+ robear Posted March 24, 2023 Share Posted March 24, 2023 Anybody been there recently? Was very much a regular in the now distant past, far less so in recent years and not at all since lock-down. Traffic had pretty much dwindled to a why-bother level by 2020 and my visits were down to a few per year. However time has passed and the sister site across town is permanently closed. It's a relic of a past era for sure, but it was MY era. Any posters been recently? How was? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+ Italiano Posted March 24, 2023 Share Posted March 24, 2023 (edited) Oh my, that's a jump in the past of at least 18 years ago, last time of many many times I went there since 1993.... Edited March 24, 2023 by Italiano Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingsley88 Posted March 24, 2023 Share Posted March 24, 2023 Wow I had no idea west side club permanently closed. I went to both 15-18 years ago and I recall west side club always had more guys but the east side one was nicer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostUpstate Posted March 24, 2023 Share Posted March 24, 2023 Sad that NYC can’t support at least one decent gay sauna. I used to go to the WSC, usually had a good time. Haven’t been to the ESC in years, I wonder if they have picked up the business that used to be at the WSC. When in London, I go to Pleasuredrome near Waterloo Station and it never disappoints. Also L’Oasis in Montréal. ClapperCedar and harlow 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pubic_assistance Posted March 30, 2023 Share Posted March 30, 2023 On 3/24/2023 at 1:43 PM, LostUpstate said: Sad that NYC can’t support at least one decent gay sauna. I used to go to the WSC I haven't been to the WSC in a million years...but do know I stopped going because it was more full of "tweakers" looking for a bump than guys actually looking for sex. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodeBrentwood Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 I've gone there after a stressful day at work at my day job once or twice recently. I only go in and out to use the showers and sauna just to treat myself somewhat since I don't feel like paying for equinox 🤣. Can't speak on tweakers, haven't seen many of those wander to the steam room. + robear, ClapperCedar, thomas and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DWnyc Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 Funnily it’s an option offered by many providers in NY if they can’t or won’t host in a hotel or in their own place + robear 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calstrin Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 the continued existence of the esc has long baffled me. i went a few times in the late 90s and early '00s. it was always sparsely populated, decrepit, and utterly depressing. in discussing with some friends, i remember a few people saying it was mob-run, and it stayed open just for money laundering purposes. that explanation never made much sense to me, since even the most gentle audit would reveal that there were hardly any patrons, but maybe there is something to it, since i can't imagine what else has kept that dump open for so long. how surprising that nyc can't support a decent bhouse, while plenty of other cities have managed to maintain decent ones (r.i.p. san jose watergarden). ClapperCedar and pubic_assistance 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+ sniper Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 I think it's possible that the existence of multiple specialized group parties at various venues takes away some of the demand for bathhouses. Also the parties can be more selective in who they admit. Alternately, the Crunch/Equinox/NYSC steamrooms are already meeting much of the demand to the point separate bathhouses were not financially viable. Also the city shut down most bathhouses and aggressivelu zoned sex-related businesses out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pubic_assistance Posted April 3, 2023 Share Posted April 3, 2023 On 3/30/2023 at 8:13 PM, BodeBrentwood said: I've gone there after a stressful day at work at my day job once or twice recently. I only go in and out to use the showers and sauna just to treat myself somewhat since I don't feel like paying for equinox 🤣. Can't speak on tweakers, haven't seen many of those wander to the steam room. I was referring to the WEST side club. I've only been to the East Side club once..and I think that was back in the early 1800s when I was but a child. + robear and BodeBrentwood 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodeBrentwood Posted April 4, 2023 Share Posted April 4, 2023 my bad, cardinal directions are difficult sometimes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RadioRob Posted April 4, 2023 Share Posted April 4, 2023 2 hours ago, BodeBrentwood said: my bad, cardinal directions are difficult sometimes! As long as you're good with other directions, you're fine. 😇 Redwine56 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+ Italiano Posted April 4, 2023 Share Posted April 4, 2023 20 hours ago, pubic_assistance said: I was referring to the WEST side club. I've only been to the East Side club once..and I think that was back in the early 1800s when I was but a child. My first gay Sauna in NYC was the East Side Club, about 30 years ago....A few hot memories. Then I discovered the West Side Club a couple of years later, the choice of hot guys was definitely greater. I have VERY fond memories of hot encounters in those small and not-so-clean rooms, until the very early 2000s. I went 3-4 times about 17-18 years ago, it started to become sad and depressing, and never again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pubic_assistance Posted April 4, 2023 Share Posted April 4, 2023 3 hours ago, Italiano said: My first gay Sauna in NYC was the East Side Club, about 30 years ago....A few hot memories. Then I discovered the West Side Club a couple of years later, the choice of hot guys was definitely greater. I have VERY fond memories of hot encounters in those small and not-so-clean rooms, until the very early 2000s. I went 3-4 times about 17-18 years ago, it started to become sad and depressing, and never again. Similar experience for me. I visited the East Side club when I was very young, probably around 30 years ago, before I lived in NYC. The West Side club, later after I moved to New York. Definitely a smörgåsbord of hot men. Last time was some years ago before I married and had kids. So yeah...around 17 years ago. The number of hot men had dwindled and those who were there were often so high they weren't able to get a hard-on. Just there looking for more drugs and letting randos fuck them up the ass bareback if they gave them a bump of meth. ( And this was before any reliable anti-HIV treatments were available ). Very sad environment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasonmathison Posted April 4, 2023 Share Posted April 4, 2023 Funny. I was just thinking about the Westside Club the other day, wondering if it was still around. I had a lot of fun there 2000/2001. I was around 28 years old and horny. Who knows, maybe had an encounter with some of you. ;) Redwine56 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DWnyc Posted April 4, 2023 Share Posted April 4, 2023 I’d be surprised if ESC survives too much longer especially as it occupies a lot of space (3 floors if I remember correctly) in a high rent zone with a dying business model. Fun fact: Donald Trump voted in the school next to ESC in 2016. I remember watching some tv news correspondent covering the wait for his arrival from right in front of the entrance. Felt sorry for the guys coming out of there (though it’s a shared entrance with other businesses) without realizing they might end up on national tv! ClapperCedar and + Italiano 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harlow Posted April 4, 2023 Share Posted April 4, 2023 A friend and I went to the East Side Club last year and I thought it sucked. The staff has to be the rudest and most unprofessional people Ive ever encountered at a bath house. The place was large and pretty clean though but I really didn't have much fun. ClapperCedar 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DWnyc Posted April 18, 2023 Share Posted April 18, 2023 A friend visiting from out of town went after 20 years or so on a Saturday night which he was told was busiest / best, and reported back he felt the place was loaded with people selling and using drugs and disproportionately “annoying” (eg they wouldn’t take “no” for an answer). Different from his experience in the past and where he lives now (Toronto). + robear 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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