Nyc gay bathhouses
Gay Saunas in New York City
Introduction to New York City Same-sex attracted Saunas and Bathhouses
Discovering a queer bathhouse in New York Capital can feel like navigating a maze, especially when you understand the options seem surprisingly sparse in such a bustling metropolis. This is a common puzzle many gay travellers find themselves trying to solve when they visit NYC. In this town, the gay sauna culture diverges significantly from what one might find in European capitals favor Barcelona, Rome, or Milan.
Why, you might ask? The landscape of gay saunas in New York City has been shaped by its history, particularly during the devastating HIV/AIDS epidemic of the s, leading to the closure of many establishments. Yet, the spirit of communal and intimate exploration among gay men has not dwindled. Instead, it has transformed, giving rise to alternative venues and vibrant events that capture the essence of Unused York's gay scene.
East Side Club, the city's lone traditional queer bathhouse survivor. From massage-based establishments masquerading as spas to the lively world of gay sex parties, N
New York Review of Architecture
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NYRA’s Catty Corner columnist takes the plunge.
by Eric Schwartau
In one of the biggest, gayest cities in the world, there’s one big, gay thing missing: big, same-sex attracted bathhouses. New York City bathing establishments like the Everard (fondly nicknamed “Ever Hard”) and the New St. Marks Baths were flourishing centers of homosexual social life until , when the city shut them down amid the AIDS crisis. Whether you believe their closure was a necessary measure to save lives or a draconian overreach, almost forty years on, bathhouses love these have yet to return—and they won’t so lengthy as New York State Codes Rules and Regulations, Volume A Title 10 Part , which deems such facilities “a threat to the public health,” remains on the books.
Still, we labor with what we have.
Read more.
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by Sophie Haigney
Titanic: The Exhibition lacks the depth of informed research we would expect from a museum exhibition, as well as the visual
Everard Baths
History
The legendary Everard Baths, one of the longest permanent of New York’s bathhouses, attracted gay men probably since its opening in , but, as documented, from at least Nature War I until its closing in
The building began as the Free Will Baptist Church in In , it was converted into the New-York Horticultural Society’s Horticultural Hall. It became the Regent Music Hall in , then the Fifth Street Music Hall, financed by James Everard. Born in Dublin, Ireland, Everard () came to New York City as a young man, and eventually formed a masonry jobbing business that was successful in receiving a number of major city public works contracts. With his profits, he invested in real estate after , and built up one the country’s largest brewing concerns. (He was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery.)
After the Music Hall was closed by the City over the sale of beer there, Everard decided to save his investment by turning the facility into a commercial “Russian and Turkish” bathhouse, opened in May at a cost of $, Lushly appointed and with a variety of steam bath
Continental Baths at the Ansonia Hotel
History
In the late s, Steve Ostrow, an entrepreneur and former opera singer, wanted to elevate the gay bathhouse experience from what were then seedy spaces to an enhanced destination as a health club and spa. At the period, homosexuality was illegal and most New York Municipality LGBT bars were operated by the Mafia.
In , he leased the vacant 40,square-foot, multi-level basement territory of the once lavish Ansonia Hotel (then rental apartments), which previously housed its Turkish Baths and swimming pool area. Ostrow predicted that his brand-new venture would draw patrons away from other locations such as the well-established Everard Baths.
Ostrow initially created a space that he advertised as the recreation of the “glory of Ancient Rome.” It featured a disco dance floor, pool with cascading waterfall, sauna rooms, bunk beds in public areas, and minor private rooms. When it first opened on September 12, , it contained 50 rooms and lockers and operated 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Over time, Ostrow added a cabaret and stag