| The Parlor | The Layout | What Happens | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best Deal Melanie's Body and Foot Massage | Two tiny rooms inside Tinny Beauty School. Ignore the scary machines and bevy of heavily made-up women outside. | Helen works wonders with a steamed towel, and her Thai foot massage ends with an awe-inspiring knee rub. | 75 cents a minute, 126 Lafayette St., nr. Canal St., second fl. 917-680-7843. |
| Best Facial Katy's Face Center | Cluttered, well-equipped four-room spa. | Katy, a 41-year-old industrious Hong Konger, makes you fill out a very detailed questionnaire. Her face massage is exquisite. | $1 a minute, 184 Mott St., nr. Kenmare St.; 212-226-3278. |
| Best Walkin Wu Lim Services | Cavernous rooms of four to fourteen beds filled with naked women draped with towels. Not for the modest. | The masseurs talk to each other constantly, but you get sixteen minutes of invigorating Chi Quong. Men might prefer 179 Grand, where the clientele is more male. | 70 cents a minute 145 Grand St., nr. Lafayette St.; 212-925-1276; 179 Grand St., nr. Baxter St.; 212-334-3909. |
Getting a Massage
How do you choose from among the dozens of FOOT BACK RUB! basement entrances? Aim for 70 cents a minute. Skip places that charge more than $1 a minute unless you really crave a door that closes and a table longer than five feet eight.
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