Midtown Best Chinese Back Rub & Foot Massage

Cheap, good massage. Like your typical Chinese hourly massage parlors the space could use some help w/​décor and music but this isn’t a $ 200 per hour salon. They charge $ 45 for a very good 60 minute massage delivered by skilled and caring staff.
If you need a few knots worked out and don’t want to spend big bucks this is the spot. If you might be turned off by the low rent surroundings try bliss or some other fancy/​pricey option.

First I must tell you that I am not a massage snob in terms of ambiance.
I’ve had fancy spa massages at Bliss and the like in NY, CA, and several other states. Most of the time, however, I’d prefer a facial at those type of places, and prefer a more inexpensive & strong accupressure type massage at one of the many walk-​in places in Chinatown. (and usually have pretty good luck with picking these places off the street.)
A few weekends ago, I felt like I needed a massage break, but didn’t feel like trekking down to Chinatown (I live in Murray Hill area) on the weekend. I thought I would give a neighborhood place a try since the sign looked like most of the places I’ve walked into in Chinatown.
I WISH I had obeyed my instincts on the vibes I got when I walked in the stairwell, but I thought «hey, there’s a decent yoga studio on the 3^rd floor, don’t go by the dirty industrial staircase… this is NYC where hidden treasures are sometimes down skanky hallways.»
When I got through the door on the 2^nd floor, I walked into a room with group of odd people congregating on a couch watching tv. This seemed a little odd, almost like I was walking unannounced into someone’s living room. Again, a little voice inside was telling me perhaps this isn’t a good idea. But my tight shoulders told me me to ignore that 2^nd instinct too.
One of the ladies on the couch popped up to offer me a massage. I said I wanted a 30 minute massage. (I learned long ago to go for the short time & see if you like it before signing up for the whole hour in one of these walk-​in joints.)
She escorted me back to the massage area which was oddly decorated, but a little more substantial and private than some places in Chinatown. Everything looked clean. Nice white towels to wrap up into. Maybe things are looking up?
Her massage wasn’t horrible, but it didn’t make up for the negatives of this place. Worst part was the background noise. During my 30 minute experience, there was an odd mixture of chinese organ music (this is the planned part I assume) mixed with occasional TV noise, chattering & laughter from the people in the front room AND also mixed with intermittent bouts of Whitney Houston’s greatest hits. (Maybe this was coming from the restaurant downstairs???) None of these would exactly qualify as soothing sounds for a relaxing massage… together they are nails on a chalkboard.
Oh, then to add to the relaxation factor, the masseuse stopped in the middle of the massage to take a phone call for an appointment in one hand while trying to continue the massage with the other hand? Before I could even realize what she was doing, as I’m face down on the table, I heard «Sorry, Miss, Sorry Miss» and then the phone conversation. What was more surprising than this interruption was the fact that someone was calling to make an appointment for this place’s services. I couldn’t believe I was just there on an OFF night… (and don’t intend to risk trying it again!)
When my 30 minutes was up, while I was getting dressed, I discovered there were baby oil spots on my pants because the bottle was on the ledge near where my clothes were folded. Since the pants weren’t exactly new, (and at this point, I just want to get out of there) I decided not to complain to her about the baby oil.
I asked to use the ladies room, and she pointed to a room near the couch crew (all smiling at me.) Inside the rundown bathroom was an odd mix of products (razor, facial products, creams, etc.)and a Feria box that explained the mullet haired couch guy’s «not found in nature» blond hair. All of these items seemed to indicate some of these people might be living here at least part time.
The whole experience made me feel like I was a million miles away from my apartment instead of a few blocks away… and I wish I had just stayed home!