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Hong Kong native Helen Zhang worked for many years as a nurse in her home country, specializing in elder care and therapeutic massage. After relocating to New York, she and her daughter, Jessie Huang, opened this second-floor massage-and-acupuncture center in the shadow of Bloomingdale's. There are seven tables separated by shôji screens in the roomy, railroad-style space, and the vibe is more soothing than the basic Chinese massage shop, thanks to scattered tea lights and strategically placed fiber-optic lighting. Unless you're in the couple's massage room in the back, not much can be done to muffle noise, so those easily distracted should try for tables by the windows, which are the furthest from the door traffic and the ringing cordless phone. Clients tend to be repeat guests who come for intense work on chronic pain and injuries, and busy weekdays draw a mix of Bloomingdale's shoppers and staffers, doctors from a nearby medical building, Park Avenue residents, and even business trippers who stop in every time they're in town. Though modalities like hot stones and fragrant Thai herbal poultices are offered, most guests stick to full-body acupressure (tui na) or deep-tissue sessions, which are vigorous and well executed. Staffers, who are well attuned to both pressure requests and problem areas, begin the relaxation process by wrapping each client's head tightly in a towel. This not only helps keep oil out of the hair (a special concern for lunchtime visitors), but also blocks out ambient light from the rest of the room. — Lexi Dwyer

For an extra charge, Enliven therapists will visit clients who live locally. Contact the spa for more details.