BESTOFBK.COM • WINNERS GUIDE • BEST OF BROOKLYN 2018 13
HEALTH, WELLNESS & BEAUTY
BEST PERSONAL
TRAINING FACILITY
BAD ASS ACADEMY
238 Bay Ridge Avenue (718) 759-9870
Bad Ass Academy doesn’t beat around the
bush when it comes to fitness, so it should
come as no surprise that the Bay Ridge center
boasts the best boot camp in the borough.
At its 6,000 square-foot premier functional
training facility, Bad Ass Academy offers
both group and personal training. Unlike
other gyms that center around treadmills and
dumbbells, Bad Ass Academy offers unique,
stimulating alternatives like monkey bars,
sleds, cargo nets, battle ropes, spin bikes
and more. Anyone looking to shake up their
work-out (or get whipped into shape by locally
acclaimed personal trainers), should look no
further than Bad Ass Academy.
BEST PHARMACY
DYKER HEIGHTS PHARMACY
8016 13th Avenue (718) 833-4810
Dyker Heights Pharmacy is a “mom and pop”
pharmacy at home on 13th Avenue in Dyker
Heights that has made a name for itself while
withstanding the test of time and digging
its roots into its ‘hood. Noted for its vast
selection, wide array of services and stellar
staff, Dyker Heights Pharmacy prides itself on
being your number one source for healthcare
and pharmaceuticals in Brooklyn.
BEST PHYSICAL
THERAPIST
MARCELLO SARRICA
474 Bay Ridge Parkway (347) 560-6920
Dr. Marcello Sarrica is a Board Certified
Orthopedic Clinical Specialist and Certified
Orthopedic Manual Therapist who heads
Sarrica Physical Therapy in Bay Ridge.
Sarrica’s background in exercise physiology,
strength and conditioning and personal
training has allowed him to work with
individuals of all ages. During this career,
he has successfully treated many orthopedic
and sports medicine related injuries that are
both post-operative and non-operative in
nature (in that same breath, his clients range
from community-dwelling older adults to
CEO’s of Fortune 500 companies). Sarrica
believes that high quality one-on-one physical
therapy tailored to one’s needs is the most
effective way to get patients better, faster.
Sarrica focuses on educating patients about
their injuries so they can be more engaged in
their healing and recovery. A NSCA Certified
Strength and Conditioning Specialist and
member of the American Physical Therapy
Association, Sarrica has also co-authored
a chapter in a textbook called Therapeutic
Programs for Musculoskeletal Disorders,
designed specifically for residents and fellows.
In his spare time, the award-winning physical
therapist — voted best in the borough — enjoys
spending time with his family, playing baseball
and softball, doing weight training and taking
long walks with his family.
BEST PILATES STUDIO
HEALTH AND WELL BEING PHYSICAL
THERAPY
8617 3rd Avenue (917) 991-5891
Sometimes traditional, Western medicine
doesn’t cut it. That’s why the specialists at Bay
Ridge’s own Health and Well Being Physical
Therapy are there to help. Headed by New
York State Licensed Physical Therapist and
Certified Pilates and Barre Instructor Toni
Ann Mercogliano, DPT, Health and Well Being
Physical Therapy’s goal is to offer physical
conditioning programs that suit the health
needs and fitness experiences of everyone,
no matter their age or strength. The center
— at home on 3rd Avenue — specializes in
pilates, physical therapy fusion and Barre
— a combination of pilates, yoga and ballet
movements developed by a dancer in the
1950’s who suffered a back injury. Couple all
Health and Well Being has to offer with its
trained, attentive and family-like staff and
it’s not a stretch to call them the best pilates
studio in the borough.
BEST PODIATRIST
SHAZIA AMAR, DPM
200 Prospect Park West (347) 799-1605
Dr. Shazia Amar is not just a foot doctor,
Brooklyn-based podiatrist Dr. Amar is a
people-person whose primary goal is to help
patients get better. Upon meeting Dr. Amar,
many are struck by her delightful personality.
Well-liked by patients and colleagues,
she is a great listener. Her down to earth,
warm and friendly attitude combined with
a compassionate concern for her patient’s
welfare quickly puts them at ease. Dr.
Shazia Amar’s patients feel heard, safe and
comfortable and are likely to discuss all kinds
of things with her, not just their foot problems.
Inspired medically by a time her grandmother
fell ill, Dr. Amar provides an impressive array
of services — from orthotics and heel and
ankle pain to bunions and treating Plantar
Fasciitis — that are matched only by her
compassion and understanding, which she
believes is crucial to all cures.
BEST PSYCHOTHERAPIST
BROOKLYN CENTER FOR
PSYCHOTHERAPY
300 Flatbush Avenue (718) 622-2000
The Brooklyn Center for Psychotherapy,
located in the historic Park Slope area
since 1952, has become a major provider of
moderate cost mental health services to the
Brooklyn community for more than 50 years.
The Brooklyn Center for Psychotherapy — a
not-for-profit, non-sectarian psychiatric
clinic licensed by the New York State Office of
Mental Health — was established to diagnose
and treat the behavioral and personality
problems of children, adolescents and adults
by carefully evaluating each individual’s
problems in relation their total environment.
It provides the highest quality of services to
those individuals suffering from psychological
and behavioral disorders in an accessible,
affordable and professional environment
aimed at helping them reach their highest
potential.
All services provided by the Brooklyn Center
are available in both English and Spanish Its
staff consists of psychiatrists, psychologists,
registered nurses, social workers and mental
health counselors who are dedicated to
providing a safe, comfortable and confidential
treatment experience.
BEST REHABILITATION
CENTER
LUTHERAN AUGUSTANA CENTER FOR
EXTENDED CARE AND REHABILITATION
5834 2nd Avenue (718) 630-6000
Augustana Center is a state-of-the-art
rehabilitation and nursing center located
on the campus of NYU Langone Hospital
– Brooklyn. Augustana is a New York
State licensed not-for-profit organization
established in 1908 whose services range
from comprehensive interdisciplinary
rehabilitation and post-subacute care to
physical, occupational and speech therapy to
IV therapy and pain management. Augustana
Center — recipient of a five-star overall
rating from the Nursing Home Compare, the
official government site for Medicare — comes
complete with a 12-bed ventilator dependent
unit, wound care and a highly trained and
attentive staff. All this, and then-some, make
Augustana Center the best rehabilitation
center in the borough.
BEST SKIN CARE
THE GREEN SPA & WELLNESS CENTER
8804 3rd Avenue (718) 921-6100
Established in 1998, The Green Spa &
Wellness Center has spent close to a decade
making a name for itself far beyond its
hometown of Bay Ridge. Named one of the
top ten spas in New York City, the Ridgebased
wellness center is family owned and
operated and boasts a three-floor luxury
facility. Specializing in holistic healing,
skin-care, make-up, waxing, prenatal care,
massage therapy and more (they even offer
spa party packages!), Green Spa outshines the
competition when it comes to best skin care in
the borough.
BEST SLEEP CARE CENTER
COMPREHENSIVE SLEEP DISORDERS
INSTITUTE
1664 E 14th Street Suite 501 (718) 339-4800
The Comprehensive Sleep Disorders Institute
is a full-service sleep disorders center that
specializes in the evaluation and treatment of
disorders of sleep and wakefulness in adults
and children. SDI’s main facility is accredited
by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine,
and our offices are affiliated with New York’s
finest hospitals. The only free-standing sleep
center in Brooklyn to be accredited by the
American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the
Comprehensive Sleep Disorders Institute stands
tall as the best sleep care center in the borough.
BEST URGENT CARE
NORTHWELL HEALTH-GOHEALTH
URGENT CARE
Multiple Locations. Gohealthuc.com
Urgent care centers are seemingly in every
shopping center nowadays, which makes the
accomplishment of winning this competitive
category that much more impressive!
Northwell Health-GoHealth Urgent Care has
more than a dozen centers across Long Island,
and Has plans to open even more of these
extraordinary facilities. GoHealth Urgent
Care, which is partnered with Northwell
Health, specializes in bringing health care
directly into communities, increasing access
and integrating exceptional health care into
people’s daily routines and lives! Northwell
Health-GoHealth Urgent Care is well-regarded
for its high-quality care, understanding
physicians, and state-of the-art facilities.
BEST WAXING SALON
UNI K WAX
8522 5th Avenue (819) 509-9300
At Uni K Wax in Bay Ridge, waxing is more
than just a thing on your to-do list — it’s an
experience. Designed with your comfort and
ease in mind, Uni K Wax studios aim to use
organic decor and soft lighting to create a
refreshing atmosphere. With an astonishing
menu of services for her, for him and even
for teams (more than 50 altogether), there’s
a service for just about every waxer (or even
just those who are really into treating their
skin!) — all of which are executed by friendly
professionals who are just as dedicated to
providing a quick and calming experience as
you are to getting the best care.
BEST YOGA STUDIO
YOGA IN BAY RIDGE
9016 4th Avenue (347) 420-1272
Namaste, indeed. When it comes to keeping
calm and finding your center, Yoga in Bay
Ridge is where it’s at. The business — which
boasts a small, friendly room in the heart of
Bay Ridge — has one goal: personal attention
at affordable prices. Its classes — which serve
a range of beginner to experienced yogis — are
designed to cater to each student’s fitness or
mental health goals. The center also offers an
array of other relevant services such as reiki,
deep relaxation and meditation, restorative
yoga, belly dance, pre-natal yoga and more —
and they do so with a staff as acclaimed as its
programs, making it the obvious choice when
it comes to best yoga studio in the borough.