• Haven

  150 Mercer St., 212-343-3515

  Even those women who don’t force their feet into fashion’s latest torture devices need to get rid of the dry heels and cuticles that our pedestrian-oriented city creates—and we’re not even talking about during the summer, when feet are relentlessly exposed as well as pounded. The hallmark of a great urban pedicure, then, is an aggressive yet loving approach to softening. Haven’s Foot Renaissance starts with a soak in algae and essential oils, followed by a hydrating wrap and massage ($70). Your now-velvety-soft feet are then immaculately pedicured and polished. And because it’s unsanitary to use the same instruments on different customers, you get to keep the nail cleaner, foot scrubber, and buffer that were used. If you bring the tools back on your next visit, they’ll take $2 off your pedicure.

From the 2006 Best of New York issue of New York Magazine