Best Acupuncturist
InsideOut Body Therapies
5720 Fayetteville Road, #101, Durham
insideoutbodytherapies.com
Finalists: Triangle Acupuncture; Janet Shaffer, Duke Integrative Medicine; Jonathon Kramer
Best Aesthetician
Lindsey Westendorf
Finalists: Angela Monarch Brow Studio, Kathleen Makena, Mariah Ewald
Best Barber Shop
Arrow, Pedro Williams
15 East Hargett Street, Raleigh
guaranteedshorterhair.com
Finalists: Rock’s Bar and Hair Shop, Posh the Salon, Syd’s Hair Shop
Best Chiropractor
Triangle Health Center
953 North Harrison Avenue, Cary
trianglehealthcenter.com
Finalists: Dr. Greg Barnes, Dr. Chas Gaertner/N.C. Chiropractic, Active Chiropractic/Molly Hall
Best Day Spa
Umstead
100 Woodland Pond Drive, Cary
theumstead.com
Finalists: Retreat at Brightleaf, Synergy Spa, Bella Trio
Best Dentist in Durham County
Dr. Amy Gadol
811 Ninth Street, #210, Durham
gadolfamilydentistry.com
Finalists: Bull City Dental, Dr. Scott Donner, DDS, Desiree T. Palmer
Best Dentist in Orange/Chatham Counties
Susanne Jackson
77 Vilcom Center Drive, #180, Chapel Hill
susannejacksondds.com
Finalists: Dr. Jeff Kennedy, Steven Daniels, Stephen Randall
Best Dentist in Wake County
Justin Russo
13220 Strickland Road, #166, Raleigh
leesvilledentalcare.com
Finalists: Riccobene, Village Dental, Triangle Family Dentistry
INDY › I’d been living in Raleigh less than two months when I bit into an apple one morning and a piece of my veneer popped off. With no dentist in the area, a series of interviews lined up, and an awkward, gimpy excuse for a tooth, I naturally began to panic. Then a friend recommended Riccobene. The minute I got on the phone with their receptionist, I felt better. She was gracious, kind, and willing to accommodate me on short notice. When it came time to finally replace my long-lost tooth, they did an exceptional job at a reasonable price. It’s hard to fairly assess the area’s “best” dentist—most of us haven’t sampled a wide enough variety of practitioners to make those judgments with any credibility—but Riccobene won my loyalty. [EH]
Best Dermatologist
Chapel Hill Dermatology
891 Willow Drive, #1, Chapel Hill
chapelhilldermatology.com
Finalists: Dr. Brooke Jackson, Central Dermatology, Blue Ridge Dermatology
Best Gym
Burn Boot Camp
2442 Wycliff Road, Raleigh
burnbootcamp.com
Finalists: HEAT, Camp Gladiator, Synergy Fitness for Her
Best Hair Salon in Durham County
Vent Salon
1125 West N.C. Highway 54, #206, Durham
ventsalon.com
Finalists: Posh the Salon, Poppy Salon, Moshi Moshi
Best Hair Salon in Orange/Chatham Counties
Syd’s Hair Shop
106 North Graham Street, Chapel Hill
sydshairshop.com
Finalists: To The Woods, Ceremony Salon, Mina’s Studio
Best Hair Salon in Wake County
Blo
8451 Brier Creek Parkway, #101, Raleigh
justblo.com
Finalists: The Indigo Room, Salon Blu, Fancy Knot
Best Holistic Medicine
Plum Spring Clinic
184 Lystra Estates Drive, Chapel Hill
plumspringclinic.com
Finalists: Duke Integrative Medicine, InsideOut Body Therapies, Valhalla Massage
Best Martial Arts Studio
Carolina Self Defense & Krav Maga
107 Edinburgh South Drive, #106, Cary
carolinaselfdefense.com
Finalists: Chapel Hill Quest Martial Arts, Triangle Krav Maga, Saint-Cyr Dojo
Best Massage Therapist
Ginger Sweeney
6104 Grace Park Drive, Morrisville
bodyworkbyginger.com/
Finalists: Lindsay Riggsbee, Kelly Cox, Josh Townsend
Best Optometry Practice
Academy Eye Associates
3115 Academy Road, Durham
academyeye.com
Finalists: Carrboro Family Vision, My Eye Dr., Upchurch Optical
Best Pediatric Practice
Regional Pediatrics
4022 Freedom Lake Drive, Durham
regionalpeds.com
Finalists: Chapel Hill Pediatrics, Triangle Health Center, Durham Pediatrics
Best Pediatrician
Dr. Vivian Makar
4022 Freedom Lake Drive, Durham
Finalists: Dr. Kyne Wang, Dr. Douglas Clark, Dr. Jeff Green
Best Personal Trainer
Chan Little
404 Hunt Street, #135, Durham
the360approach.com/trainers/chan-little
Finalists: Jake Giamoni, DJ Coe (Burn Boot Camp North Durham), JoJo Polk
Best Pilates Studio in Durham County
InsideOut Body Therapies
5720 Fayetteville Road, #101, Durham
insideoutbodytherapies.com
Finalists: Ride Cycle Studio, Bull City Pilates and Massage, Recharge Pilates
Best Pilates Studio in Orange/Chatham Counties
Carrboro Yoga Company
200 North Greensboro Street, Carrboro
carolinayogacompany.com
Finalists: Spira Pilates, Studio 54, Carolina Core
Best Pilates Studio in Wake County
Pulse Pilates
7440 Six Forks Road, Raleigh
pulsepilates.net
Finalists: Carolina Barre and Core, Evolve Movement, Blue Sky Pilates
Best Place to Hike
Eno River State Park
Finalists: Umstead State Park, Duke Forest, American Tobacco Trail
INDY › The Triangle has no shortage of excellent hiking trails, including at the Umstead and Eno state parks. And most of them share similar characteristics—the oak and pine canopy that fills in by spring, for instance, and the creeks that allow your four-legged friends to cool their fur or grab a drink in the summer heat. Most also have inclines and declines; that is the nature of the area’s topography, after all. But if you’re in the mood for something different, head out to Hillsborough and the Occoneechee Mountain State Park (625 Virginia Cates Road). No, it’s not really a mountain; and no, the hike itself isn’t altogether that challenging. But it is the steepest elevation around, and once you get to the top, the payoff is a hell of a view. [JCB]
Best Place to Run
American Tobacco Trail
Finalists: Al Buehler Trail, Lake Johnson, Duke East Campus
INDY › You could drop a bunch of coin on classes at some gym, but here’s a cheaper alternative to keeping in shape: lace up your running shoes and run along the Capitol Area Greenway, a beautiful, massive, free trail system spanning more than one hundred miles throughout Wake County. (Some personal favorites: the Neuse River and Crabtree Creek trails; Wake’s greenway system also includes a 6.5-mile section of the 23-mile American Tobacco Trail and the Walnut Creek trail, which intersects with Lake Johnson and the Neuse River trail. Yeah, it’s that big.) Along the way, you can expect to see bikers, runners, power walkers, leafy trees, swollen creeks, enthusiastic dogs, and even the occasional snake (beware). The trails are a nice, accessible escape from city life, and rarely crowded—they’re especially tranquil most mornings. If you don’t feel like breaking the bank for a workout class, you don’t have to. Just hit the trail. [EH]
Best Primary Care Practitioner
Dr. Blake Livingood
953 North Harrison Avenue, Cary
trianglehealthcenter.com/our-team
Finalists: Dr. Susan Blackford, Dr. Cara Davis
Best Therapist
Whitney B. Johnson
219 North Boylan Avenue, #205, Raleigh
whitneyjohnsonlpc.com
Finalists: Carrie Roberson Fasola, Colie Taico, Allison Grubbs
Best Women’s Health Practice in Durham County
Planned Parenthood
105 Newsom Street, Durham
plannedparenthood.org
Finalists: Durham Women’s Clinic, Durham OB/GYN, Harris & Smith OB/GYN
Best Women’s Health Practice in Orange/Chatham Counties
Women’s Birth and Wellness Center
930 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, #202, Chapel Hill
ncbirthcenter.org
Finalists: Planned Parenthood, Chapel Hill OB/GYN, Chapel Hill Women’s Medicine (Now Mosiac)
Best Women’s Health Practice in Wake County
Planned Parenthood
plannedparenthood.org
100 South Boylan Avenue, Raleigh
Finalists: Atrium OB/GYN, Mid-Carolina OB/GYN, Wilkerson OB/GYN, Associates in Women’s Health
Best Women’s Health Practitioner
Nicollette Schreiber
209 East Carver Street, Durham
durhamwomensclinic.com/staff/nicolette-schreiber-m-d-2
Finalists: Melinda Everett WHCNP, Dr. Elizabeth Motyka, Phelicia Flanagan
Best Yoga Studio in Durham County
Global Breath Studio
119 West Main Street, #300, Durham
globalbreath.org
Finalists: Durham Yoga Company, Blue Point Yoga Center, Hot Asana
Best Yoga Studio in Orange/Chatham Counties
Carrboro Yoga Company
200 North Greensboro Street, Carrboro
carolinayogacompany.com
Finalists: Franklin Street Yoga Center, Loving Kindness Yoga, Blue Point Yoga Center
Best Yoga Studio in Wake County
Blue Lotus
401 North West Street, #105, Raleigh
bluelotusnc.com
Finalists: 110 Yoga, Bliss Body Yoga, Open Door
