New York City Affordable Places

While wandering through Tribeca, pooch in tow, I saw a tranquil sign that said, “Tribeca Beauty Spa.” Beauty Spa? I love beauty! Enter me and said pooch to a calm, serene dimly lit spa. The first think I noticed was the organization. Are we still in cramped Manhattan? I asked the pup, and reached to the neat, glossy brochure to browse the menu of their services. A full-service spa, Tribeca Beauty Spa offers everything from traditional Swedish and hot stone massages to Holistic Rebalancing Therapy – a combination Swedish massage that infuses reflexive therapy and hot stones, placed on the seven chakras of your body. The massage therapist then performs an energy balancing treatment over your entire body followed by a hot stone massage.
What was more exciting were the variety of seasonal specials at Tribeca Beauty Spa. For a limited time, they are offering the Holistic Rebalancing Therapy for $150 rather than the original $175. Too steep for your budget? Never fear. The Tribeca Beauty Spa aims to work within their clients needs. Their most recent offer included a free pedicure with purchase of any 60 minute massage. Their average hour long massage goes for about $105, and while you may be able to find a massage less expesive elsewhere, you cannot find a massage and 45 minute pedi for this price. The Tribeca Pedicure is heavenly. They offer the traditional cuticle trim, exfoliation and polish with extra luxuries like a salt glow and moisturizing massage.

Tribeca Beauty Spa became my favorite place to buy gift certificates. Less showy than Bliss and Glow but with the same clean, serene atmosphere. Plus, spending an afternoon in tranquil Tribeca is a wonderful break from the suits in midtown or tourists in Soho. So wonderful, I might just move there.
Tribeca Beauty Spa   8 Harrison Street; 212-343.2376

Emma Dinzebach

What do Jay Z & Beyonce, Anna Wintour, Twitter creator Jack Dorsey and designer Chris Benz and myself have in common? Hint: Not recession-proof bank accounts. We’ve all patroned the Standard Grill since it opened it’s doors to the public almost a month ago. Well, us and thousands of others. Highline Park and the emergence of sunshine mobilized New Yorkers and tourists alike to the Meat Packing just in time to try the new Standard’s Standard Grill. Of course, I didn’t see any of them when I was there, but hey, they didn’t see me either.

Before writing this review, I browsed through some Yelp reviews to measure my opinion with those of other diners. I found the usual mixture of disses and praises, but thought the reviewers missed a key element of dining at…well, of dining in general. Like writers have to know their audiences, food critics have to know their atmosphere. Gotham is chock full of restaurants with medium food but a great setting. While you may not love Tao, you know the ambiance is your best bet for say, a bachelorette party. While I sought to review the food at Standard Grill, I also, almost equally, sought to measure the environment.

And the floor is tiled with pennies! The Standard Grill found a useful, um, use for America’s most confusing currency. Okay, so they weren’t the first. (The Paul Smith store in Paris has currency tiled walls and apparently some courthouse in Tuscon cashed in on the penny idea several years ago.) But it looks cool. In combo with the vaulted beamed ceilings and cushy red banquets, the Grill’s dining room is nice. As are the patrons – understated trendy and lively, the dining room and adjacent white bar room are packed from 7 to 9 or later, so if you aim dine in peace go early or eat late.
Chef Dan Silverman cooks a mean roast chicken as well as lamb chops and Steak Frites. I’m from the Midwest, and you know I’m choosy about my steak, but the steak at Standard Grill is actually delicious, cook beautifully and only slightly flavored. All Standard Grill’s meat is locally grown (plus) and prices hover around the low 20’s (plus, plus). The duck fat smashed potatoes are also amazing, if slightly bad for your figure. And the charred octopus is DELICIOUS. It may be one of the best octopus dishes I’ve had. Some friends had the trout, which was flaky and tender and came with pine nuts and currants, which sounds weird, but really worked. For dessert I had the humble pie (rhubarb and chocolate) with vanilla ice cream.

I’m not saying the Standard Grill deserves four stars for amazing cuisine – except the octopus – but it is reasonably priced, fun and has a great outdoor seating area.  I think it’s a worth a visit as the ambiance makes for a fun night any day of the week and the patron’s maintain The Standard Hotel’s measure for cool…meaning it’s cool. We may need that if this summer ever heats up.

The Standard Grill  open for breakfast 7a.m. to 11a.m and dinner from 5:30 seven days a week, located on the corner of Washington and West 13th Street; 212-645-4100

Emma Dinzebach

It’s summer, and we can’t trot around with tattered toes and dirty digits, but traditional nail salons give us a headache and leave our pure bodies feeling toxic! In early May, I discovered WINK Beauty Bar, the only eco-friendly beauty bar in North Brooklyn, and have been a convert ever since. From their  sustainable storefront to their green products, W!NK offers “eco chic beauty treatments” such as nail care, body treatments, massages, eye brow maintenance, make up application, detox treatments and more.

I’m a convert. Walking into W!NK is a complete different experience than any New York City beauty bar. A beauty experience at W!NK is relaxing, calming and void of gross fumes, dust particles and scary tools of most NYC salons more concerned with cutting costs than the health of their customers. Products at W!NK do not contain parabens, formaldehyde, phalates or toluene. All are organic, vegan, and authentically natural. Ahhhh…. Polishes you can surely find at W!NK are Zoya, O.P.I. and Spa Ritual.

Better yet? Their sanitary services meet New York State health code requirements. (i.e. Their tools are disinfected place in a medical-grade autoclave; far superior to UV light boxes some salons use and better for your health than bleach and harsh chemicals.) Still better? A mani/pedi combo runs $40 and if you opt for their ECO Mani/Pedi, W!NK will trip, buff and shape your nails sans polish for just $28.
W!NK’s signature green facial includes deep cleansing, detox mask, exfoliation, an  herbal steam and a massage. Oo la la.

W!NK’s waxing services use a vegetable based wax, and they offer an extensive menu of body and detox services for both men and women at a price less than or comparable to For a complete list of W!NK’s services click here.

W!NK
602 Vanderbilt Street
(between St. Mark’s Ave & Prospect Place)
Prospect Heights, Brooklyn 11238
718.230.3443

The unusually cool weather made June feel like May and now suddenly, it’s the 4th of July. Woot! Woot! What to eat? Lucky for us this city is full of inexpensive American eats that both epitomize and obscure traditional American food. This means burgers, beers, dawgs, brats and BBQ all reinvented and retained for your palate’s pleasure. But this weekend you need to go all out and have a few (or many) friends to feed. Unsure where to do each? That’s what menupages is for people, but we’ll tell you which neighborhood joint is worth the trip out of your hood.

Daisy May’s BBQ – Sure the commercials are queer, but hailing from St. Louis, I can say this is the best BBQ in the city. No offense to Danny Meyer, but Daisy May’s realizes that there is some smothering involved in BBQ, and since they aren’t competing for presentation, they can smother away. If you only go once a year get a pulled pork sandwich or the Kansas City sweet and sticky pork ribs – a messy mixture of ketchupy barbecue sauce and sweet tang.

For those planning on serving a large party (6 or more), there is a catering menu and the staff are more than helpful. Here you can order whole hogs and pork butts. The whole hogs are straight up terrifying, and no, it isn’t necessary for them to leave the squeal-stoned heads on, but they do. So get a brave friend to slice her up, and keep away from small children. I’d get the pork butt. I realize it says butt and therefore sounds sickening, but it’s delicious and much easier to manage than the whole hog.  And yes, I’ve had both. I told you, I’m from the Midwest!

But the real winners at Daisy May’s are the sides. I don’t like the cole slaw because it’s too mayonnaisey for me, but the creamed corn, creamed spinach, baked beans with burnt ends and brown sugar sweet potatoes are delicious. Actually, delicious understates how good the brown sugar sweet potatoes are. They are to die for.  Lastly, this is NOT health food people, so plan on spending the next couple days working it off.

From The Vogue City to you, have a happy and safe Independence Day New York.

623 East 11th at 46th Street  212.977.1500

Can’t get to Hell’s Kitchen? Visit them on the web at www.daisymays.com for city-wide push cart locations.