Hair Salons Near theMART: A River North Local's Guide

The short version: theMART is one of the most recognized buildings in Chicago, and River North around it has a dense cluster of hair salons. 3rd Coast Salon is at 223 W Erie Street, Suite 1E, north of theMART in River North. The nearest L stop is Chicago Avenue on the Brown and Purple Lines. If you work or live in the towers around theMART, this guide will help you pick the right salon for a lunch-hour cut or a Friday color refresh.

If you spend your work week in or around the Merchandise Mart, finding a hair salon close enough for a lunch appointment is its own kind of search. The Mart has more than four million square feet of tenants, so on any given day there are tens of thousands of people walking through. A salon within walking distance is not just a convenience, it is the difference between keeping the appointment and rescheduling it for the third time.

We are 3rd Coast Salon, a boutique suite at 223 W Erie Street, Suite 1E, in River North. This guide is meant to help you find the right salon for your hair, whether that is us or one of the other shops in the area.

Why is theMART such a useful landmark for finding a salon?

The Merchandise Mart sits right on the Chicago River at the south edge of River North, so most people in the area know exactly where it is. The Brown and Purple Lines both stop at the Merchandise Mart station, which means you can get to the neighborhood easily from the Loop, the West Loop, or Lincoln Park.

Most people searching "hair salons near theMART" fall into one of three groups: people who work inside the building, people staying at nearby hotels like the Renaissance or the Conrad, or East Bank Club members fitting in an appointment around a workout.

How do you get to 3rd Coast Salon from theMART?

We are on the first floor of 223 W Erie Street, Suite 1E, north of theMART. For walking directions from your building, use the Get Directions button on our contact page, which opens Google Maps with our address filled in.

If you take the L in for an appointment, the nearest stop is Chicago Avenue on the Brown and Purple Lines. The Merchandise Mart station on the same lines also works if you are already in the building.

What is near the salon if you want to make a half day of it?

River North makes it easy to turn a long appointment into an afternoon. The Chicago Riverwalk is in the neighborhood, and after a color appointment in summer a lot of guests head down to the river before going home. Bonci Pizzeria, RPM Italian, Tre Soldi, and the Doughnut Vault are all in River North, and the East Bank Club is in the neighborhood if you have a workout to fit in around your appointment.

The River North Gallery District is part of the same neighborhood. If you are coming in for a longer service like balayage or extensions, that is a three to four hour window where you can park, get your hair done, and visit a gallery or grab dinner before heading back.

What kinds of appointments work best for people coming from theMART?

A few patterns we see from guests who work in or around the Mart:

• Lunch hour cuts. A men's haircut with Phillip runs about 45 minutes and fits inside an extended lunch. Women's cuts depend on length and style.
• End-of-day color refresh. Single process color or a money piece can be done in 90 minutes. Evening slots Tuesday through Friday suit guests coming off work.
• Friday morning blowouts. A blowout before a Friday dinner or event runs 45 to 60 minutes. We hold morning slots open for these.
• Bridal trials and special-occasion styling. The Riverwalk, the Wrigley Building, and the Loop hotels are popular wedding venues. We see a lot of bridal styling traffic from theMART area guests in May and September.

How we think about the Mart-area client (in our own words)

When someone tells us they work in the Mart, we know the lunch hour is real, and that a color session running long means a missed meeting rather than a late lunch. So we build a buffer in for guests on a tight schedule, and we tell you up front if a service will run over. We would rather you book a slightly longer slot than have you walk out with toner in your hair because you were watching the clock.

Kevin handles most of our same-day color refreshes because his timing is the most consistent on the team. If you are booking a 60 minute window, ask for him.

Who this guide is NOT for

If you are looking for the cheapest haircut near theMART, we are not it. The towers around the Mart have a few quick-cut chain options on the ground floor and at the Loop end of Wells Street. Those are fine for a maintenance trim and they are faster to book. If a 20 minute trim under $30 is what you want, those chains are a better fit. We are a boutique stylist-led salon, which means longer appointments and a different price point.

Since the real question behind most salon searches is cost, here is what moves that number at any salon in this city. Length and density come first. Dense hair past the shoulders takes more sections, more product, and more time in the chair than the same service on a chin-length bob, and chair time is what a salon sells. Where your hair is starting matters just as much. Lifting level 2 or 3 hair to a cool blonde is a different job than brightening someone already at a level 7, and it often cannot be done safely in one visit. Two or three sessions spaced weeks apart is normal for a big change, and each one is its own appointment.

After that it is partial versus full placement, whether a gloss or toner is built into the service or added on, how much color a full head of hair takes, and the experience level of the person holding the brush. In a Chicago salon, dimensional color like that usually lands somewhere in the low hundreds, and a multi-session correction can run several times that. Cuts sit well below color. Your own number gets set at the consultation, once a stylist has your hair in their hands. Current starting prices for every service are on our service menu.

How to book if you are coming from theMART

Call (312) 929-2627 from your desk and we will check the schedule, or use Book Online any time. Tell us when you book that you are coming from the Mart so we can pad the schedule slightly. For service details, browse our full services menu or our color services.

Frequently asked questions

Where is 3rd Coast Salon in relation to theMART?

We are at 223 W Erie Street, Suite 1E, north of theMART in River North. The Get Directions button on our contact page opens walking directions in Google Maps.

What is the closest L stop to 3rd Coast Salon?

Chicago Avenue on the Brown and Purple Lines. The Merchandise Mart station on the same lines also serves the neighborhood.

Can I get a haircut on my lunch hour from theMART?

Yes. A men's cut runs about 45 minutes. A maintenance women's cut can fit inside an extended lunch. Book in advance and tell us your timing when you book.

Where can I park near 3rd Coast Salon?

There is metered street parking on Erie and Huron, and paid garages in the neighborhood. Many guests reserve a spot ahead of time through SpotHero.

Are there other hair salons close to theMART?

Yes. River North has many salons. We are one of the smaller boutique options. Larger floor-style salons are also in the neighborhood.

Do you offer same-day appointments for people in the area?

Sometimes. Tuesday through Friday we hold a few flexible slots open. Call the salon directly for same-day rather than booking online.

Is the walk from theMART safe in the evening?

Yes. The Wells and Erie corridor is a busy mixed-use stretch with restaurants and offices, well lit through the evening hours.

Do you take East Bank Club members?

We do not have a formal partnership, but a number of our regulars are East Bank Club members who come over after a workout.

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