Gay Saunas in New York City

Gay cruising club on the East Side. This is a place you can come to relax and watch a film with other 'like-minded men.' Can you guess what's on their mind?

There are private cabins and a small steam bath. Now in its fifth decade, East Side Club is a popular New York cruising site. This is a members club, so expect to pay a bit more if you don't have a membership.

East Side Club is the last fully fledged gay bathhouse in New York City. It can't quite rival it's bigger European rivals but it's worth visiting - especially later on a weekend - if you're looking for some action. Expect guys walking around in towels. The age range is mixed but it skews older. Further reading: The History of America's Gay Bathhouses

The Russian & Turkish Baths, located at 268 East 10th Street in Manhattan's East Village, have been a staple of New York City's wellness scene since 1892. This historic bathhouse offers a variety of traditional services, including multiple saunas, steam rooms, and an ice-cold plunge pool.

Sunday's between 9am - 2pm are men only, as are Thursdays between 12pm-5pm. Although this isn't a gay gathering, it does attract a lot of gay men. Explicit sexual activity isn't encouraged: if you want to do that you can go to East Side Club.

It should be noted that The Russian & Turkish Baths is not a gay bathhouse. The name may sound familiar but it's not the same venue as the historic gay bathhouse Bette Midler performed in back in the 1970s. During the 1970s, New York had several gay saunas and bathhouses that were explicitly part of the LGBTQ+ scene, with some using similar "Russian & Turkish Baths" branding. These venues, particularly those in the pre-AIDS crisis era, were known for being social and sexual meeting spots for gay men.