Corner Nail

The Corner Nail is nothing to write home about, but when I need my feet whipped into shape for a reasonable price, this is where I go. It’s small, as Anouska B. mentioned there are two pedicure chairs and four nail stations. I havn’t had my nails done, but I have had two pedicures and I was pretty satisfied each time. I’m always extremely grateful to anyone who has to put up with my polish-​chipped hooves, and the ladies here have always been friendly and never seem off-​put by having to spend a little extra time smoothing down the rough spots. During the pedi I got yesterday at one point the lady held up my foot and gleeful declared «no callouses!!» giving me reason to clap my hands and squeal with delight (after a long winter of boot-​wearing I was SHOCKED to receive this news.)
Is this salon going to blow you away with cutting edge equipment and stunning décor? No. Are they going to give you a pretty and decently priced pedicure? Yes.

Alright alright, so The Corner Nail is not much to talk about.
There are two pedicure stations, and four manicure stations, but only ever one or two (usually just one) women working. If you come here, be prepared to wait. The pedicure stations have really great massage chairs (more like Swedish or deep tissue massage than ayurvedic or Balinese), but the basins are often a little murky, and I’m always worried I’ll drop the massage remotes into the water and electrocute myself…(!)
One of the little Asian women I’ve seen here has access to those dry-​skin removing foot ‘drills’, with a fast-​rotating blunt end that makes my feet look INCREDIBLE once she’s finished. It hurts like hell, of course, and I’m not sure if it’s a tool approved by any official administrative body, or if it’s something she jimmied together on her lunch break, but the thing really works.
The manicures here are… half-​hearted. Twice they’ve cut my cuticles till they bled, and I often leave the salon with large portions of my nail unvarnished. Moreover, the ‘drying’ process involves seating you in front of a miniature rotating fan, and they shout at you if you move your hands to follow the direction of the air. In summer, these mini-​fans are replaced by two giant rotating fans, which are meant to provide relief to the ladies waiting in line AND dry your half-​painted nails.
So it’s… well… a little ghetto (man, I hate using that word). Why do I come here? Well, it’s so close to my apartment, I can walk here, come rain or shine. It’s also ridiculously cheap (if variable… they once charged me $ 12 for a mani-​pedi, and then another time they charged me $ 20 — both cheap!). And hey, I *like* supporting local businesses, even if they’re kinda crap sometimes. Can’t help it – I love Fields Corner.
If you’re nearby and only have pocket change for a manicure, come on down. If you care about cuticle trauma and have less than 2 hours to wait, this probably isn’t the place for you.