priti organic spa, East Village
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.
A favorite among Cooper Union and NYU students, Chickpea, a new falafel joint in the epicenter of the East Village, is perfect for the budget-minded gal who has a hankering for savory shawarma (roasted marinated lamb, chicken or turkey fillets). Although the food is served in a rapid-flash style, there is nothing “fast food” about the chewy homemade pita, the outrageous falafel, the deliciously seasoned red onion and the shawarma - juicy and roasting on a revolving spit.
Ladies, I confess - I am addicted to chic, well-tailored clothing. Cigarette pants, a car coat, and daring red ballet flats? I’m seduced. For over twenty-five years, Agnes B, a French designer who must be channeling Audrey Hepburn as a muse for her elegant but not conventional fashions, has charmed her way into our closets.
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