JESSICA Nail Clinic

After descending the curving staircase that many a celebrity, model and First Lady has trekked before, we wanted to tell all our friends about JESSICA Nail Clinic. A bevy of dressed-in-white nail technicians (or "cultivists," as founder Jessica Vartoughian calls them) tend to a swarm of manicuring and pedicuring needs. Most are of Eastern European descent, like Jessica, and are sassy, motherly and proud to work under the renowned black canopy. (Our cultivist, Annie, has been there 30 years!) The women are meticulous and gentle but will divulge gossip nuggets about their celebrity clientele if you pry. Fingers are in and out of soaking bowls and heating gloves, and pedicures are performed the old-fashioned way—no monstrous vibrating thrones here. After application of the Femme Fatale polish and a Zen-inducing rubdown of Jessica's "Smoothies" lotion (mmm, grapefruit!), our hands and calves were happy and ready to melt. We even bought a bottle of Femme Fatale to go. —Lien Ta

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