With the proliferation of massage parlors and day spas in this city, it's easy to overlook the unassuming Massage Therapy Center on the upper floor of a Sawtelle Boulevard mini mart. That would be a mistake. If your concern is quality massages over fancy environs, you've come home. The highly respected staff masseuse therapists are known for meticulous technique; they do everything, from basic Swedish to advanced deep-tissue and shiatsu. (You'd expect nothing less from a place founded by the chairman of the California Massage Therapy Council, the state's massage certification board.) The atmosphere is clean, inviting, with scented candles burning and just a hint of posh. You slip into a terry robe, enter a dark room, are advised to turn off your cell phone. Soft music plays while your masseuse's magic fingers knead your troubles away. The center has a $79 monthly “Spa Club” membership, which gets you an hour a month and 10 percent off additional services. Good thing. In these tough times, you'll want more. 2130 S. Sawtelle Blvd., Suite 207, W.L.A. (310)444-8989, massagenow.com.

—Gendy Alimurung

Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.