For tech skeptics and downright romantics, nothing beats plunking away on an old-school typewriter. That is, until it breaks. Let Type B’s Donna Brady get the old girl tap-tap-tapping with a quick tune-up ($75-$600). Future readers of your soon-to-be best-seller thank you in advance.
Type B (donna@typebtypewriters.com or typebtypewriters.com).
If your most recent mani left a chip on your shoulder, seek nail inspiration in the form of Fleury Rose’s wild paint creations. BYO pics and prepare for polish perfection — Rose can turn literally anything (planets, cityscapes, sparkly monsters) into a motif.
Fleury Rose at Tomahawk Salon, 10 Porter Avenue, between Flushing Avenue and Thames Street, Bushwick (646-399-6873 or fleuryrosenails.tumblr.com).
Know what’s better than buying new shoes? Getting old favorites looking their shiny best. Take broken heels and busted boots in for reconstructive surgery at the West Village shop. Owner Rafael Davidov has been administering emergency services to scuffed uppers, warped soles, and (embarrassing) toe holes for more than 30 years.
David’s Shoe & Watch Repair, 460 Hudson Street, at Barrow Street (646-486-2680).
If visions of Japanese selvage lull you to sleep at night, then LES shop Self Edge is your dream. The denim haven attaches new buttons, replaces zippers, repairs holes, fixes torn pockets, reinforces leather tags, and chain-stitches broken hemlines on an antique sewing machine.
Self Edge New York, 157 Orchard Street, at Rivington Street (212-388-0079 or selfedge.com).
There are bad hair days and there are bad hair streaks. When an overzealous appetite for salon flash discounts leaves you with the latter, book Gabriel H.S.E., salon owner Michael Angelo, or stylist Mitchell Rodrigues. Their abilities to transform brassy yellow chunks into a glorious blond mane is the real deal.
Michael Angelo’s Wonderland Beauty Parlor, 418 West 13th Street, between Ninth Avenue and Washington Street (212-524-2800 or wonderlandbeautyparlor.com).
With all the abuse your iPhone has endured, it’s a miracle it even turns on. But maybe it doesn’t, and you’re freaking out. Whatever the issue, Dr. Brendan has the fix. Snag a new battery for just $50 or for $10 more, fix a smashed-up screen. Now that’s what we call genius.
Dr. Brendan, 8 Saint Marks Place, at Third Avenue (917-544-5949); 171 Fifth Avenue, at Lincoln Place, Park Slope (347-889-6809 or drbrendan.com).
Clever, the aptly named proprietor, mends even the saddest of soles in a jiffy. If the speedy repair service (turnaround is rarely more than three days) doesn’t leave you grinning, his leather cleaning and conditioning service is sure to perk you up.
North 11th Shoe Repair, 118 North 11th Street, between Wythe Avenue and Berry Street, third floor, Williamsburg (718-599-7463).
The model-turned-intuitive consultant and spiritual healer employs a combination of palm, tarot, and energy readings to assess your past, analyze your present, and advise for your future. Delivered with therapeutic, loving, and often hilarious wit, the readings last approximately 60 minutes.
Peri Lyons (perilyons1@gmail.com or perilyonsintuitive.com).
If your apartment needs more of a spring gutting than cleaning, click your way to bulldozed bliss. Simply post a pic of your fixer-upper and wait for custom contractor recommendations (plus budget-conscious counseling) compiled by local architects and designers.
TheSweeten (info@thesweeten.com or thesweeten.com).
If your closet were a Shakespeare play, it would be The Comedy of Errors (from the heap of mismatched shoes to the jumble of broken hangers at the bottom). Call in some new talent (sorry, Willie) with mother-daughter duo Ann Lightfoot and Kate Berger. They offer top-to-bottom organization for even the most worrisome wardrobes at $150 an hour. That’s a wrap, folks.
Done & Done NYC (917-838-6467 or doneanddonenyc.com).
No matter how many recipes you google, your tikka masala tends to be a curry catastrophe. Spruce up your kitchen skills with classes on everything from pasta making to tamale stuffing. You may not be reborn as Batali, but at least you won’t spend so much on takeout.
Ger-Nis Culinary & Herb Center, 540 President Street, between Third and Fourth Avenues, suite 2e, Gowanus (347-422-0337 or culinaryherbcenter.ger-nis.com).
Nayantara Banerjee whisks away button-missing shirts and hem-needing trousers and returns a week later with everything good as new. Armed with garment bags and pincushions (and maybe a little fairy dust), the Seamster arrives on your doorstep ready to address all manner of wardrobe malfunctions for $30 an hour.
The Williamsburg Seamster (347-987-0584 or williamsburgseamster.com).
If you’re ready to get rolling but the wheels just ain’t spinning, take your beloved bicycle in for a tune-up; the resident cycle-sperts cope with malfunctions at a reasonable rate.
Bicycle Habitat, 244 and 250 Lafayette Street, between Prince and Spring Streets (212-431-3315 or bicyclehabitat.com).
They say penmanship is a lost art, but that’s no excuse for ugly envelopes. Outsource good handwriting with Bryn Chernoff’s Brooklyn calligraphy service. Try custom-made address stamps for a quick correspondence fix or, if your letters are in critical condition, sign up for a one-on-one intensive.
Paperfinger, 45 Main Street, between Front and Water Streets, studio 1210, Dumbo (hello@paperfinger.com or paperfinger.com).
We’ve all had our share of sad Macs, but the tech-repair process doesn’t have to be a depressing affair. Known for their abilities to recover info from hard drives ranging from lightly toasted to charbroiled, the friendly computer whizzes in Chelsea are equipped to address serious computer problems.
Tekserve, 119 West 23rd Street, between Sixth and Seventh Avenues (212-929-3645 or tekserve.com).
You raged all weekend, and the headache you woke up with seems to be thumping louder than last night’s music. Appease frayed brain cells with a plate of toasted buttermilk biscuits with sausage gravy or a fried chicken sandwich.
Peels, 325 Bowery, at 2nd Street (646-602-7015 or peelsnyc.com).
Sticky party messes only look like they require bleach and chemical cleaners. Using ecofriendly products, the cleaning experts restore apartments to preparty harmony in no time. Her ladyship also offers nontoxic upholstery and carpet-cleaning services (in case that impromptu game of beer pong took its toll on your new white rug).
Ms. Green-Clean (212-942-8464 or msgreenclean.com).
The six years of French you took in high school must be rattling around in there somewhere. Brush up your speaking skills with affordable language classes in French, Spanish, and Italian at Idlewild Books. At just $285 for an eight- or ten-week session, you’ll be rolling those Rs again in no time.
Idlewild Books, 12 West 19th Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues (212-414-8888 or idlewildbooks.com).
When you’re decorating a new apartment, it’s easy to hit a wall. Actually, all four of them may pose problems. Thanks to the hip Brooklyn wall-coverings company, decorators can smash creative barriers with splashy graphics, unusual colors, and custom designs.
Flavor Paper, 216 Pacific Street, between Court Street and Boerum Place, Boerum Hill (718-422-0230 or flavorpaper.com).
Don’t let your terrific taste in art be obscured by a shoddy frame job. The staff transforms any canvas into a wowable wall hanging without hassling you for mysterious extras and add-ons.
City Frame, 259 West 30th Street, between Seventh and Eighth Avenues, fourth floor (212-967-4401 or cityframe.com).
You wouldn’t wear an ill-fitting sweater, and neither should your four-legged buddy. Wagwear offers free alterations on most of its cool canine styles, so your pup can romp without looking ragged.
Wagwear, 48 East 11th Street, between Broadway and University Place (212-673-7210 or wagwear.com).
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