Niu’s Nail

With the affordable price of Ten dollar pedicures and five dollar manicures this place is a neighborhood gem!

$ 5 manicure? With essie polishes? The ladies are sweet. It makes me angry when someone gives them an awful tip. Clearly they’re not making a fortune. I’ve come intermittently for years and they have always done a good job– and gone out of their way to help (they zip my coat on for me, for goodness sake!) Expect lots of chatter in Chinese. I haven’t experienced rude treatment.

$ 5 manis in the city! Super cheap. I only use light colors and they stay for a while, so no complaints there. I don’t think they are as good with waxing though — lots of missed spots.
They should take reservations because sometimes the wait is not as short as they say when you walk in.

Called to ask what time they closed and I was told 7PM. I got there at 6:30 and Betty, one of the nail techs said «we close at 7» with a look of pure disdain. I to her I knew that because I called. She rudely asked, «You call and made appointment?» I said no and sat down to wait. All the while she was shooting my dirty looks. The other costumes were all looking at the exchange in disbelief. If I didn’t have an important meeting the next day I would have walked out.

BEST MANICURE OF MY LIFE
I’m really picky with my nails. I’ve actually had nail shops not ask me to come back — oops. But I’m so impressed with this gell french manicure.
The shape was beautiful — not ghetto square, not old lady round. Somewhere in the middle.
The color — they had a large variety to choose from but the pink layered over white looks so pretty and the way they did the white line was perfectly matched on every single nail.
The technique — she really took her time. She made a point to not put too much oil on my cuticle because it would make the gell come off faster. She was meticulous with my cuticles even cutting the skin under the tips of my nails and cleaning off every bit of previous red gel polish which took a while.
The demeanor — they were so smart and friendly that the whole salon was having a conversation together. It was really a fun atmosphere I would totally go back.
I waited 1 week to judge the quality because it’s hard to tell with gell and it’s still perfect after doing dishes and everything. I’m super impressed.

My friend told me about this place and I was nearby so I popped in for a quick manicure. I thought $ 5 manicure? How could I go wrong?
Well, even though the manicure was really cheap, I really doubt I’m going to be coming back.
I had been growing my nails out and I asked the woman working on me to trim them a «little bit». Well, she basically chopped them really short and cut my skin in the process (and no she was not at all apologetic). She just looked like she didn’t really give a $*#! and was very haphazard throughout the rest of the process.
I’d definitely rather pay a few bucks more and frequent a nail salon that’s more friendly, rather than going to a cheap place like this and leaving with nails that I don’t even like.

$ 15 mani/pedi’s every day in the week… How can you beat that? If you’re walking in here feeling like Mariah Carey and expecting a 5 star spa treatment for $ 15, you should turn around and walk back out.
i’ve been coming to this salon for about 12 years — In fact, my first pedicure ever was here. They’ve got a great selection of Essie polishes although I always bring my own from home. They do a quick job but a nice job and if I ask them nicely to clean it up a little in one spot or add another coat, they do. They even move my purse to the drying station if my nails are too wet to grab it or help pull my pants back down my calves after my pedi… it’s the little things.
I tip a minimum of $ 5 for my mani/​pedi and that’s when I’m scraping pennies for the week.
Sure they will talk about you in their native language… but that doesn’t deter me. Overall, I give 4 stars. It’s right in my neighborhood, great for quick run ins, and it’s the one thing I don’t mind sitting and waiting for to save a few bucks from walking down the block.
PS. bring a book or iPod… your phone service will likely be struggling in there since it’s essentially underground.

This place really brings a whole new meaning to «You get what you pay for.» And at $ 20 freakin’ dollars for a Shellac manicure and $ 10 for a pedicure, I found myself really frustrated between choosing between 3 and 4 stars. NONETHELESS, the more I thought about my experience, I just couldn’t get myself to throw this place an extra bone.
First of all, this salon has been brought up in conversation many times (By «this salon» I mean this salon’s prices) from a few friends, so with some free time on my hands, I finally decided to try it. I should’ve heeded the first impression of this place when I called at least 4 times throughout the day to make an appointment, but no one ever answered the phone. I gave them the benefit of the doubt, and decided that since it was the end of the week, they must be too busy to answer the phone, so I headed down E 26^th St hoping that they would take me as a walk-​in. If you’re looking for it, it’s not very hard to miss because of the long, green awning, but once you enter, you almost ask yourself if you’re in the right place, because you have to walk through a cobblestone path underneath a garden trellis along the entire walkway, with Christmas lights and large leaves/​flowers.
Polish selection was a tad bit limited, in both color and brand especially compared to other salons I’ve been to, and I’ve experienced hundreds. (Exclusively Essie-​Brand colors, and only 3 small shelves worth of options.) As for the Shellac gel, selection certainly could have been better, but I suppose I didn’t expect much after looking at the regular polish rack. Eventually I was happy with what I selected, and my services were going perfectly fine. The lady seemed to be paying careful attention to detail, and I was pleased with the way the end result looked. She EVEN asked me if I was sure that I wanted the light-​pink gel polish I selected, because it has a very sheer finish. She finished, and I couldn’t have been more content, UNTIL it was time to pay.
She told me it was $ 30 so I handed her a $ 20 and two fives. WHILE I am going into my purse to get money for a tip, this woman has the audacity to say «Are you seriously going to pay just 30?» I was absolutely shocked because it was clear I was literally getting out more money as she said this to me, so I pulled out a 20 and asked her for change. She looked at me like I was handing her pennies. EXCUSE ME? My entire bill was $ 30, and you’re looking at me like you want a $ 20 tip. When I handed her a five, she gave me a dirty look, and stopped acknowledging my existence from then on. When I walked out and said thank you very much, not one employee said a word to me. They glared at me and completely changed my mood. All in all, my hands and feet look good, but for me personally, I’d rather pay a few extra bucks somewhere else with more pleasant nail technicians, and a much nicer physical atmosphere as well.

Spent: $ 15 for Mani-​Pedi (Cash Only)
How can you beat that?! This is my go to nail salon in NYC. No better price I have seen so far, plus the place is clean with minimalist, modern décor and void of the tacky lights of other establishments.
Things you will experience:
+Long waits — they only have 3 staff and the secret’s already out. I usually wait anywhere between 15 – 45 min on Fridays through Sundays
+Good color selection (Essie only)
+Good magazine selection
+Women talking in Chinese about you (good and bad)
+Quick and efficient job on your hands and feet
Will this be your best kept secret?

$ 5 mani and $ 10 pedi-​what more could you want? Will you get a massage as you dry your nails, no… will they spend a long time and make a fuss over you, not really… but it’s so cheap! This is my go-​to nail salon for that sole reason. They have essie colors and a good selection. It is clean and a pleasant feel to the salon. If you see the youngest woman working there try to get her– she will take extra long on your nails.

This place is GARBAGE. Like any other customer looking for a cheap manicure and pedicure, I fell into the trap of the low prices of this place. The ladies who work here are plain RUDE. I’m not sure if they realize that I understand their language (Mandarin) or not but after I gave the lady who did my mani/​pedi a $ 2 tip because it was bad, she curses at me in Mandarin and said she will do a sloppy job with my nails. Another customer walks in and she says in Mandarin «I’m not going to do her nails, I rather go count money,» causing that customer to wait an extra 20 mins. What kind of crappy service is this? Low prices does not give you a right to give attitudes and bad services. Do not come here. TERRIBLE SERVICE!

$ 20 for a gel manicure that lasts me beyond 14 days sometimes, I’ve been a frequent customer for over 3 years now. Niu Nail gets the job done. It’s all about building a relationship and coming and being a good tipper. I recommend this spot to anyone who isn’t a princess wanting a spa like experience because whose got money to pay for that every 2 – 3 weeks when I need to make my hands look good? Not me, honey!

This is the cheapest nail salon you will find in the city. All I have to say is $ 5 manicures! But because it’s so cheap, the ladies do a very quick job within 5 minutes. Also, they ask for payment + tip before they paint their customers’ nails and may get grouchy if they are not satisfied with the tip. One customer gave her nail lady a $ 1 tip and the lady went berzerk in Chinese and started gossiping to her coworkers. Meanwhile, my nail lady was seemingly content with my $ 3 tip because she worked on my nails much longer than the other one did with her customer. Awkward!
Overall, this salon has Essie nail polishes with a pretty good selection of colors. However, I wouldn’t say the place is very sanitary. The table where I dried my nails was a bit sticky. I would not get a pedicure here for that reason.
Bottom line, the price is just right but not so much the service and cleanliness.

I know that place is cheap and all that but the most horrible experience ever.
I could do a better Job then her and will never go there again. i had to go someplace else after getting a horrible mani there

Ok so… I have been going to this salon for about 4 years now. The obvious draw is the $ 5 mani and the $ 10 pedi. You can only pay cash so be prepared. Since its located near my job, I am able to get here weekly — even though im a regular, I never get the ladies who work there give me a «hi, how are you, good to see you, welcome back» anything. nothing. nada. im sure you and i are always used to the welcome commonly known as «pick color!»
So you’re probably wondering why im giving this business a 2 star rating if i go here so often. Let’s face it, i go there cause its cheap and Im in and out in 25 mins tops with a fresh mani pedi.
Today like every other week, I got a mani and pedi for $ 15 and paid with a $ 20 bill. The lady there assumed I wanted to let her keep my change and she didnt even think of returning my $ 5 bill. I mean, I always tip but dont assume you’re going to keep my change — give me the benefit of saying «keep it — thanks»
Well today — I asked if I could have my change (I wanted the $ 5 bill and was going to give her singles)
Her response: «you kidding?» and she huffed and puffed and threw the $ 5 on the table and started screaming in Chinese to her co-​workers and went on for about 5 minutes. She didnt even pull my chair our or take my purse of jacket to the drying station like they always do because she was so upset that I asked for my change.
Next time I go there im going to make sure I dont deal with her and will be sure to tip on my way out.
Downsides: extremely rude, not welcoming and not exactly the cleanest place
Pros: cheap, many colors, never busy

This is not a place to go for ambiance, this is a place to go for an average mani and pedi for WAY below average prices. $ 15 for mani /​pedi, $ 5 for mani or $ 10 for pedi.
Beat that, I dare you!
Go here and save your pretty pennies.

Seriously, where else in the city can you get $ 5 manis. and they do a decent job as well. They last around the same length of time as at a $ 10 salon.
ATMOSPHERE — aint the best, but what do you expect from a place that is $ 5 manis. You walk through this garden of poorly lighted xmas lights into like a secret haven in the back, and you go downstairs into the small space.
If you’re looking for cheap manis or quick service, I highly recommend. Def worth the price if not more.

Yes, this place is cheap and I know that you’re going to get what you pay for but honestly… it was a little too rough around the edges for my taste. The pedicure took maybe 5 – 10 minutes and the lady who did my feet did a job that I could have easily done myself… I even asked her to cut my cuticles and I don’t know if she thought I was blind or what, but she was basically pretending to cut my cuticles and cutting at air. And then she applied only one coat of polish and got up to ring me up before I could ask her to apply a 2^nd coat (come on, isn’t a 2^nd coat pretty standard?). She also seemed really angry the whole time, cursing in Chinese (or what sounded like it) and just giving a whole lot of attitude to every customer she tended to.
OH, and I don’t know why people don’t rat on this place for its uncleanliness. They do NOT put any of their nail tools in sanitizer or anything. They just keep on reusing the same tools for every single customer without washing it. That’s really gross, especially because they’re tending to people’s toes and feet!
Needless to say, I didn’t tip my pedicurist very well and that instigated another barrage of harsh-​sounding Chinese verbiage. But whatever, I won’t be back again anyway. Don’t get me wrong — I’m all about efficiency and the whole bang-​for-​your-​buck shabang, but I really didn’t feel satisfied with my experience at all and didn’t feel the cheap costs justified any of it. I’d rather shell out an extra $ 5 – 10 for better service AND delivery.

This was my first manicure experience (yes, ever), and it was decent. You really cannot beat the price. You kind of feel like you’re in an assembly line, but that’s okay — you have about 10 – 15 minutes of pampering, and it’s worth every penny. I think the painting job they did was what I could have done at home, to be honest, but getting a nice nail cut was good.
My biggest beef is with the drying station, where you let your fingers dry — the surface was so sticky. All I could think about was swine flu.
However, you’ll be in and out in a jiffy for a cheap price!

Niu’s is actually closer to 3^rd avenue, so the map is a little off.
THANK the heavens for Unilocal.I found a place that is cheaper than LES and Astoria. I am in love with the idea of $ 10 pedicures. That means, instead of one every few months, I can get it way more often for the fraction of the price. In fact, I never Unilocal about non-​restaurants, so you know this is a big deal when you’ve hit the Unilocal jackpot.
In desperate need of an affordable pedi for a wedding, I researched nail salons with good prices. I kept seeing places that were in the $ 28-​$ 35 range and was not interested, afterall, it only lasts a couple weeks max.
Made an appointment for 6:30 on a Monday but had to push back to 7:30 because of work. Turns out that I ended up showing up at 6:35 anyways, so I did have to wait about 5 – 8 minutes. I was seated fairly quickly even though they already had 4+ people inside. The lady did a nice job on my feet, and the massage was pretty decent compared to other places. I asked if she could paint designs, and she gladly went to get her samples. They are only $ 2 per toe… that is a steal. The colors they offer are pretty extensive — they carry Essie, but if you’re looking for «funky» colors they won’t have it. They have your normal palette — whites, pinks, browns, maroons, corals, oranges, reds, magentas, mauves, taupes… a couple yellows and blues.
I got my eyebrows waxed as well, and she did a very thorough job. Waxed, plucked, and trimmed, all for just $ 5. Did I tell you the prices are insane? Love it.
Niu’s Nail might be hard to find, it looks like an apartment building on the outside, and you have to enter a courtyard and go downstairs in the back. The space is relatively large and clean, with a clean bathroom.
I always love supporting my own peeps — it helped I was able to communicate to them in Chinese and have some conversation. It is true that they speak in Chinese about you IF you don’t leave any tip or a good tip, or have/haven’t paid for your services, but hey there’s nothing wrong with that. These ladies definitely deserve it.
And it’s true, they saran wrap your feet in the end, it’s awesome.