To much anticipated fanfare, Nordstrom’s has finally come to Manhattan albeit a Nordstrom Rack. The store occupies 32,000 square feet once occupied by Virgin Records at Union Square.

If you are a bargain shopper, Nordstrom Rack is for you, especially if you are looking for designer duds at discounted prices.

Nordstrom Rack sells clothing, shoes and accessories at 50-60% off the original price and carries many of the same brands as the regular Nordstrom stores. There seemed to be a gazillion racks of shoes and handbags. The best part about shopping at Nordstrom Rack is that they offer on-site tailoring, quite a plus for a discount store.

If you are in the mood for some bargain shopping and have the patience, head to Nordstrom Rack.

1 Union Square South
Subway: 4, 5, 6, N, R, Q, W to 14th Street

When I first arrived at Omni Wellness I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’ve never received acupuncture before. I went based on a referral and had an open mind with only one ingrained misconception: all my ailments would be cured at once after being stuck with a million needles. Misconceptions or not, my experience at Omni was a truly rewarding experience.

Plus #1: My health insurance covered my visit, but they clearly stated their willingness to work with me within my budget had it not.

Plus #2: Omni Wellness is conveniently located in at 928 Broadway between 21 and 22nd streets, easily accessible by all forms of public transportation.

Plus #3: Unless you’re a student of Chinese medicine the terminology of acupuncture can be intimidating or downright ridiculous. The acupuncturists on staff (independent practitioners who lease space on site) do a really great job of gauging the knowledge of their clients and communicating with them and to them at their level. Not once during my time there did I feel like I was being fed a bunch of mumbo jumbo.

Plus #4: Omni’s offices were clean, minimalistic and invited you to relax. The lights were low, but not so much that you had to squint in order to see your way around.

Plus #5: The consultation. My acupuncturist, Seanna Sifflet, Lac, LMSW, an amazing and very reassuring person, spoke with me at length about all that ailed me, stressed me, and all that didn’t. This happened before I received my first needle. It was an experience that cleared my head and would’ve erased any unease had I had any prior to receiving treatment.

40 minutes later I emerged from my mini-vacation feeling as if I had been taken away from it all, if only for a little while. I was given my prescription: drink plenty of water and get a good night’s rest. I made an appointment for my next visit and extended my hand for the customary shake. This was promptly dismissed by Seanna who instead gave me a hug. I can’t say I’ve ever been hugged at the doctor’s office, but strangely enough this felt pretty natural. Within two days all but one ailment remained after my treatment. If I wasn’t a full believer before, I definitely am now.

Omni Wellness’ amenities don’t stop at acupuncture. They also have chiropractic, skincare and massage services, rounding out an entire menu of care. If you plan your day accordingly I’m sure you could make a day of it. But unless someone is there to take you home you may not have the desire to ever leave.

Omni Wellness. Wholistic care — and a hug.

Omni Wellness
928 Broadway, Suite 1200
New York, NY 10010
Between (21st / 22nd)
Telephone: 212-777-1318
E-mail: omninyc@gmail.com

Although, the holidays have long passed, you never know when a fun and interesting gift idea will present itself. While out wandering Chinatown, I happened upon Yunhong Chopsticks on Mott Street. As you can tell by the name, the store sells nothing but chopsticks and not just any chopsticks. The store carries a wide assortment of styles (e.g. sandalwood, stainless steel, mother of pearl.) Prices start at $1.99 for plain plastic chopsticks to $500 for gold-tipped chopsticks. Of course, there are hundreds of affordable styles that will fit those of us on a budget.

Be unique and pick up a pair or a ten-pack for an upcoming birthday, graduation, wedding or anniversary. Each pair comes in a beautiful gift box that will ensure your gift stands out from the crowd. Of course, you can also treat yourself to a pair, maybe crystal perhaps, for all those asian-inspired meals you have at home. There is also, a starter pair to help your kids learn the fine art of using chopsticks.

Yunhong Chopsticks
50 Mott Street
New York, NY 10013
www.happychopsticks.com
Subway Stops:
6, J, M, N, Q, R, W, Z at Canal St.

Postabon, the first user generated discount platform that helps consumers find and share local in-store deals, launched the beta version of its platform in New York City. Users upload information about great local discounts via Postabon’s mobile web app or web site; these recommendations are then placed in a searchable list of relevant, user-tested discounts happening in the area right now.

Finding a great deal on Postabon is as easy as searching by category, proximity, rating or keyword. Postabon’s home screen recognizes the user’s current location and displays a map pinpointing the most relevant user tested deals nearby. Over time, the company will provide increasingly relevant discount results as users create profiles, search, post and vote on deals in their area.

Posting a deal is simple and takes the same amount of time it would take to send a text, tweet or post a Facebook status update. Deal finders are asked to enter basic information on the deal, such as the name of the store offering the discount, the expiration date and one of four deal categories – Eat, Shop, Entertain or Miscellaneous. The deal is automatically geo-tagged and uploaded to the Postabon platform in real time. Users can comment, save and assign ratings to deals. Each post is referred to as a “bon,” the French word for “good,” to signify a good contribution to the Postabon community.

No good deed on Postabon goes unnoticed, so each time a user uploads a deal, they are rewarded with Karma points that push their profiles onto Postabon’s Karma Board of leading contributors. Users can compete for the best Karma by region or deal category each week. Similar to Twitter, Postabon users can follow other users whose recommendations they find valuable and track new deals through a following feed.

Postabon instantly recognizes your location & pinpoints all the best deals taking place right now in that neighborhood. The deals are found for people by people. In the time it takes to send a tweet, shoppers can post info on great deals they find out about events, sales in retail stores, restaurant deals and basically anywhere else they take your money.

The Postabon deals are people-generated & not computer-generated, they include helpful hints like what floor to go to, what the selection is like, etc. Of course, great finds on cheap or free events are in the mix as well. Here’s an example of a free concert user ‘cityshopmom’ stumbled upon: http://postabon.com/pc/deal?guid=2016.

Other future plans include adding more cities to the Postabon network and opening the platform to allow advertisers to share their deals with the community in a transparent matter.

To get started with Postabon on an iPhone, Palm Pre, Android phone or on your computer, visit  www.postabon.com.

Photo credit: Mrktwain from stock xchange

If you are looking for the best possible photographer for your family portrait, I have just the person for you.  Jade Albert is the leading commercial children’s photographer and has several child celebrity portraits in her portfolio.  She also has a book she collaborated on with Cindy Crawford, and has directed a national television commercial for Target.  None of these amazing accomplishments, however, is the reason why I share her with you.

Last summer I attended an event during which Jade was hired to do family portraits for the attendees.  One look at my little guy and Jade said that he was beautiful enough to be a model and asked if I had thought of trying to make him one.  The laughter that erupted from me stemmed from the fact that I knew what she was shortly about to find out: my kid doesn’t smile.

Sure, he’ll smile when he’s off camera, but the second a camera gets anywhere near that little face of his he immediately becomes somber.  I warned Jade about this, but she told me that all kids were like that but that they warmed up eventually.  She told me not to worry and we began the shoot.  Now, I had noticed that she only had to take five or six pictures of the families before me to get “The One” great shot.  Fifteen shots into our shoot, however, and Jade was starting to understand just what I meant when I told her that my kid just wasn’t model material.  She looked up at me, clearly challenged by my little one’s poker face, but also resolved to get the best possible picture nonetheless.

Many shots, and an infinite amount of patience later, Jade captured the wonderful photo of us that you see above.  Isn’t it amazing?  So many people have told me that it looks like it could be on a magazine cover, or in a major print Ad.  While I agree, I think it has less to do with my son and I and more to do with Jade’s mastery of both children and the camera.  She was kind, patient, and determined.  A true professional.

The good news for you is that while her career has comprised mostly of commercial photography, she has now decided to offer her services for family portraits as well.  She is quite versatile, and is able do either studio portraits or photographs in a setting that is more natural to you and your family.  If you want a truly memorable portrait, Jade’s your woman.

After years of waiting, Peridance has finally opened in new location. The Peridance Capezio Center is now open on E. 13th Street. My daughter has been taking ballet at Peridance since she was four years old but unfortunately at less than ideal, rented space while the renovations took place at the E. 13th Street location.

The new location is three floors with open windows so the parents can watch their little ballerinas dance away if they so choose or wait upstairs in a cafe area. The downstairs waiting area is filled with toys for younger siblings to occupy themselves along with a locker room for dancers to store their things.

Peridance offers a very robust child’s program that ranges from the traditional ballet class to the more stylized, modern dance like hip-hop and jazz and even offers the youngest dancer a place to dance. The Young Movers Program takes in children as young as 18 months.

For the adult set, Peridance is renowned for the depth and breath of the teachers and classes offered. The types of dance offered includes, salsa, limon, Graham &Taylor based, Afro-Caribbean and many more.

Spring Session is about to begin February 1.

For more information on classes, times and prices:

Peridance.com
Peridance Capezio Center
126 E. 13th Street b/w 3rd and 4th Avenue
212-505-0886

Apple has turned iPhone/iPod Touch users crazy with literally thousands of apps available to download. Whether it’s free or a hundred bucks, people are going nuts over apps.  Ever since I got my new iPod Touch for my birthday, I have been going “app crazy” too.  I can’t help it.  I have apps for games, social media, emails, coupons, recipes and even apps for everything in New York City.   The list can go on and on.  The best apps are the ones that are free because if you don’t like the app, you can simply delete them without any worries that you spent your hard-earned cash for a useless app.

I remember before getting my iPod Touch, I was kind of jealous of all those cool apps that everyone was getting and playing with.  I absolutely loved the Apple commercial where you see someone playing the roller coaster game.  I kept telling my husband, I’ve got to have that! Like the commercial you see on TV; “there’s an app for that”, I truly believe there is an app for almost anything. I’m excited to share my top 5 apps that I think will be useful, easy to navigate and that are 100% free for all the New York City tourists and locals as well.

1. NYC Way – My most favorite app for New York City.  It’s perfect for tourists and residents because it’s based on where you are. You get more than thirty apps in one and it includes places to eat, nearby movie theaters, local news, nearest WiFi spot, tourism, recreations and lots more.
2. Time Out New York (TONY) – Another great app.  This has a “locate me”, sort of like a GPS so it can find what you’re looking for based on where you are.  You can easily search through neighborhoods such as Astoria, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Chinatown or Coney Island.  Any neighborhood in the five boroughs is in one app!  You can also follow them on Twitter.
3. BeeLoop: New York City at a Glance – This app is great for those of you who want to find New York City, at a glance.  It’s simple and to the point. You can search for NYC’s history and culture, night life, lodging, things to see and of course, eat.  It includes over a hundred places and lets you view the address, phone number and information on the venue as well.
4. UpNext – It’s a virtual city right in the palm of your hands.  You can view neighborhoods such as the Meatpacking District, Chelsea, Soho, Tribeca, Upper West & East side and lots more.  You can also zoom in to view each building and find out what’s inside when you double tap your screen.  It even allows you to add a business if there is a new store that just opened up.
5. Scene Seeker – New York City – Have you ever visited a place and wonder where a scene was filmed?  I am a movie guru especially when it comes to movies that were filmed in the streets of New York City – I guess that stems from being a New Yorker for over thirty years.  This app contains complete address information, interactive map, pictures and information about the film locations of movies and TV shows.  If you ever wanted to know a certain scene that was filmed on Sex in the City, this app will take you right to the exact same spot!

Check out my friend Corine, another NYMetropolista writer, who has other fabulous apps you don’t want to miss. I guess you can call us both “apps crazy”!

Photo credit: Apple.com

On Christmas Day when my wife presented me with a gift card for a spa day for the two of us I was openly thankful but quietly unenthused. We need a vacation, not a spa day. It’s on a Sunday, who’s going to watch the kids for us? We should be going to church. These were just a few of the naysayer thoughts that initially registered in my head.

Having two schedules that rarely meet in the middle and two kids always in the forefront of our minds, my wife decided a simple recharge on the first weekend of the new year was a perfect, simple and cost effective solution. And the place she picked was Oasis Day Spa.

With East Side locations on 34th Street and Park Avenue we opted for Oasis Westchester, their newest location off the beaten path, located approximately twenty-five minutes north of New York City in Dobbs Ferry, New York. It’s an easy commute to this location, visibly situated just off the Saw Mill River Parkway and sharing a building with a Starbucks and New York Sports Club. Physical fitness, relaxation and pampering and coffee, all in the same space. What more could anyone want? Parking. Expect to either be patient or drive around the facility a couple of times before finding a space.

Once you’re inside, the stress of parking becomes a distant memory once you enter the bright and inviting waiting area and are greeted with a smile at the front desk.

There is a full menu of services at Oasis Westchester from your expected health and beauty options — facials, massages, scrubs and manis/pedis — to your not so expected facials for teens, CosMedix peels and on site consultations from a board certified plastic surgeon (Saturdays only, from 10 am to 2 pm). The prices are very reasonable, another surprise considering the range, depth and quality of services offered. There isn’t a single spa package that tops $500.

My spa experience with my wife consisted of side by side full body massages, a full body scrub and a facial. The staff was attentive and pampering to the point of almost nurturing. The only time I didn’t doze was during my scrub. The facility was simple and clean with dimly lit spaces, soft cool grooves pumping throughout and aromatic but not perfumed. Relaxed, thankful for my wife’s thoughtfulness and thoroughly hydrated with tea, orange and cucumber water, I had no desire to leave and reenter the real world.

If you’re looking for something to do whether it’s with the girls, with your spouse, for your spouse or you simply need some alone time to recharge, Oasis Day Spa Westchester in Dobbs Ferry is the retreat you’ve been waiting for. Give them a call. They’re waiting to hear from you.

Oasis Westchester
Saw Mill River Parkway Exit 16
(in service road with NYSC & Starbucks)
50 Livingstone Ave.
Dobbs Ferry, NY
914.409.1900

Photo credit: Oasis Day Spa

Growing up a born and bred New York City fashionista, I never went shopping at Thrift Stores.  Just the thought of it would make my lip curl up self-righteously with the thought, “I don’t need to wear someone else’s clothes.  Gross!”  Here’s the thing though: some of these thrift shops have fabulous clothes in there – and I do mean fabulous! – for bargain basement prices, and many of them have never been worn.  I went along with a friend to a few Thrift Shops because she wanted to hit up a couple of the city’s best ones, and while outwardly I seemed supportive of this endeavor, inwardly I was wondering how such a fashion diva like her could shop at places like that.  So, we went into the first shop in our Thrift Shop Crawl and I eyed everything suspiciously.  And then I found a pair of black DKNY pumps that had never been worn, in my size, being sold for $39.

My life will never be the same again.

While there really is nothing wrong with wearing gently used clothes after you have washed them yourself, the staggering amount of never used clothes with the original tags still on them being sold at Thrift Shops was beyond surprising.  Why that should be surprising to me of all people remains to be understood, as I have a few items in my own closet that still have tags on them from past purchases.  It just never dawned on me that these stores would have high-end, designer items for sale that had never been used because I always associated Thrift Shops with previously used garments.  I’m sure many of you have made that assumption as well, so I’m happy to dispel that myth.

Below is a listing of some of the best Thrift Shops in New York City (the first shop listed is where I had my life-altering experience), although I suggest that you go into any of the ones you should happen across – you’ll likely be amazed at what you find in them, and with the economy the way it is why shouldn’t we get more for less?  Also, if you see a fabulous pair of never-worn shoes in size 8, please drop me a line – if I like them I’ll get you a latte as a finder’s fee.

Best NYC Thrift Shops:

BEACON’S CLOSET

92 Fifth Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11217

#718-230-1630

HOUSING WORKS THRIFT SHOP (3 locations)

143 West 17^th Street

New York, NY 10011

#212-366-0820

and

245 West 10^th Street

New York, NY 10014

#212-579-7566

and

155 East 23^rd Street

New York, NY 10010

#212-529-5955

BOUTIQUE RESALE

1045 Madison Avenue

New York, NY 10021

#212-517-8099

SWEET TATER

280 Mulberry Street

New York, NY 10012

#212-219-6400

GOOD-BYES CHILDREN’S RESALE SHOP

230 East 78^th Street

New York, NY 10021

#212-794-2301

Happy shopping!

Massages and Martini’s, how decadent can it get? Body By Brooklyn is a traditional European Bath House but with a twist. Located in Historic Clinton Hill (my neighborhood yahoo) on the ground floor of a converted chocolate factory. I have gone to this fabulous spa many times over the last two years, by myself, with a group of mummy friends.Recently I treated myself to The Park Avenue($215 per person) a 60 minute deep tissue massage,60 minute calming facial, a gourmet lunch and of course a yummy martini.

The minute you walk in you are greeted and given a tour of the facilities, very modern, clean and serene. Body By Brooklyn is coed and offers wonderful specials for couples. I was told by the manager that for the month of February they will be offering “couples night” on Sunday’s. Their massage and facial rooms are serene, perfect lighting and makes you feel relaxed instantly as you enter. My 60 minute deep tissue massage was one of the best I have ever had. Full use of the wet lounge (Turkish Steam room,Swedish and Russian saunas,Jacuzzi,Cold Plunge, Fireside Lounge) are included with a booked treatment. You can also get a one day pass for $44.

One of the major highlights besides the amazing massages and facials is their full service bar  with the most delicious cocktails( a must is the chocolate martini).

A must mention is that Body By Brooklyn has a Private Luxury Suite for that romantic evening with your special one. A private suite with a jacuzzi,steam room,plasma screen television. Complimentary bottle of champagne,appetizers and Butler service is included. Priced at $200 for the first hour, $100 for every additional hour.

I truly enjoyed my visit to Body By Brooklyn. I totally recommend for a special day with your girlfriends, or a romantic day with your loved one. You  can  never go wrong with a Massage and a Martini.