Engadget gets a BlackBerry massage

The other day I took one for the team and went to get one of those BlackBerry massages everyone's been talking (I know, it's a tough job). There are a few places offering 'em these days, but the one closest to me was a little day spa place called Graceful Services on 2nd Avenue here in Manhattan.

I wanted to be good and ready for my massage, so I made sure to use my Treo a ton to try and get my thumbs nice and sore (I felt a little dishonest being a Treo user going to get a "BlackBerry" massage, but I got over that really quickly).

I was a little sketched out upon arriving at the spa, since the entrance (pictured above) didn't exactly scream "wellness" or whatever you call it, but I was determined to get this story, so I plowed ahead and went inside.

It wasn't the fanciest of day spas, but everything was very professional and after paying my $60 (which I paid for myself, this wasn't a freebie) I was directed into a closed off area for the massage. Turns out that at this particular place you don't actually get the BlackBerry massage in a private room or anything, there's just a curtain separating you from other people getting massages. Not sure how common that is, but it wasn't a big deal so I got on the massage table and then spent the rest of the time trying to ignore the constantly vibrating Treo in my pocket (or at least trying to appreciate the irony of the situation).

So how was the massage itself? Well, it wasn't bad at all, but it didn't seem all that different or special than any other massage focusing primarily on the hands and arms -- it was just clever marketing to rebrand it as a "BlackBerry massage". Afterwards I did feel a lot better -- whatever pain I'd been having in my wrists and thumbs was gone (and hasn't come back) -- but I wouldn't necessarily recommend going out of your way to get a BlackBerry massage. If you're seeking some serious relief from thumboard-induced pain, you could just as easily ask any massage therapist to give your hands and arms some love (you know what I mean!).

[autocorrelation @ Mar 19th 2007 12:31PM]

$60US is a lot of money for a hand massage

[phi @ Mar 19th 2007 12:35PM]

Man, that place look sketchy.

[Simon P @ Mar 19th 2007 12:44PM]

sketchy enough that their "happy ending" means they don't steal your phone......

[phi @ Mar 19th 2007 12:51PM]

Ha! I was waiting for someone to make a happy ending joke.

[mrsalty @ Mar 19th 2007 12:54PM]

Yeh, but he is in the city. They want 5 bucks for a coffee and fresh air is priceless, it's all relative.

[Connor @ Mar 19th 2007 12:58PM]

This is news?

[Pete D @ Mar 19th 2007 1:16PM]

Peter for the next NYC event you guys should get the people from this place (or any of the other "massage" places around the city) to come give discounted massages. Afterwards we can go to Happy Ending (yes for you non-NYCers there is a bar called Happy Ending and it DID used to be a brothel) and have a couple of drinks.

[Scott @ Mar 19th 2007 1:17PM]

Hey!! I'm jealous! The day spa I took my wife to didn't sell 12 packs of bud to drink while I waited!

[Mike @ Mar 19th 2007 9:54PM]

ahhh - I read this and was getting really excited about making a happy ending joke. But I was beaten to the punch!

[nick @ Mar 19th 2007 1:52PM]

When look at the entrance did anyone else think "whorehouse" ?

[Rami Selim @ Mar 19th 2007 6:12PM]

LOL. When I read the title of this post...I read "Blackberry MESSAGE" ...I was like Whats so special about that? I had to look twice to realize the "misspelling" was intentional.

[Matt @ Mar 19th 2007 6:56PM]

As a Manhattanite I can attest to the fact that there are a ton of these massage places that look really sketchy but in most cases are pretty good.

And yes, from what I have seen, it is pretty common for there to be one big room and basically sectioned off areas that are divided with bamboo screens. If you cracked a knuckle... everyone in the place would hear it. Sketchy, at first, but if you find a good place then just enjoy the massage. I mean, is it worth paying double the price just so you can feel like its not sketchy?

[Chris @ Mar 20th 2007 5:35PM]

"And yes, from what I have seen, it is pretty common for there to be one big room and basically sectioned off areas that are divided with bamboo screens. If you cracked a knuckle... everyone in the place would hear it. Sketchy, at first, but if you find a good place then just enjoy the massage. I mean, is it worth paying double the price just so you can feel like its not sketchy?"

Is that a serious question?

[lilxzhouyu @ Mar 20th 2007 9:41AM]

60 bucks is around average for a massage...