An Oasis in the City

Yes, it's winter time, with all that entails: snow, freezing cold, blustery winds and black ice patches. But it's also a perfect time to treat yourself to a well-deserved day (or hour) at one of the city's well-reputed spas. And I've been finding plenty of them, so I thought it would be only fair to share the good ones and maybe steer you away from the lesser-ones.

This little post is a total thumbs up for Oasis Day Spa, (oasisdayspanyc.com) with two Manhattan locations and one in Westchester (oasiswestchester.com). I had the distinct pleasure of having a delightful Lava Stone Massage at the Park Avenue location and I am happy to report that no rocks were dropped on my head! The last time I experienced a stone massage (not in New York) the woman was apparently all-thumbs and I was the unhappy recipient of a goodly number of rocks that went crashing down on me. So it was with great trepidation that I agreed to take another stab at it.

Boy, was that a great call. The skilled therapist, Bruce Baltz, has been with the company roughly 11 years (with an absence that didn't last too long) and trains therapists internationally on the secrets of providing excellent stone massage. He knew what he was doing, no doubt, as I felt taut muscles practically melt beneath his agile fingers and rock. The rocks were used as extensions of his hands, he explained, and were never hot. Warm and cool were the two temperatures of the beautifully formed lava rock and cool marble. He kneaded and stroked my tense neck muscles, my hamstrings and neck until I almost melted into the table.

The spa is run by caring owners, too. Owner Bruce Schoenberg explained the importance of giving back to the community and detailed the many charitable organizations Oasis contributed to with free massages and the like. The guiding philosophy of the spa, said Bruce, was to treat every customer with the utmost consideration and respect. This philosophy was evident when one woman complained about the lounge room's temperature. It was immediately raised to a more comfortable temperature and everyone was happy.

You'll find 19 treatment rooms at the Park Avenue site, with a sauna, some nice dried fruit and almond nibbles and orange and lemon water for snacks.

Check out the website for Oasis, and treat yourself to some feel-good time. Your back will thank you.

New Year New Post New York

And so it goes.

The circle has brought us back to Square One (New York) where we have landed after years wandering, first in the desert, then in the Pacific Northwest.

It was a rich and bountiful adventure, filled with discovery and revelations.

A major revelation was that we belonged on this side of the country, in the state of New. And my focus will now be on city spas, of which there are hundreds throughout the metropolitan area. And I will report my findings to this site and hope I will not experience hot rocks dropped on my head ever again.

I'll be back.