Serenity Spa

Profile

Maria Hardy worked as an architect and design consultant for posh spas and salons like Ajune and Scott J for eight years before deciding, with her criminal defense lawyer husband, to open her own. After a three-year search for the perfect location, Hardy moved into this Sixth Avenue site in 2004. The soundproof windows amazingly keep out the formidable traffic noise, although not the sounds of the subway below; fortunately, soothing classical flute and harp music at just the right volume make even the distant rumblings of the R-W unobtrusive. Hardy had seen lots of nail salons try to be spas and vice versa, so her goal has been to provide both experiences to the fullest. The peach-accented front is dedicated to product retail (they are Dermalogica devotees) and nails. Three treatment rooms in back offer space for massages, facials, body treatments, and waxing services. The spa is open until ten on weeknights, and it's common to find neighborhood regulars popping in for after-work Tired Leg Spa Pedicures. Perhaps the most unique thing about Serenity is that the space is handicapped-friendly, down to the shower in one of the treatment rooms. — Kathryn Williams

Tuesdays a basic mani-pedi combo is $29.99, as opposed to the normal $40. Ten percent off waxing on Wednesdays.