• Kiehl’s Spa 1851

  157 E. 64th St., at Lexington Ave.; 917-432-2503

  At culty skin-care company Kiehl’s first spa and barbershop, there’s no sauna or steam room, no artfully arranged rose petals or fruit bowls, no disconcerting locker-room nudity. Instead, the setting and treatment menu are perfectly calibrated for people of both genders who want results and relaxation without fluff or self-consciousness. Sturdy leather armchairs, exposed brick, and tin-ceiling tiles outfit the small waiting area, and visitors disrobe in one of the private rooms (two of the three include waterfall showers). Three treatment rooms host rewardingly specific services like the Superbly Restorative Massage, which targets tension accrued by office-chair slump (from $70 for 30 minutes), and the Ultra Facial for brightening winter-battered skin ($145 for 60 minutes). All services employ the brand’s own products, including Argan Dry Oil—ideal for those who don’t want to leave a massage greased up and smelling like a funeral parlor.

From the 2012 Best of New York issue of New York Magazine