Are you a gay man in New York City looking to bust a nut? Find out about the best gay bathhouse in New York City.

If you live in New York City and want to get your freak on gay bathhouses are the best places to go in. Gay bathhouses aka gay saunas are legal establishments where men can safely network with other homosexual/bisexual men and have sex. Many gay bathouses in the US, especially San Francisco have closed during the 80s but they are still around. Unfortunately, during this coronoavirus pandemic a lot of gay bathhouses have shut down. But there is still a lot of sex and nude parties going on. Keep reading on to get the tea on how & where to gay cruise.

Best gay bathhouse in NYC

Best gay bathhouse in NYC

East side club

The East side club is like the palace of gay bathhouses in NYC.

I went to this venue during my thot phase many years ago. The admission to get in varies depending on whether or not you want a private room or just a locker.  I wanted my privacy to change so I paid about about about $40 for a private room.

Unfortunately, East side club has closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Once the pandemic settles, this venue and other gay bathhouses will reopen. 

Options to NYC gay bathhouses: Sex parties, fetish parties, & nude events

1. Nubian Dukes

Event type: Sex party for men of color

If you’re looking for a gay hookup with gay men of color Nubian Dukes is the event to go to. It is a sex party for gay men of color.  I remember when they used to throw their sex parties by 42nd Street. Yes, I did go for sightseeing purposes.  The venue looked like a loft and all the rooms were dark.  There were mostly black men but some Latino men.  The event policy is that you are topless and wear a towel or underwear.   The entrance fee was about $20. 

At the Nubian event pretty much anything goes so if you’re a prude do not ever come.  I mean never!

2. Naked on Arrival

Event type: Nude event for men of color

This is such a cute name. Naked on Arrival (NOA) is a male nude party for gay men of color.  The man behind is NOA Andre, a young black gay entrepreneur.   Andre is a black gay socialite who knows the gay social scene.   He noticed that there were a lot of gay male nude events geared towards white gay men but a limited number of nude parties for gay men of color.  And so he created Naked on Arrival as a safe space for queer black men who enjoy exhibitionism.  Naked on Arrival takes place at Alibi which is one of the two black-owned LGBTQ bars in Harlem.  Alibi is a chic, upscale venue that is always clean.  This is a benefit of male nude parties which usually take place at worn-down, ghetto places. 

The admission to Naked on Arrival is about $20.  Keep in mind that it’s not a sex party.  And Andre will make it very clear.  

3. Rainbow Playground

Event type: Sex party

Rainbow Playground is an organization that hosts male nude events and gay sex parties. They host different events for all types of audiences: young daddy meat event is for older men and younger guys, black meat event is for black gay men, Asian meat if for gay Asian men, and  Latin Leche is for queer Latin men.  The party takes place in Long Island City on Northern Boulevard by the welfare office.  As with many other gay sex parties, Rainbow Playground’s events take place in a location that is in an undisclosed apartment.

I went to a Rainbow Playground event on Tuesday.  The admission to get in was about $20.  The venue was spacious and had a room with glory holes, private rooms, a big television room, and a few small rooms. 

4. Manhole NY

Event type: Fisting party

Manhole NY holds one of the most interesting fetish events: fisting parties. I think this is an odd fetish but to each his own

5. Members only club

Event type: Nude event

Members only club is a gay club based in Hell’s Ktichen for men who enjoy fetishes and doing the nasty. There are jock parties, leather events, and underwear parties, and sex parties that will live give you your best sexual fanstsy. The location for these events is at 38 West 39th St. The club has continued to throw events through this coronoavirus pandemic. If you decide to go to one of their sex parties just make sure to wear your masks on both heads.

6. Blow buddies NYC

Event type: Oral party

Yes, the name of the group is exactly what the patrons do. If you like getting down on your knees or receding oral sex you will enjoy this group. The Blow buddies host their gay oral sex parties in Midtown and charge $28 for admission.

Gay bathhouses & gay saunas around the world

Flex Spa- Los Angeles, California

One of the best gay bathhouses in Los Angeles is Flex Spa. I went to this spot a few months ago as recommended by my cousin. It was a Saturday night and after I went out to eat I headed to this spot. The entrance to the bathhouse is in a parking lot. I was so shocked when I got there. The line was very long and I almost waited about 3 hours to get to the entrance. You would And so I left and went back another day.

Steamworks- San Francisco, California

A few decades ago there were gay bathhouses scattered in San Francisco. During the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, many gay bathhouses were shut due. Strict regulations such as no private rooms and safety monitors were made against these bathhouses to encourage safe sex. Today, one of the few gay bathhouses in San Francisco is Steamworks. The venue is in other cities including Toronto, Seattle, and Chicago. There is a locker room, pool, and private rooms.

Krubb Bangokin- Bangkok, Thailand

Krubb Bangkok is a gay bathhouse in Bangkok, Thailand. Just looking at the website you can tell that the venue is not rundown. There is a locker room, jacuzzi, and sauna. The bathhouse has theme nights and events and even a therapy center to encourage safe sex and address persons with substance abuse issues.

Spa Excess- Toronto, Canada

As I mentioned above gay bathhouses have a bad reputation but are legal in Canada. If you’re looking for an upscale venue you can go to Spa Excess which is the largest gay bathhouse in Toronto. The venue has different types of rooms including a tv room, double bedroom, and even a suite!!!!! I don’t know of any other gay bathhouse with a suite. The prices are not bad either. You can pay anywhere from $26 for a locker or $83 for a suite. There are some of the amazing amenities that you won’t find in any other gay bathhouse. Period! There is a room with a pool table and even a bar!!!

Men’s Club Meat- Tokyo, Japan

Bathhouses have a history in Japan. Thousands of years ago Japanese bathhouses had hot springs where people bathed and met with one another. The kinds of Japanese baths were “public bathhouses and hot springs” and used to be called a sento. The gay bathhouses of today clearly serve a different purpose which is for gay men to have sexual encounters or just socialize with each other.

If you’re from out of town one of the best gay bathhouses in Japan recommended is Men’s Club Meat. The venue is for masculine men and guys in their 20s to 40s. On certain days you could only walk around naked with your hand covering your genitals.

What you’ll find in a gay bathhouse

There are different sections in a gay bathhouse & gay sauna you can go to for relaxation and excitement. Here are those areas:

• Sauna- Most of the times the saunas are broken in a bathhouse. I haven’t been to one gay bathhouse in NYC with a sauna that is shut down.
• Shower- The shower area is where of course men wash themselves. It’s usually set up with open shower stalls.
• Pool- Modern gay bath houses may have a pool. Flex spa in California actually has a decent size swimming pool.
• Tv room- The tv room is usually where guys go to relax. The television will show gay porn so if you want to jerk off you can go to the tv room.
• Gym- If you’re looking to workout and show off those muscles the gym is the perfect place to go. You can find men here where you can actually talk and have good conversations.

Bathhouse means “buildings equipped for bathing”. The first bathhouses were built in Rome during the second century BC and were actual places where people went to bathe and clean themselves; the oldest bath was built around 2500 BC. Bathhouses were also places where people socialized and gathered. Bathhouses in Rome were lavish and included open courtyards and hot springs. Homosexuality wasn’t really taboo during those times of the Roman Empire so a lot of men did hook up with each other.

History of gay bathhouses

As bathhouses became more popular in Europe bathhouses started to get built all around the country. Even though they were originally places for people to bathe and clean bathhouses became venues for gay men to hook up and socialize. And so gay bathhouses became extremely popular.

Gay bathhouses aka gay steam baths in the US became a thing during the 1950s. The reason why is because they provided safe spaces for gay men. In many countries outside the US, there were anti-gay laws that prevented gay men from having sex with each other or simply being openly gay. There was even a death penalty for being gay. In the US it wasn’t that extreme but homosexuality is still very intolerable. And so, it was difficult for queer men to network and meet with. There were no social media and dating apps like Grindr and Jackd. If you wanted to cruise or simply just openly converse with other gay men you either had to go to a gay bar or a secluded area.

After the gay liberation movement and the Stonewall Riots, gay bathhouses became a norm in the gay community. As mentioned above gay bathhouses weren’t just a place for gay hookups and sex but also safe spaces for gay men to come together. Gay bathhouses contained saunas, locker rooms, dark rooms, and orgy spaces. In these venues, you would see all types of gay men from twinks, leathermen, bears, jocks, and jocks. At most gay bathhouses the attire is a towel, jockstrap, or underwear.

One of the biggest bathhouses is The Boilerhouse which is in Europe. The venue has five floors!!! There are steam rooms, locker rooms, saunas, and of course orgy spaces. In New York, one of the most popular bathhouses was the Continental.

Sadly, many gay bathhouses began to close in the 1980s during the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The government and society believed that these bathhouses encouraged unsafe sex. Gay bars and other gay establishments shut down as the epidemic took the lives of many LGBT persons.

Tips on being at a gay bathhouse

There are rules to follow when being at a gay bathhouse & gay sauna. You can expect a lot of gay hookups, intimate encounters, and voyeurism at a gay bathhouse. Even though gay sex is rampant in those venues that don’t mean you should be a savage and just randomly grab other men.  You will get kicked out of the venue and get punched in the face if you touch the wrong guy.  There are other things to keep in mind when cruising or just being in a gay bathhouse/gay sauna.  Here are some tips to follow:

• Wear slippers or flip-flops.  You are not waking into a palace.  Yes, most gay bathhouses have a cleaning staff.  But that doesn’t mean that the place is completely sanitary.  Gay bathhouses are open to the public so anyone can and come to the facility and someone they are just plain nasty.  Stains and other types of liquids(leave that your imagination) can spill on the floor.   In order to avoid getting any type of infection on your feet, it should always be covered even if you’re in your own private room. Most bathhouses require you to wear something on your feet.  Unless, you’re going into a sauna, pool, or shower you should not walk around barefoot.
• Do not grab anyone.  I’ve had the experience once or twice where a guy grabbed me and almost had to push him away.  Even when you’re cruising you should be respectful of other gay men.  If you’re interested in someone give them a glance and wait for their signal to engage in a sexual encounter.
• Do not stare.  Starring is creepy and sometimes makes a person feel defensive. If you’re looking to hook up with someone give them a quick glance.   This works well with flirting as well.  
• Wear comfortable clothing.  At a gay bathhouse, you should bring clean underwear and slippers to walk around with. You will be provided with a towel which I recommend wearing.
• Enjoy yourself. You don’t have to be a nudist or voyeur to enjoy your time at a gay bathhouse. At some of the bathhouses, I’ve been to I enjoyed just sightseeing and looking at some beautiful hot gay men.
• Do not use drugs. I’m serious about this. When you’re under the influence it affects your decision-making. In the gay community, meth is really popular but a dangerous drug. No matter how much of a weed head you do not use drugs at a bathhouse.
• Practice safe sex. Whether you’re engaging in oral sex or sexual intercourse with other men it’s important yourself. Even if you don’t plan to have any sexual encounters still carry condoms and use Prep.

Wrap up

Bathhouses were once places for communal bathing. As mentioned earlier the Ancient Greeks and Romans cleaned themselves at those venues and socialize. But they have evolved to spaces where gay men can have sexual, romantic, and passionate encounters with each other.

Despite Covid 19 and changing times, gay bathhouses & gay saunas are still a thing. Gay bathhouses are still legal in Canada, the US, and other places around the world. Yes, many bathhouses have been shut down in cities all over America.   But the few gay bathhouses like East Side Club and Northern Men’s Sauna continue to attract gay men looking to have gay sex and just casual encounters. One of my favorite gay bathhouses that I have been to was Flex Spa which is located in Los Angeles, California. There I found all types of men from large, skinny, black, Asian, and white. The bathhouse contained locker rooms, showers, and a nice pool deck.

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