SERVICES

Best Fountain of Youth: The spring water at Bedford Springs Resort, just an hour-and-a-half drive from here on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, has been said to have medicinal properties since the orginal resort, now a historic landmark, opened in the early 1800s. After a renovation was completed with painstaking attention to historic integrity (even the colors of the linens are historically accurate), the resort re-opened last year. The prized spring water is still used in the spa and Olympic-sized pool. If the water doesn't cure whatever ails you, try out the golf course, state-of-the-art spa and award-winning food. 2138 Business Route 200, Bedford; 814/623-8100, bedfordspringsresort.com. - L.D.

Best Place to Face the Heat: At Anastasia Skin Care in Shadyside, aestheticians place smooth, hot stones onto your face to penetrate heat through the skin. Next is a dermal quench - a refreshing procedure that saturates the skin with vitamins, antioxidants and peptides to create a soft and radiant glow. But what you might find most unusual about this facial is that it starts with your feet. Your visit begins with a foot soak and massage, which progresses up the body into a hand and arm massage to dissolve stress - leaving your complexion soothed, hydrated and totally rocked. 5541 Walnut St., Shadyside; 412/687-1558, anastasiaskincare.com. - Reese Randall

Best Full-Service Gas Station: Take a ride back into time to the Gulf gasoline station on West Ingomar Road in Ingomar. Pull in and hear the bells jingle. Stay in your car while manager John Gaydos greets you with a smile. While he fills the tank, don't be surprised if he notices the air in your tires is low or your inspection sticker has expired. In fact, Gaydos knows the names of most of his customers, along with their kids' and dogs' names, at this full-service station that is sadly a dying breed. Owners and twins Gary and Craig Roznowski are continuing the tradition their dad began in the 1970s when the station was a Sunoco. "My dad was always good to customers, a people's person," says Gary. Some things never change. Roznowski Services Ingomar Gulf, 739 W. Ingomar Road, Ingomar; 412/366-5778. - Julie Talerico

Best Charity: You've heard that "charity begins at home"? The Pittsburgh Foundation, the 14th-largest community foundation in the country, is dedicated specifically to improving life right here in Pittsburgh. Since 1945, the foundation has evaluated and addressed community issues and connected donors to critical needs. To date, donors have established more than 1,000 funds at the Foundation. The inspiring Web site has comprehensive information about how to establish funds, to contribute to the Foundation as a whole and to see the results of what the foundation has accomplished. 412/391-5122, pittsburghfoundation.org. - Jonathan Wander

Best Reason to Clown Around: Dying for a diversion destined to delight even the dullest of colleagues? Why not engage your company in a form of celebration-centric entertainment that's been giving guests the giggles since the 1500s? Call a clown! Husband and wife team Glitter Dot and Dapper (a.k.a. Elaine and Daniel Scaif) have been in the biz for 15 years. Armed with face-paints, balloon tricks and the region's only rentable clown car, they'll be the life of the party at your next shindig. 724/468-8153. - K.M.

Best Old-School Barbershop: Sometimes, when it comes to a guy's hair, he needs to return to his roots (so to speak). He wants a real haircut, something he can't get at a fancy salon or at an anonymous national chain. Cercone's in Bloomfield provides cuts with character in a genuine barbershop, with a barber pole outside, real barbershop chairs, the whole deal. Most important, the place has real barbers. Dan Cercone opened the shop in 1932, and it continues under the capable clippers of his grandson, Dennis Scullion, pictured below with his mother, Janet Scullion. Now go get a haircut. Seriously. 4720 Liberty Ave., Bloomfield; 412/621-7797. - J.W.

Best Reason to Get Mummified: Forget the beach this summer and instead head to Sewickley Spa for the seaweed botanical wrap. Warning: This isn't for the faint of heart. The treatment starts with an aesthetician wrapping your body from ankles to neck in Ace bandages soaked in a warm liquid of oils and herbs. Next, as you rest your "mummified" body, you'll enjoy a stress-relieving neck and face massage as your skin begins to absorb the oils, which help to rejuvenate and purify the skin. After the bandages are removed, your aesthetician will coat your arms and legs in lotion infused with seaweed extract. The treatment helps to improve circulation, firms the body and helps with aching muscles and water retention. 337 Beaver St., Sewickley, 412/741-4240; 112 N. Market St., Ligonier, 724/238-3878; Wisp Resort, 290 Marsh Hill Road, McHenry, Md., 301/387-7000; sewickleyspa.com. - N.D.

Readers' Poll: Best Karate School: Maybe we don't all have it in us to be the next Karate Kid, but since Lions Den Family Karate opened two years ago, we can give it a try. Here, students ranging from age 6 to 40 practice two forms of martial arts: the Korean practices of Tae Kwon Do (think the high kicks and flying sidekicks) and Hapkido (a form of self-defense that teaches coordination). Classes are divided by belt ranking and age, and are offered weekday evenings and Saturday mornings. 4985 Tuscarawas Road, Brighton Township, Beaver County; 724/495-7646. - N.D. Readers' Poll: Best Auto Dealership: When it came to choosing a favorite car dealer, our readers thought Baierl Automotive stood out. The dealership wins kudos for service, but could be chosen on the sheer volume of the makes of cars it carries: Acura, Buick, Chevrolet, Cadillac, Honda, KIA, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Scion and Subaru. 10430 Perry Highway, McCandless; see Web site for other locations; 888/422-4375, baierl.com. - J.W. Readers' Poll: Best Financial Services: It's more than just a name on the Pittsburgh Pirates' ballpark and omnipresent branch locations with friendly tellers. It turns out that PNC is a corporate citizen that people can be proud of. In addition to its business awards such as Fortune's "Most Admired Companies," BusinessWeek's 50 top performing companies and "Small Business Lender of the Year," PNC also has received such awards as "100 Best Companies for Working Mothers," "25 Noteworthy Companies for Diversity," "Top 100 Adoption-Friendly Companies" and "World's Most Ethical Companies" and has earned recognition for its certified green buildings. 888/762-2265, pnc.com. - J.W.

Best Zippy Delivery: Want a better morning brew? Order with Jake's Java, a Peters Township-based company that stocks raw coffee beans. Jake's will custom-roast them to your preference and deliver to your door within 48 hours. You can even request to have samples sent so that you can choose among the rotating varieties (some are rare, limited-supply beans such as Panamanian Esmerelda) or four classics (Sumatra and Columbian, in regular and water-process decaf). Info: 724/942-1174, jakesjava.net. - K.C.

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