I live in New York, Manhattan. I was wondering if this whole escort/massage thing is legal in New York, or is it not, and I shouldn't be surprised if a couple policemen barge in through the door and arrest me while I'm being serviced by a young asian masseuse at her parlor.

Prostitution is illegal in NYC. You can avoid arrest by using discretion and common sense when evaluating and selecting providers. There are many forms of incall. Use only reviewed ladies and read what the reviewers write about the safety of her incall location.

not so naive.  being busted has always been the concern that keeps me from taking the plunge. I am sure that the police are smart enough to post lots of reviews on a trap site.  How can you tell? What makes a "safe" incall location?