Best Manicures in New York

Sakura Nail and Spa 1709 2nd Avenue, NY, NY (nailspasakura.com)

There are tons of salons that do great looking manicures, but are they interested in the health of your nails underneath all of the flash and dash of the pale blush of your French manicure? If you go to Sakura Nail and Spa on the Upper East Side, then your answer is a resounding yes. They use Calgel, a product started in South Africa in 1981 that spread to Europe and Asia, and is now a huge business in Japan. It prevents your nail polish from chipping or peeling away while simultaneously protecting your nailbed so that it can experience healthy growth. You have a choice of about 80 Calgel colors, and the Sakura staff use it on the entire nail, or just the tips. You may notice, as you hold your hand out to admire your freshly done nails, that there’s something different about the way they look. That’s because the gel in Calgel makes your nails look fresh, and really glossy with a bit of a shimmery look. Oh, and if you’re looking for funky, wild nail art, they can do that, too. It’s more than worth the hike over to 2nd Avenue.

Tenoverten 112 Reade Street, NY, NY (tenoverten.com)

This Tribeca salon is the brainchild of two people from the fashion world, and it shows. Belgian linens and manicure tables fashioned out of limestone slabs are par for the course for this space. Their manicures are spotless, and they stock extremely hard to find colors by brands like Chanel and Nars. Their manicures range in price from $15 for a quickie version to $40 for an uberluxe version that includes hot stone massage. They have manicures for the kids for just ten dollars. And just when you thought that the décor, the friendly hip vibe of the staff, and the actual product were worth the price of admission, they throw in iPads at every station?? And hot teas and cool drinks? Quite simply, this salon is one of the best values for your money.