Gay bathhouses new york
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, gay bathhouses. New York City bathing establishments like the Everard (fondly nicknamed “Ever Hard”) and the New St. Marks Baths were flourishing centers of gay social life until 1985, when the city shut them down amid the AIDS crisis. Whether you assume their closure was a necessary measure to store lives or a draconian overreach, almost forty years on, bathhouses like these have yet to return—and they won’t so elongated as New York Declare Codes Rules and Regulations, Volume A Title 10 Part 24.2, which deems such facilities “a threat to the public health,” remains on the books.
Still, we work with what we have.
Read more.
On why the story of the shipwreck continues to force us
by Sophie Haigney
Titanic: The Exhibition lacks the depth of informed research we would expect from a museum exhibition, as good as the visual panache of something more fully cinematic—an IMAX documentary or even the Banksy exhibition
Continental Baths at the Ansonia Hotel
History
In the late 1960s, 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 hour, homosexuality was illegal and most New York Municipality LGBT bars were operated by the Mafia.
In 1968, he leased the vacant 40,000-square-foot, multi-level basement room of the once lavish Ansonia Hotel (then rental apartments), which previously housed its Turkish Baths and swimming pool area. Ostrow predicted that his unused 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 miniature private rooms. When it first opened on September 12, 1968, it contained 50 rooms and 200 lockers and operated 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Over day, Ostrow added a cabaret and stage, restaurant, gym, l
Gay Saunas in New York City
Introduction to New York City Gay Saunas and Bathhouses
Discovering a gay bathhouse in New York Municipality can feel like navigating a maze, especially when you realize the options seem surprisingly sparse in such a bustling metropolis. This is a ordinary puzzle many gay travellers find themselves trying to solve when they go to NYC. In this capital, the gay sauna identity diverges significantly from what one might find in European capitals like 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 1980s, leading to the closure of many establishments. Yet, the liveliness 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 New York's gay scene.
East Side Club, the city's lone traditional gay bathhouse survivor. From massage-based establishments masquerading as spas to the lively world of gay sex parties, Fresh York City offers a plethora of choices for those looking to examine their desires in a safe a
Everard Baths
History
The legendary Everard Baths, one of the longest durable of New York’s bathhouses, attracted gay men probably since its opening in 1888, but, as documented, from at least Society War I until its closing in 1986.
The building began as the Free Will Baptist Church in 1860. In 1882, it was converted into the New-York Horticultural Society’s Horticultural Hall. It became the Regent Music Hall in 1886-87, then the Fifth Avenue Music Hall, financed by James Everard. Born in Dublin, Ireland, Everard (1829-1913) came to Modern York City as a boy, 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 genuine estate after 1875, and built up one the country’s largest brewing concerns. (He was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery.)
After the Harmony Hall was closed by the City over the sale of beer there, Everard decided to store his investment by turning the facility into a commercial “Russian and Turkish” bathhouse, opened in May 1888 at a value of $150,000. Lushly appointed and with a variety of
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