like entering the below sidewalk bar in the old sitcom Cheers, a place where everyone knows your name. There is immediate familiarity, zinging retorts, a variety of quirky characters. It's a place where you want to belong. Angelo One (also known as the Good Angelo) works more slowly with clients, sitting across from them while they tint. Angelo Two (also known as the Crazy One) is a whirling dervish who can do a partial foil, rinse and blow-dry while another client gets just a haircut with Angelo One.

Angelo Two's questions include: have you ever begged for a salon appointment before, (if not, please write a sample petition), do you need therapy? And, will I like you? I dutifully wrote out my answers while Angelo One cut and styled client Erik's hair.

Erik told me, "I needed a hair cut but didn't want to go to one of those dip and clip places. I happened to drive by Angelo's and the architecture struck me, I'm from back east, so the Tudor style spoke to me but I thought, well that place could be kind of pricey..."

"Which it wasn't," Angelo One interjected.

"And now I've been coming here for three or four years."

My first visit left me with more questions: how could two non-related men both named Angelo be stylists in the same salon? I've never known an Angelo before. I started bumping into Angelo One on his way home from work; he may have wondered if I was stalking him. I decided to drop off questionnaires in hopes of straight answers and they completed them without question, but revealed no secrets.

There really are two Angelos at Angelo Hair Design Studio. Angelo One is the original and has cut hair all of his life, living in Ballard since 1950 and raising his own family on Sunset Hill. He's 65 years old walks, to work every day, except in the summer when he bicycles. A few years ago he cross-country skied across Finland; the Vikings team soccer photo from 1965 is next to his styling chair - he challenges clients to pick him out in the photo. He cuts the hair, "of every generation in Ballard." There's a map of southern Italy on the wall and he'll point out Chioggia, where his family was from.

"Who does your hair?" he asked me, in his still strong accent.

Their story is that a few years ago Angelo Two was a stylist above Conor Byrne on Ballard Avenue, but considering a change. Someone told him he should check on an open chair over on Tallman. Supposedly when Angelo One learned that his name was indeed Angelo he said, "Whatever you want."

Angelo Two is exactly 20 years younger than Angelo One and a live wire. He talks, moves, cuts and retorts fast. He points out a Santa Lucia statue on a shelf and claims she's the patron saint of hairdressers. The classic Volvo is his and he's the accordion player. He's in, he's out for black coffee at Cugini's on Ballard Avenue. They're each from a different generation, not related except by given name, Italian ancestry and choice of profession. Although Angelo Two has a web site (iloveangelo.com), Angelo Hair Design Studio is not even listed in the phone book. "I don't know why," Angelo One says and shrugs, unconcerned.

Perhaps the salon was never a secret; it just seems like it. It's always cozy inside the little building that Angelo One has owned since the late 80's and I realize that I wish I was a regular. I want to hang out with the Angelos.

On my last visit, Angelo Two finished with a client; then checked his cell phone. "I just got a message from a woman who was in last night. When she came in, she said, 'I've been praying for a miracle, and I just met him.'"

"Was she talking about you?" I asked.

Angelo Two nodded.

"How did she look when she left?" I asked.

"Touched by an angel," Angelo replied. "Beautiful." And for a brief moment he was still, remembering.

Peggy can be reached atlargeinballard@yahoo.com. She writes additional pieces at http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/ballard.