TENTH STREET BATHS, NYC

From: richard@West.Sun.COM (Richard M. Mathews)

  THE TENTH STREET BATHS AND HEALTH CLUB (aka the Russian and Turkish
  baths) is located at 268 E. 10th street in Manhattan, between 1st Ave
  and Ave A.  They are open 7 days a week from 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
  Monday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday are open to both men and women;
  Thursday and Sunday are men-only; Wednesday is women-only.  Entrance
  fee is about $20.  Their phone numbers are (210) 674-9250 and
  (210) 473-8806.

  There are large (10-15 people) regular steam and Russian steam rooms.
  There is also a four to six person sauna and a small swimming pool size
  cold plunge.  There is a small restaurant area that serves awful looking
  Russian food and beverages.  There are probably more than 20 massage
  rooms.  Massage styles run the gamut from Russian to shiatsu to new
  age.  Massages are $40 per hour, $24(?) for a half hour (1994 prices).
  There is a fairly complete gym and sundeck upstairs and a tanning bed.
  There is a common dressing area with bunks for a lie-down.

  It is not officially clothing optional, but nudity (total or partial)
  is not uncommon.  Nude or not, it's still the best place in NYC to
  retreat on frigid days.  This is a comfortable environment with a
  relaxed and permissive attitude conducive to social nudity that could
  be further expanded by the "beach regulars".  I do believe that the
  place could be more open about nudity (which is more or less *winked
  at* now) and eventually become the equivalent of Kiva Retreat in Santa
  Cruz, Ca.  I have heard people (of both sexes) in the steam rooms
  comment that these are facilities meant to be used without clothing,
  and comparing them to European facilities where clothing is banned.
  People are led by example, though, and more of the beach regulars
  could do the leading.

  There *is* a different atmosphere in the alternate weeks between David's
  and Boris' management, with David's being a little more conservative.
  I have heard him mildly criticize a women for baring her breasts, to
  a laughing *mind your own business* response.
  	[Original from PAR1N <par1n@aol.com>]