Twenty One Spa

Just wanted to alert customers and potential customers that this business is OPEN. Someone mistakenly identified it as closed. BTW it is wonderful, the staff are kind and skilled, and our weekly visits make us part of the family. Suggest you try it!

Can’t beat the prices, quality and service. Love the gel mani $ 25 and spa pedi can’t remember price but it’s a value.

NO stars! Getting ready to go to an important meeting, and needed a little color. Worst spray tan ever! Blotchy, uneven, white spots, dark spots, absolutely horrible. Fingers white, knuckles orange, streaks up and down my arms, dark feet, ankles white. I can’t wear any of the clothes I planned to bring, as I have to cover up from head to toe.

After a negative experience at another salon nearby, I walked in to Twenty-​One for a manicure today and it was a real treat. At $ 15 for a manicure, they’re more expensive than others in the neighborhood, but they did an incredibly thorough job and did not rush. They have an incredible color selection as well.
It was obviously a ploy to get me to buy a longer massage, but the free mini-​massage during the mani was definitely appreciated.
I’ll definitely be back when I’m feeling spendy.

I was disappointed with this place. I walked in and asked if there was someone available for a deep tissue massage. The woman in charge told me that they were busy at the moment, but that she would be available in 30 minutes. She never took my name down, but mentioned that I should return then. When I returned, I was told that she had just taken someone in and would be another 30 minutes. It was a waste of time, and if they couldn’t guarantee me a spot, they should have mentioned that upfront. I will definitely be going elsewhere for a massage, especially with their prices!

My nails have never looked better! The staff was so friendly and wonderful. I also loved the ambience of the place. Nice and quiet with lovely music playing. I’ll definitely be back. This was my best manicure experience in New York. :)

I had a 30 minute massage last week for $ 40.00. It was… ok. The masseuse kept talking to the manicurists. It was annoying. I did not enjoy the experience. I think for the first time in my life did not leave the tip. The owner followed me to the corner and asked me why I did not leave the tip. I told her I thought It was rude she would follow me on the street and ask for money and that tips are complimentary. I gave her 10 bucks for the masseuse to cut her short and told her I would never come back. She took the money.

Twenty One is clean and they do a fine job, but they have a very unfriendly staff and their pricing is outrageous for what it is. I have been in twice in about a month because on of my besties lives on the west side. We passed by, they looked clean and professional, but there are no extras in this place and there is no personality. I guess that’s fine, but for $ 35+ for a basic pedicure, a complimentary shoulder massage or a little extra foot massage time would be nice. I understand that the rent must be pretty high at their location, but when they kick you out right at closing (not one minute after, but right at closing), even if your toes aren’t dry, or when they watch you like a hawk as you are drying and treat you as if they don’t want you there, then perhaps they need to reassess why they are in business. My regular spot in my neighborhood charges $ 35 for a full spa pedicure with a ten minute massage and they are friendly, clean and attentive to their customers; the difference between the two is vast and for the price, I think I’ll stay in my hood going forward. I wish 21 the best, but I don’t like my pedicures with a side of vibe.

Docked 2 stars and have been meaning to update for a while.
This place used to be fantastic. And depending on which nail tech you get… it still is. HOWEVER, if you don’t get a good nail tech here, be prepared. They are never horrible with cuticle care but some of the lesser skilled ones are not so hot at shaping and I have had some less than perfect paint jobs here too.
It’s one of those places that I go to if I am in the area and in need but I don’t really seek it out.

I walked in and immediately loved the brightness and cleanliness of this spa. I asked for a manicure and was seated right away.
The manicurist was extremely meticulous and did a very good job on my nails. She even had a fan on the table that dried your nails on one hand as she worked on the other.
$ 15 is a bit pricey for a manicure, but I believe that it was worth every penny.

I saw Bertha again today for another filling of my french manicure uv gels. She was extremely meticulous and did a fantastic job. I highly highly recommend her.

I had taken my Mother here for an early Mother’s day gift, and I must say I was very disapointed with this spa! I had thought by the reviews that the place would be great for the cost. I was highly disapointed! The chairs were scratch up, and they did not clean the foot basin or put the chemicals in the water for the pedicure, which made my Mother uncomfortable. Also the chair that my Mother sat in did not even work so she could not experience the massage. And the ladies gave us no foot massage at all! For $ 35 go to Dashing Diva’s on 72^nd or if you want something cheaper Bonnies on the same street. Lastly, my Mother’s pedicure did not even look good, the polish was clumpy. I will never go here again.

Do not go here for Ear Candling. I have gone here several times for mani-​pedis and they’ve been fine.
However, I recently made the huge mistake of getting ear candling (thought, «hey, why not»). I regret this in a major way. Within a few days I was experiencing pain and hearing loss.
I went to an ENT to figure out what was going on. Apparently, I had major blisters on my eardrums. They needed to be lacerated and drained, and I have a perforated eardrum now that will, hopefully, heal in time.
I can’t believe I was so stupid to do this to myself.

I had a mani/​pedi.
Atmosphere: Although it looks ok from the outside, the place is shabby inside (chipped paint, old chairs and tables)
Cleanliness: Despite telling me that they didn’t, they did re-​use nail files between clients. Also, they used the same cuticle cutter for the mani and pedi without cleaning it in between (kind of gross if getting the pedi first)
Removal of previous nail polish: I had light color polish on my hands that was incompletely removed until I pointed it out
Cuticle care: OK on feet, not very thorough on hands
Nail shaping: OK on hands (I asked for the exact same shape I came in with, and they basically didn’t file my nails at all). On my feet, the cut-​down was very very short.
Nail color: Applied well, pretty even, no smudges. Lasted 4 days for the mani, still good for the pedi
Nice bonus: Good selection of OPI colors, particularly an unusually large selection of OPI pinks. The technician was very nice in letting me have a nail re-​painted after the color I initially tried was too transparent.
Of note: The massage bit for both the mani and pedi was basically non-​existent. Also, they close at 9PM, not 10PM.
Payment: Credit cards accepted though not for tip
Overall: Strangely run down and not quite sanitary enough for how expensive it is, though the final mani/​pedi result is respectable.

I have lived on the same block as this salon for two years but never visited, mainly because you can get a mani-​pedi for $ 15 cheaper almost anywhere else, or for an extra $ 15 at a swankier place. The price point is just weird. However, my mom was visiting today, and she didn’t want to walk the 4 blocks to the best combo service/​price place on the UWS, so we went here. The ladies here are very polite, they don’t rush, they have an awesome OPI and essie color collection, and the place is not cramped like most nail salons. They also have a lot of cute knick-​knacks and beauty products for sale that shopaholic moms love. So I figured it out. This is a great place to treat a fussy mom without having to spend the big bucks at a salon-​salon, or where to go when big sis is paying.

In contrast to the review I just posted about Kim’s Nail & Facial Salon in the UES, this spa and nail salon is worth every dollar you spend. A friend of mine recommended Twenty One (she’s a regular that lives in the neighborhood).
It’s a little pricier than some of the other neighborhood spots (bikini waxes are $ 25 and up and getting your full legs done will cost you $ 50), but the place is pretty nice and you get your money’s worth. They use a special type of wax for more sensitive areas (e.g., bikini lines, eyebrows, etc.) and I completely believe the aesthetician who told me that the special wax makes it less painful.
It gets busy on weekends so call ahead to make an appointment.