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Spa Savings
Monday Sep 19, 2005.
By Erin Brereton
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I would not say the past month has been my brightest, but it may have been my busiest. In addition to work, three visiting guests and two 30th birthday parties for close friends, I had four weddings to attend and a funeral (well, a cremation, but it was out of state so it counts). In film it would make for a charming British romantic comedy; in real life, it's just exhausting. So once the dust had cleared, I decided to treat myself to a spa visit. My friend Stef and I headed to Thousand Waves Spa, 1212 W. Belmont, on Saturday in preparation for some serious relaxation time. Thousand Waves packs some serious extra spa punch because it doesn't take a wam, bam, just-massaged-you, drink-a-lot-of-water-and-goodbye-ma'am approach to the massage. A trip there is a whole day experience, thanks to the pre-massage time you can spend in the spa's hot tub, sauna or steamroom (which makes me feel like I am suffocating, but I guess some people find blocking your breathing passages with diffused water to be relaxing). And, after your 30-, 60- or 90-minute massage comes the best part: A trip to Thousand Waves' uber chill relaxation room, which features cubby holes to sleep in, magazines and books to read, tea to sip and comfy wicker lounge chairs to sit in. You can stay as long as you like, and on Saturday, I did, until I realized I hadn't eaten all day and needed to leave the spa in search of a bagel, which was almost as calming as the spa itself, only with more blueberries. It was the perfect day. However, if a massage is a little out of your budget but you need some serious and immediate down time, you can visit the Thousand Waves hot tub, sauna and steam room as well as its relaxation room for a three-hour time period for just $20. And that's not Chicago's only price-cut spa secret. Being a girl on the go (and also a girl on a budget) I've compiled the following list of places to get a little relaxation and grooming for a good price. Because after all, feeling fabulous shouldn't leave you broke.
Looking for... A haircut? You get a haircut, their students get experience: That's the deal at the Aveda Institute, 2828 N. Clark, where you can get a professional haircut for as low as $13 (including styling) and highlights starting at $25. The only catch? It can take a bit longer to get cut, as these are students, so allow extra time when you book your appointment. A cheap quickie massage? The inexpensive manicures and pedicures (getting both is just around $40) are just one of the bonuses of Southport Avenue's TG Nails, 3349 N Southport. True, they are done quickly and done well, but nail quality isn't the reason the salon is booked most nights. Customers keep coming back for the lengthy arm, shoulder and back massages that come with the pedicures and the leg massages that accompany each pedicure. You'll be so blissed out you wont even get upset if you smudge your polish as you stagger out into the street. Which you will invariably do. Want to book an appointment or just get more info? Call (773) 549-0700 for Thousand Waves Spa; (312) 649-0707 for the North Avenue Michael Anthony spa and (773) 935-0707 for the Belmont one; (773) 883-1560 for the Aveda Institute and (773) 348-5332 for TG Nails.
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Erin Brereton is our resident urban cowgirl on a bi-weekly search for life on the cheap.