Hair Salon in Lincoln Park: What 3rd Coast Salon Offers

Lincoln Park clients ask us a specific question almost every week: is it worth the trip down to River North for color, or should they stick with a salon a few blocks from home? We are honest about it. If you want a quick trim and a blowout, plenty of Lincoln Park salons can handle that. But if you are booking color, balayage, a color correction, or extensions, the short drive south to 3rd Coast Salon is the reason our chairs stay full with Lincoln Park regulars.

We are at 223 West Erie Street, Suite 1E, about a ten minute drive from most of Lincoln Park depending on traffic on LaSalle or Clark. A lot of our Lincoln Park clients pair their appointment with lunch in River North or a stop at the grocery on the way home. The point is: we are close enough to be your neighborhood salon, even if the neighborhood map technically puts us in River North.

What our Lincoln Park clients usually book

The consultations we run with Lincoln Park clients lean heavily toward color and color maintenance. A few patterns we see:

Blondes who have been chasing the same tone for years and are tired of brassiness setting in by week four. Kevin, our master colorist, spends a long time on these consultations because the fix is usually a combination of how the highlights are placed, what gloss is used at the bowl, and what shampoo the client is using at home. We talk all of it through before we touch the hair.

Clients with grown-out balayage who want to stretch the appointment to six months without looking like they are stretching it. This is a placement question, not a color question, and it is most of what we do.

Extension clients, mostly hand-tied wefts, who maintain on an eight to ten week schedule. Phillip handles most of our extension work and pre-books these appointments out a full year so the timing never slips.

First-time color corrections from a box dye or a previous salon visit that did not land. These take longer than a standard appointment and we are upfront about that in the consultation.

For anyone curious how we approach the fade question specifically, we wrote a piece on why hair color fades so fast that covers the home-care side honestly.

How a first appointment actually runs

When a Lincoln Park client books with us for the first time, we ask them to come in fifteen minutes early. Not because we are running behind, but because the consultation is where the whole appointment gets planned. We look at the hair dry, in the salon's lighting, and ask what has been done to it in the last two years. Box color, previous highlights, a keratin treatment, an old perm: all of it matters for how the formula gets built.

For a standard balayage, plan on three to three and a half hours. For a single-process color with a gloss, closer to two. Extensions take longer for the install and we schedule those separately from color. Color corrections are quoted in phases, sometimes across two appointments, because doing it in one sitting compromises the hair.

We tone every color client at the bowl before they sit in the styling chair. That is the step that gets skipped at a lot of salons and it is the difference between walking out with the tone you wanted and walking out with something close.

Why Lincoln Park clients keep the drive on the calendar

Three reasons we hear most often:

The consultation actually happens. Not a thirty-second "so what are we doing today" while the cape is going on. A real conversation about the hair, the history, and the goal.

We pre-book. Before you leave the chair, we get your next appointment on the calendar with your stylist. For color and extension clients on a maintenance schedule, this is the only way to guarantee the same chair and the same hands every time. We wrote about why we pre-book every client if you want the full reasoning.

The team is consistent. Kevin on color and corrections. Phillip on cuts and extensions. Daniel, Natasha, John, Reyna, Diana, and Kristen each with their own specialties. We are a boutique salon, which means you see the same faces every visit and your stylist knows your hair history without pulling up notes.

If you are weighing options, we put together a guide to picking a hair salon in Chicago that lays out what to look for honestly, not just what flatters us.

Pricing

We quote pricing during the consultation because the honest answer depends on length, density, and what the hair needs. Haircuts start at our standard rate. Single-process color, balayage, and color correction are priced based on the appointment time and the products used. Extensions are quoted after a consultation that includes a match for color and texture. If budget is a factor, tell us in the consultation. We can often plan the work in phases that fit a schedule.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to get from Lincoln Park to your salon?

Most Lincoln Park clients tell us ten to fifteen minutes depending on time of day and which part of the neighborhood they are coming from. There is street parking on Erie and the surrounding blocks, and a few paid garages within a block of the salon if you would rather not circle.

Do I need a consultation before booking color?

For a touch-up of color we have done before, no. For a first-time balayage, a color correction, or any extension work, we ask for a consultation first so we can plan the appointment honestly and quote it accurately. Consultations are short and can usually happen the same week you call.

What if I have been going to another salon and want to switch?

Bring photos of your hair from the last few appointments if you have them, and tell us in the consultation what you liked and what you wanted different. We do not bad-mouth other salons. We just figure out what your hair needs from here.

Book your appointment

If you are in Lincoln Park and ready to try us, give us a call or book online. Tell us what you are looking for in the booking notes and we will pair you with the right stylist on the team. We are looking forward to meeting you.