Foot Heaven

If you are stressed out because you haven’t started holiday shopping OR if you have been roaming around town all day doing errands, what sounds better than a reflexology foot massage? More details on the science of reflexology below, but of you live in or are visiting New York, I have a great place for you: FOOT HEAVEN! And what a perfect name it is: Foot Heaven is pure bliss. Take an hour (or more) out of all your to-do-lists and head to Foot Heaven to treat yourself to a pre-Holiday relaxation treat. While you’re at it, buy some gift certificates as presents. Once you experience it, you will realize a Foot Heaven gift certificate is one of the best gifts you can give.

NY Post

A write-up on Foot Heaven in the NY Post from 2009.

Since I have been running around all week, all month, all year, I decided to decompress for an afternoon and head down to Chinatown. As my mother-in-law is also always on the go (ten times more so than me), I asked her to join me for the afternoon adventure. As fancy and frilly as my mother-in-law is, she is ALWAYS game for a new experience. So, Saturday afternoon, the two of us headed downtown to Chinatown. It had been quite some time since she had been there — and never for a massage — so I was excited to share my little bit of heaven with her. In the old days, she and my father-in-law would go down to Chinatown to buy Asian groceries, duck, fish, and exotic vegetables; but she had never been there for a massage.

Although Foot Heaven is a massage parlor that offers both back and foot massages, their specialty is foot massages (hence their name).  When you enter, there is a large room with huge, dreamy, lazy-boy chairs that recline into a flat position. The masseuse first washes your feet in a bucket of mud (??? or some brown un-smelly substance), and then spends the next hour fully relaxing your body. The masseuses are extremely well trained and knowledgeable about the body.

Chairs

The lazy-boy chairs for the foot massage.

Foot massage

Mr. Foot Heaven Massage.

Mrs. Natori

My ever-so-glamorous mother-in-law, Josie Natori, looking faboosh in her sunglasses while getting a massage.

As I pronate when I walk, my feet tend to have more problems and sensitivities than I would like, so when they press and yank and pull and soothe my feet, it is truly heaven. During various points of the massage where I was ultra-sensitive, the masseuse would make comments such as “that is your kidney” and “that is your shoulders.” It still amazes me that these little pressure points in my feet affect various points across the body.

A reflexology diagram.

As my husband and son were late joining us and we were done with the foot massage, we decided to add on an extra 30 minute back massage. For body massages, they take you to a small little room (not fully enclosed) — they are divided up by feeble partitions — so you hear all the noises and sounds from other peoples massages. Not that it matters.  The massage is so incredible that you drift into your own trance and state of mind….

16 Pell Street

There are a bazillion foot-massage-parlors on Pell Street -- but Foot Heaven is the best.

Details:
Name: Foot Heaven
Address: 16 Pell Street, NY NY
Phone number: (212) 962-6588
Cost: $40 for 60 minute foot massage, $26 for 30 minute back massage

… Definitely not glamorous, but highly effective!!

Map

A Google map of Foot Heaven -- 16 Pell Street between Bowery and Doyers Street.

After the massage, we wandered around Chinatown, ending up at a place for dim sum (I highly suggest going to Joe Shanghai’s Dumplings — literally across the street from Foot Heaven — unfortunately, the line was too long for us to wait).

Mother-in-law and son, waiting for the ever-so-tasty-ever-so-unhealthy dumplings to arrive!

The dim sum was delicious, although a tad bit overly greasy (as I find most chinese food). Then, we finally walked up through Chinatown to Little Italy, ending up in Soho at my favorite kids’ store — Sweet William (85 Kenmare St # 2 ) . What a perfect day!

Shopping

When I went crazy looking at all the darling and hip toddler clothes, Cruzzie found some fun little holes to peep into. Definitely worth looking at this store -- if not in person, then online. All the lines they carry are obscure and fashionable.

So, head on over to Foot Heaven. Best deal in town.

–AYN, aka The Josie Girl


Josie Girl

8 Comments

  1. Great pics of the fam. sounds like fun. unfortunately, i am not from New York, but someday!

  2. what is your son looking at?? great pictures. sounds like a lot of fun!!!!!!!!!

    • The kids store at a little doll house hole in the wall — very creative and whimsical.

  3. I love this! It looks like you had a super fun and relaxing day. Josie Natori is always so chic, even when getting a foot massage! I hope you enjoyed too, Josie Girl!

  4. cool looking place! I usually go for a mani and pedi over the weekend but after reading your post, it sounds like massages are the way to go.

    P.S – your son is adorable!!

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