Spa Castle: Hot, Wet and Totally Relaxing

by Mike Barish on

New York City can be a stressful place. The economy is in the tank, winter refuses to relinquish its grip on the weather and people are perpetually worried about their careers and families. How can New Yorkers (and visitors) relax while in the city that never sleeps? How about a complex with massage pools, saunas and sleep areas? If you’re in New York City and in need of a respite from the manic world around you, look no further than Spa Castle in Flushing, Queens. It’s five stories and 100,000 square feet of relaxing bliss within the borders of our fair city. And because I care about you all so much, I toughed out a day at Spa Castle yesterday just so I could file a full report.
Getting to Spa Castle couldn’t be easier. From Manhattan, take the LIRR to Flushing or the 7 train to Flushing – Main Street. Then all you have to do is walk five minutes to the municipal parking lot on Union Street and 39th Ave. From there, you can pick up the free shuttle van that will whisk you off to Spa Castle. A ten minute drive later and you’re at the front door of paradise. Not coming from Manhattan or want more detailed directions? Check out their site for more info.

After paying your admission ($35 for adults during the week and $45 on weekends), men and women will part ways and enter their respective locker rooms. You are given a digital key-lock watch that acts as your locker key and currency while you are at Spa Castle. It has a number that corresponds to your locker. I proceeded into the locker room and locked my shoes in my shoe locker. I then proceeded to my main locker where I changed into my swim trunks and locked up my belongings. It’s worth noting here that you may want to bring a beach towel. The only towels on site are small free gym towels or beach towels that you must pay to rent.

Upon locking up my belongings, I picked up my uniform. In most common areas, you are required to wear a spa-issued shirt and shorts. Simply put the uniform on over your swim trunks and off you go. The vast majority of the facilities are coed, so the uniforms and swim trunks keep everyone modest. Except for the ladies in the pooks wearing bikinis. But hey, I’m not complaining.

I walked upstairs and met my companions in the lounge. From here, we walked upstairs to the outdoor pools. Once in the pool area, I removed my uniform and braved the cold as I made my way into the heated pools in just my swim trunks. Here, I indulged in various massage jets and a Hinoki Bath, which is constructed out of 300-year-old wood and is filled with heated, bubbling mineral water. Despite the near-freezing temperatures, I enjoyed my time in the outdoor pools as the various jets massaged away all the knots in my muscles that I had acquired during three weeks of travel in New Zealand and Australia.

After an hour or so in the pools, I was ready to move on. My friends had been indulging in some steamed shumai at the food counter right inside. To pay, they simply scanned their digital key-lock watch at the counter and the product was added to their accounts. You pay when you leave the spa, so no need to carry cash with you. You keep your belongings safely in the locker room.

From here, I headed to the dry saunas. You can choose from several dry saunas of various heats and “themes.” They range from facilities with LED lights with adjustable colors (each color provides a unique healing experience) to one with mineral salts to another with gilded walls. One thing they have in common is that they will all make you sweat. I spent 10 minutes or so in each sauna and was a soaking wet mess by the end. It may be a dry heat, but nothing about your skin and t-shirt will look dry. But I felt like a new man. A weekend’s worth of whiskey had evaporated through each and every one of my pores.

From here, I lounged on a massage chair for a bit to get my legs back under me. I had been relaxing at Spa Castle for more than three hours and had a dinner appointment in the city that was rapidly approaching. It was time to retreat back to the men’s locker room and start preparing to re-enter normal society. And this, my friends, is where things got a tad more interesting.

As you recall, I mentioned that the locker rooms are segregated by gender. They are also home to the showers, several more pools and additional saunas. And it’s all full nude. That’s the rule. Want to shower? No swimsuits allowed in the shower area. Want to hop in a mineral bath? Better be comfortable with nudity because you’ll be buck naked. Want to use the locker room saunas? Put a towel down before you grab a seat. But, and I am being perfectly honest here, you get comfortable with the nudity almost immediately. There is nothing sexual about this scene. It’s all about health. So, I dropped trou and headed into a few more baths before getting dressed and hopping on the shuttle.

I was back home in downtown Manhattan in under an hour. I felt rejuvenated and alive. And I had a new-found comfort level with close-proximity male nudity. So, it was a growth experience.

All in all, Spa Castle is a great experience. They offer memberships and are open until late in the evening. The next time you find yourself in New York and at your wits end with the noise, the recession or just life in general, take a spa day in Queens and rediscover what relaxation is supposed to be.

Undiscovered New York: Hidden Wall Street

by Jeremy Kressmann on

It’s no surprise New York City bankers are not too popular these days. Between the housing meltdown and the bank bailouts, New York’s most famous financial thoroughfare, Wall Street, seems to be in the news a lot, and definitely not for good reasons. Many visitors have long-agreed, regarding the area as a dead zone for good reason. Sure, there’s a giant flag down there on the stock exchange and a metal bull, but once you snap a few photos it’s time to move on, right?

But to write the district off does it a serious injustice. Beneath the veneer of mega-banks, frenzied stock buying and selling and pinstripe suits lies a very different Wall Street, an area with a history dating back to New York’s earliest days as a North American settlement. In fact, the street gained its name because it was exactly that – an enormous wall constructed in the 17th Century to protect the small Dutch settlement from attacking Native Americans and British settlers.

To really get to know what Wall Street is about, in other words, you’ve gotta move past the banker cliches. Unless you dig a little deeper how would you know that Wall Street is brimming with history? Interested in visiting an African Burial Ground? Want to see what a stack containing one fourth of the world’s gold bars looks like? How about a drink in one of New York’s oldest bars?

Step inside Undiscovered New York’s guide to “Hidden Wall Street” to learn more…
The Lost City of Gold
Deep within an underground vault 80 feet below street level, resting on the bedrock of the island of Manhattan, sits a king’s ransom of treasure, filling an entire room from floor to ceiling. Think we’re talking about some hidden pirate treasure or Pharaoh’s tomb? It’s actually the physical manifestation of one of the world’s largest official monetary gold reserves, held by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, located at 33 Liberty Street.

Containing around 266 million troy ounces of gold, the precious metal reserve is estimated to account for between 25 and 30 percent of the entire world’s monetary gold supply. Each weekday a select group of visitors is allowed in for tours of the Federal Reserve Building and its gold vault. It’s a fascinating look inside the U.S. economy (or what’s left of it) and an incredible trove of real-life treasure.

Ancient African Burial Grounds
The year was 1991, and construction crews were hard at work on the foundation of new office building in New York’s financial district. Suddenly the crews came upon the skeletal remains a few men, women and children. A research team was called into the site and soon had discovered the remains of a sprawling 6 acre burial site, containing more than 400 free and enslaved Africans laid to rest in the 17th and 18th Centuries.

In honor of the newly rediscovered burial ground, the site was renamed as the African Burial Ground and commissioned as a National Historic Landmark managed by the National Park Service. Stop by the Visitor Center located at 290 Broadway, check out the nearby monument and make arrangements for tours covering African presence in early New York.

Bridge Cafe
Undiscovered New York first took a look at some the city’s oldest bars back in November of 2008. But there was one bar we didn’t get to cover – the 1700’s-era Bridge Cafe, which is located close to Wall Street in the South Street Seaport. This Revolutionary War-era tavern is the self-proclaimed “oldest surviving tavern in New York.” Not only is the tavern still serving up pints of suds over 200 years later, it’s also the site of a former 1800’s brothel and apparently is haunted by ghosts. If you’re looking to enjoy some one-of-a-kind history and a legit New York historical landmark, look no further.

The sky is falling!: Nope, it’s just plane parts

by Jamie Rhein on

Imagine this. You’re going about your busy day without much thought about what’s going on above your head and then Bam! There’s a bit of an explosion and pieces of metal start falling, some the size of a BlackBerry–others bigger. Not as big as a house, but bigger than a BlackBerry.

“Was Chicken Little right?” you might ask yourself and whoever else is close by, providing those people weren’t beaned by the falling objects.

This scenario is similar to what happened yesterday when an American Airlines flight out of LaGuardia heading for Chicago had an engine explode. Luckily, the plane was designed to fly on just one engine so the plane headed to JFK and landed safely.

Also, luckily, the engine parts fell over an industrial area. Instead of landing on Jimmy and Susy playing on their backyard swing set (although it is still cold out so perhaps they wouldn’t have been out in the backyard), the parts landed on top of a warehouse and scattered across a parking lot, cracking windshields and one of the building’s skylights.

Can’t you just hear the “My words!?” and “What the heck?!” of the people working inside the building? Particularly when they went outside and saw the small pieces of titanium like metal scattered every which way.

There is an investigation to find out what caused the explosion. The McDonnell Douglas-80 plane had 88 passengers on board who now have an interesting story to tell about the time they helped make the sky fall.

The airline’s take is that these things happen. True, but a bit unnerving. I’ve been on three planes that have been diverted because of engine trouble. I wonder if anyone had to duck and cover down below? [via wcbstv.com]

10 tips for smarter flying


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Undiscovered New York: East Village by way of Japan

by Jeremy Kressmann on

Japan lies more than 6,500 miles away from New York, separated by an entire continent and the world’s largest ocean. But don’t let the distance fool you – there’s no place in the U.S. outside the West Coast that packs more Japanese culture per square foot than New York City.

Throughout the city you’ll find numerous Japanese restaurants, cultural events and businesses. Although the variety is great, covering everything from sushi spots to Japanese department stores like Takashimaya to Cherry Blossom festivals, finding New York’s Japanese culture can be a workout. It’s scattered all over the city.

Thankfully there is one area you can go to get a taste of Japan all in one place – Manhattan’s East Village. No area offers a higher concentration of Japanese culture. Though it bears no official title, the area is practically its own “Japantown,” boasting authentic Japanese businesses and cuisine: laid-back izakayas, quirky toy stores, hidden sake bars and authentic Japanese groceries are all waiting to be discovered.

Is that plane ticket to Tokyo not in the budget this year? Cheer up – consider New York as your backup option. Want to eat some of the best ramen this side of the Pacific Ocean? Do you know the difference between hot and cold sake? Looking for a place to pick up that obscure Astro Boy figurine? Then grab your suitcase as Undiscovered New York takes you to Japan by way of the East Village…
Ramen!!!!
If there’s one Japanese food we particularly love here at Undiscovered New York, it’s ramen. The truth of the matter is nothing beats the perfect combination of salty noodles, spicy toppings, fatty pork and crunchy vegetables that comprise one of Japan’s most famous dishes. You really have to try it to understand why.

New York’s East Village is ground zero for some of the city’s best ramen spots. Foodies love to debate which ramen shop has the best and/or most authentically Japanese ramen. Is it David Chang’s Momofuku Noodle Bar, a relative newcomer that now includes three sister restaurants? Or what about Ramen Setagaya, the spot many purists claim is most faithful to the Japanese ramen recipe? Not if you listen to the owners of straight-from-Japan Ippudo, the newest addition to the East Village’s brewing “ramen wars.” The only way to decide is to head to the East Village and try for yourself. Forget the fact we didn’t even cover the East Village’s numerous yakitoris, izakayas and sushi spots. That’s enough for its own post!

Japanese Toys
It’s sometimes said that New Yorkers live in a state of perpetual adolescence, always delaying the onset of adulthood for the priorities of career, finances and fun. There’s certainly some truth to that statement when you consider the preponderance of Japanese toy stores in the East Village, offering the latest and greatest in Japanese playthings.

Among the favorites is Toy Tokyo, stocking everything from your favorite 1980’s movie figurines to Japan’s favorite monster, Godzilla. Just a short walk east is J 1 Pan Toy, which carries a similarly impressive collection of Japanese stationery, DVD’s and greeting cards. Just one block north is Giant Robot, a gallery space with a smallish collection that tends to skew more towards the savvy and obsessive figurine collectors. If you still can’t get enough of that Japanese merchandise, there’s Aica, a retailer that specializes in “hard-to-find” collectibles straight from the motherland.

Time for a drink
If all the salty ramen and scouring of Japanese toy stores has made you thirsty, it’s time for a cold beverage. You could do worse than stopping by Decibel, an “underground” sake bar that’s literally hidden in the basement down a flight of steps. Stocking a huge selection of more than 70 varieties of the beverage, it’s a great place to try both hot and cold sakes and hang out with a friend.

If your thirst is more of the non-alcoholic variety, never fear, the East Village boasts several authentic Japanese grocery stores. Grab yourself a cold bottle of green tea or some Pocari Sweat over at Sunrise Mart. Nearby is Korean grocer M2M, which stocks a surprisingly large array of Japanese products, as well as JAS Mart on St. Mark’s.

Age old question of chicken or beef ends up in Court of Appeals

by Scott Carmichael on

Chicken or beef? It’s the question almost everyone on an International flight will end up hearing at one point (unless of course you are flying up front, where you’ll probably get more choices).

Millions of people answer this question every year, and are presented with a meal that is somehow meant to represent their choice.

On an American Airlines flight from Zurich to New York several years ago, passenger Pierre Delis was only offered one choice – beef or beef?

The normal reaction to the lack of chicken would be to roll your eyes, perhaps even mention to the poor flight attendant what a horrible airline she is working for.

Not so with Mr. Delis. His lack of a chicken option escalated into a verbal battle, and ended with the flight attendant getting a punch in her stomach.

Now, punching a flight attendant is never a good idea, but to do so when the plane is airborne is turns the whole thing into a nasty mess. Mr. Delis was arrested and convicted of “simple assault”. He was sentenced to “time served” and was told to pay a $10 court fee (I’d say he got off really easy).

Not content with having a criminal record, Mr. Delis has been battling the ruling for years, and his case finally came to an end this week when the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan unanimously ruled that his conviction should stand. His argument that he never intended to injure the flight attendant was not sufficient to change the mind of the Court.