Pay-For-Rays Chains Proliferating

Hollywood brings more UV to UES

Competition is heating up between two of the city's biggest tanning salons.

Hollywood Tans plans to open its fifth Manhattan location in January at 1789 First Avenue (between 92nd and 93rd Streets)--the company's second such pseudo-sun center on the Upper East Side.

Hollywood's new 2,000-square-foot radiation-plex more closely encroaches on the turf of rival Beach Bum Tanning, whose 24-hour 3,100-square-foot pigment palace sits less than 10 blocks away at 86th and Lex.

Not to be outshined, Beach Bum will unveil its fourth faux-soleil venue in Manhattan the same month on 14th Street (between 5th and 6th Avenues)--less than 10 blocks from Hollywood's Washington Square-area facility.

"Competition just makes us all stronger," said Beach Bum VP James Oliver.

Not to mention brown-oranger.

- Chris Shott