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Like any good urban chain, Bloomie Nails caters to what New Yorkers value most: proximity, predictability and, above all, speed. As a result, Bloomie has become the queen of the city’s nail salon court. The wildly prolific branches easily squeeze in twice as many customers as your average nail joint, and somehow, no matter how busy they get, there always seems to be an available manicurist. It doesn’t hurt that locations are easily recognizable from the street, with their trademark cursive logos and big windows looking in on bright, immaculate, pastel-themed nail factories. Around $12 buys a meticulous basic mani, use of the racks of regulation beauty magazines, and your choice of channels on the mini-screen at the drying station. With the extra time (and money), you can choose from at least a dozen more elaborate procedures, like French pedicures, powder filling, or fiberglass tips. Though the menus vary by location, most franchises go well beyond their trademark nail services, applying the cheap-and-fast formula to waxing, massage, and even microdermabrasion. — Kate Jacobs

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Best of New York Awards

• Best Bargain Manicure (2003)