Dying to get the celebrity spa treatment without the haute spa attitude? Tired of being shamed if your feet and bikini line are not up to snuff? Itching to be beautiful without harming our world and ourselves? Well, the environmentally-minded girl on the run can take a long, sweet pause at priti, an organic, non-toxic spa.

I try to avoid spas as much as humanely possible. From getting a hard-sale twenty-minute product pitch while flutes whistle in the background of my allegedly relaxing facial, to snickers at my non-perfectly coifed bikini line, to being herded between treatments like cattle, New York City spa visits have become akin to expensive Chinese torture. Until I discovered priti – a snug haven in the midst of the heavily trafficked, hip East Village. Owner and former fashion model/fashion photographer Kim D’Amato’s vision is simple: to support purveyors of organic products and to reduce chemically produced products, which are harmful to the environment, not to mention ourselves.

My kind of woman, and my kind of spa.

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We’re privileged, we book-loving New Yorkers, and we don’t even know it. As dedicated readers and writers, rarely do we experience a dearth of the corporate-dominated meccas as well as the slew of mom and pop shops that dot all areas of the city. If you’re looking for a book and you have to be in New York, odds are you will find it. You will find signed first editions, perhaps the dog-eared author’s copy, pen marks canvassing the insides. You want your foamy chai latte and a whole floor to devour the latest cookbooks, trash magazines, and plan that possible trip to Peru – then visit the closes Barnes and Nobles. No worries, they’re careful to be within a mile radius of one another.

However, if your palate is a touch more discriminating, visit 192 books. Owner, Jack MacRae, is practically an institution in the New York literary and arts scene. This is a man who knew everyone and always dishes great stories. The bookstores featuring key works of literature and history, art and criticism, the social and natural sciences, travel and children’s books, and more – you could tell all the books on the shelves and tables were chosen with particular and refined care. Careful to ensure that all the books, works of part, connect and disconnect in some interesting and pivotal way.

In addition to regularly presenting art exhibitions accompanied by a selection of titles relating to the artists or the theme explored, the store hosts reservation-only reading/speaking engagements with the world’s eminent authors: Veronica Gaitskill, Salman Rushdie, Joan Didion, Paul Auster, Paula Fox, just to name a few.

192 Books operates purely for the aficionado. Dig up those hard-to-find books on the obscure German artist you love, purchase the definitive book on New York architecture, and with a knowledgable staff, they’ll have find a new author to fall in love with.

192 Books
192 Tenth Avenue at 21st
New York, NY
Subway: C/E to 23rd Street

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At Grounded on Jane Street, a sun-drenched cafe hidden on the side streets of Greenwich Village, I was greeted by swirling ceiling fans and free wireless internet connectivity – crucial for the freelance writer in need of a quick java fix. Decidedly non-Starbucks, which has evolved to the Duane Reade of over-priced coffee shops, Grounded has a distinct downtown flavor, as single folks, buried in their laptop, indulging on oatmeal cookies and luscious mochas, quietly occupy each table. Cell phones are on low buzz, and all the accoutrements of the corporate set – vanished.

Grounded is the ideal spot for those who want to mellow out or get work done. Finish that screenplay, put the finishing touches on the novel, or launch a new business – this office is certainly wallet-friendly.

With a fine selection or organic teas (raves for the blackberry and jasmine, both which were sampled by yours truly) and the yummy biscotti, plus some delicious, heady ground organic coffee, this is my new favorite haunt for sipping and sampling newspapers. Most of the sandwiches and sweets are organic and natural as well.

Grounded
28 Jane Street
New York, NY
212-647-0943
Subway: A/C/E to 14th Street

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If you’re jetting about on autopilot, you very well might miss Sympathy for the Kettle, a magical oasis in the uber-hip East Village where the vibe is decidedly rock and roll. This teeny haven serves up a smattering (150+) of organic, free-trade, and luscious mix-brewed teas in teapots from the dainty to the Orient. Don’t be deceived by the softly-lit wire lamps, serene pink walls, and the display cases filled with whimsical china cups, sterling silver tea strainers, and aficionado books – owner, Jodi Holiday, stocks up whimsy alongside a rock and roll edge (from the tattoos to the Page and Plant blaring from the stereo).

But the teas are nothing short of divine. Holiday serves up the classic mainstays: earl grey, english breakfast, however, she’s creative, much like an obsessed French perfumier, creating new blends such as a Provencal blend of black teas and lavender. Customers have a choice of kettle teas, healing teas (infused with date, ginger citron or quince) or their famous honey/green tea lattes.

While the majority of their teas are from China, Sri Lanka, Japan, India, Indonesia, Taiwan, and emerging Rwanda, Kettle also offer herbs from South Africa, Argentina, Turkey, Iran, Egypt, France and the United States (including ginseng from Wisconsin and organic peppermint from Oregon).

So if you’re interested in proper tea with an edge, visit this favored East Village haunt where the teas and homemade treats (palmiers, scones) never fall short on flavor.

Sympathy for the Kettle
109 St. Marks Place
New York, NY
212-979-1650

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Owner and baker, Jerome Audureau, a man who believes baking isn’t baking until you shape the dough with your hands, adds Parisian flare to this simple, sweet space that is warm in decor (wicker and iron chairs), with walls that are painted in serene hues. Amidst soothing jazz, you’ll hear a constant buzz from patrons clicking on laptop keys or the family of tourists seeking refuge from the maddening galleries and street artists that flank West Broadway. Akin to the sidewalk cafes and bistros in Paris, you’re not gently prodded to the door as soon as you’ve polished off your goat cheese and portobello sandwich. Table-turn is an evil word at Once Upon a Tart and on a chilly Saturday afternoon, I met an old friend for hot tea, delicious treats and good conversation. During the three hours we spent in the cafe, I sampled the pumpkin cranberry biscotti AND scone, the roasted turkey and cranberry mango chutney and frisee sandwich, and a selection of their British teas, and couldn’t have been more satisfied. Wonderfully seasoned with a care for presentation, my late lunch was not only savory but sweet and flavorful. The freshest ingredients are used here and the proof is definitely in the tasty fare. The baked goods were heavenly – biscotti, light, crispy and the scone unbelievably light and flaky.

Whether you’re jetting in for a quick pumpkin cranberry biscotti or spending a lazy afternoon sipping green tea and indulging in fluffy, decadent scones or being very, very good with a savory sandwich and tossed salad, Once Upon a Tart brings a little bit of whimsy into downtown bohemia.

Once Upon a Tart
135 Sullivan Street (Btwn Prince/Houston)
New York, NY 10012
212.387.8869
Subways: C/E to Spring Street or N/R to Prince Street

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Let it be known that I’m not privy to unnecessary, pricy pampering. My home is my day spa with my do-it-yourself facials (oatmeal and mint) and back massages replete with wooden spoons and lavender oil. However, after a week of the city’s torrential rain and a hectic schedule that simply hasn’t let up, I broke down and slipped into one of my favorite girl spots in the city: Rescue Beauty Lounge. And besides, it was a Friday and what better way to hail in the weekend with a lux manicure pedicure session. Evian bottle war, organic Dr. Hauschka products, et all.

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After months locked indoors, slaving on my debut book, my face having grown used to the phosphorescent glare of the laptop screen, believe me ladies when I tell you that these had become precarious times for my pores. And on one particular Sunday, it was absolutely necessary, if not mandatory, that this over-worked writer, who found herself screaming Serenity Now! Serenity Now! in her apartment, lay supine on a quilted table, getting my face lathered in creams that smelled of banana and juniper, blackheads extracted, and a good talking to (more like a kick in the pants) from Shatelle, my esthetician, on the state of my scary skin-care regime.

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If you’re new to the city (or just visiting) and the idea of dining out alone gives you vertigo, INO, the cozy but chic eight-table Italian panino cafe & wine bar, is warm and inviting. Conceived by owners Jason and Jennifer Denton while at a friends wedding in Italy, the couple was mesmerized by the simplicity of many of the paninoteca’s classic offerings of savory panini, tramezzinni (tea sandwiches with the crusts cut off), bruschetta and robust Italian wines. Also influenced by famous chef, Mario Batali, Jason Denton believes in serving authentic and tantalizing cuisine accompanied by the very best Italian wine.

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In a city where flyers advertising yoga studios share real estate alongside vendors selling imposter Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs handbags on the sidewalks of trendy Union Square, it is an Olympic feat to discern the real thing amidst the slew of imposters. A studio that stresses principles of alignment, places a distinct focus on breath instead of the fanfare and confetti of gym billboards toting bleached blondes in white leotards that read, “No Pain, No Gain!” is what makes OM YOGA, steps away from Union Square, such a delectable find. Under the direction of the renowned Cyndi Lee (a twenty-year practitioner of both Hatha Yoga and Tibetan Buddhism and author of several books and DVDs, most recently, Om Yoga Beginner/Intermediate Class.), her and her team of over thirty experienced teachers will lead you through a vigorous, but playful, alignment-centered asana practice.

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