Russian & Turkish Baths — Attraction in New York

Attacked and assaulted during my visit in the summer of 2023 on my first visit here. The staff here was disgraceful and their attitude was deplorable in response. This is not a safe place. The staff team did not handle this incident to any level of satisfaction at all. They even let the attacker remain on premises after the event. I was in disbelief. Multiple other guest witnesses present during the attack. The staff’s attitude towards this situation was unacceptable and deplorable . In summary, there was a man that was harassing several other guests, especially elderly customers, and when I tried to protect an elderly man from his dangerous behavior by speaking out against him, he approached me, grabbed me, and slammed me against the wall and locker, slamming my head and back into the wall and causing me a physical bruise afterwards. This was in front of guests and a staff member. What is egregious and downright disgusting however is the staff member who was present and witnessed the whole incident right in the same room. He repeated several times after seeing the incident “I didn’t see anything”. A blind eye to guests being physically assaulted. I couldn’t believe his sentence and stance. After I asked him to help and report this to management, his first response was “You must have done something for him to attack you”. I was dumbstruck. That was his sentence, not that he would help me or reprehend the assailant. This was arguably one of the most disgusting instances of behavior I’ve ever seen from a staff member at any establishment. I nearly exploded in anger right then and there, but I held in my composure. Another customer was kind and tried to escort me to the front desk.

I went to the front desk and asked for the manager and explained everything that happened. All the meanwhile, even after the staff members identified the attacker, they still let the assailant STAY on the premises. I could not believe this and this was incredibly outrageous. I asked fairly for a refund because of the obvious danger and lack of safety, and in addition, I was only there for 35 minutes and wanted to leave for my own safety (keep in mind that the man who attacked me and verbally harassed other guests was still in the spa). So do I get a refund? No: the staff and manager offered me a “free ticket to return a second time in the future”. Oh yeah. Sure. I just couldn’t wait to come back to this place again for my 2nd round of physical assault! The staff here was disgraceful and did not handle this situation to any level of satisfaction in one single bit. I literally had to defend myself and speak up for myself explaining that I was attacked at this venue.

This spa venue itself, besides this entire assault situation, is atrocious itself. Really atrocious. It seems like a ripoff for $50. It is old and cramped and not spacious AT all. There was literally marginally barely anything to do here. After five minutes, I was like, “This is it?” It’s that bad. This is one of the worst spa venues I’ve seen out of the past 8-10 I’ve seen in the last several years. There are so many other better spas, for that same high price, like Spa Castle or King Spa or even Island Spa in NJ or elsewhere. This is not a good place. Despite this entire assault situation, the conditions and spacing of this place are deplorable and I would not have paid more than $15 or $20 for what they provided.

Anyways, hopefully people reading this comment know where to avoid and how terrible this was. In addition, this was not even passable for a decent place in the slightest. But my experience was terrible. Never wish for this to happen to...

Coming home to New York after a trip to Istanbul, I sought out a similar hamam experience here in New York City. The Russian & Turkish baths is that experience!

It's not a fancy chrome and glass spa featuring banana leaf wraps and cucumber slices on your eyes while you're in a white robe -- it's the real McCoy! It's a manly, rustic spa for all walks of life, except for those that accustomed to Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spas! This isn't a spa -- it's a bathhouse.

Now that the 1%ers have stopped reading, let's get down to business:

The first thing to clearly understand is that the Russian & Turkish baths is owned by two men: David and Boris. They are the owners alternately each week. Why is this important? Because passes, coupons and other methods of admission are restricted to one or the other owner (i.e. You may only use admission tickets and gift cards with the manager you purchased the card from.) So if you're buying a ten admission pass, remember who the owner is that week!

Next, when you arrive, place ALL your valuables in the safety deposit box. You will not need cash nor credit cards, as everything will be billed to your locker number. If you lock up your mobile phone, silence it or turn it off! Once your box is put in the vault, you will not have access to it until checkout. Admission and all amenities are paid upon leaving.

Towels are on the shelf as you enter the locker area (behind the curtain). You will find clean sandals in your locker, but for those that are more germ-phobic, bring your own and be sure they are water and steam-proof!

A swimsuit is required to be worn, unless you are going during hours designated for MEN only or FEMALE only. During male only hours, it is not unusual to see men waking around with nothing on. If you find this disturbing, only go during unisex hours (most of their opening hours are unisex, see their website for the schedule.)

After changing, head downstairs into the sauna areas. There are five saunas, each has it's own features. Walking from the back of the bathhouse (south-side) to the front (north-side) they are:

The Russian Sauna features radiant heat and is very hot. The steamroom (small glass booth) near the plunge-pool is cool and small, compared to the rest of the saunas. The Turkish Sauna is a steam-based sauna and is very nice with wood benches. On the left is the hot steam room with eucalyptus steam and has tile benches, it's really good for opening up your airways. The steam is so dense, it's hard to see and the tiles can get slippery, so use caution. Lastly there's a dry wood sauna -- which is really good at making you sweat.

Other amenities:

There is a pool in the baths, but it's not for swimming -- it's for plunging into ice-cold water between sweat sessions in the sauna. There are five shower stalls. Therapeutic treatments and massage are also offered for an additional cost. There is a small restaurant on the ground floor There is a roof deck on the top floor. (Smoking is allowed on the roof deck.)

What to bring:

Personal sandals (if you so choose) Swimsuit (unless you're going during a male or female only...

Have you ever wanted to be beaten with oak leaves by a large Russian man in a large oven that literally bakes you alive? Would you like to have a Russian cook take give you a lot of attitude while taking your order, but still give you your food at a reasonable time? Would you plunge into a 37 degree F pool after toasting with a fine scent of cedar and wood? If you've answered yes to all of these, then you'll definitely need to try out the Russian & Turkish Baths.

Entering on the second floor, you're greeted by a small little kitchen and seating area with two TVs. The first floor is the locker rooms where they provide you with lockers, sandals, and towels. Definitely bring your own bathing suit. You leave your prized possessions with them at the front desk and you pay for everything at the very end.

Downstairs are the original bath houses that have been there for over 100 years. The atmosphere and lighting of this place reminds me of Bond movie where some gang would hide out and torture people. There are showers and small little heated rooms that can be slightly intimidating if you have an imagination. The center pool is where most people sit to wait for their desired treatments. It's what I like to call the "blue beauty" because it makes everyone look magnificent and extremely photogenic when they splash into it (right after they open their mouths and give an inaudible grunt when they realized they've put their body into shock from jumping into almost freezing water).

There are a variety of treatments with salt, mud, and soap that are priced at $55 per person. They don't give couple massages, so don't even bother asking. Also, you'll be bare naked for all of the treatments so it can get into your skin and body. Massages are very good, but as my friend has learned, do not challenge the masseuse to give you the firmest massage ever. Especially don't say "I mean it." You will probably be hit in the head multiple times.

The massage I got was the Platza Oak Leaf massage. This one was pretty unique in my experience. I like the hot and cold aspect of the whole thing because it easily cleared up my sinuses. The guy also does some back cracking moves that I feel has loosened my back nicely.

The sauna rooms are pretty small (holding 8-10 people), but I really enjoy the old rustic European feeling of the whole thing. It's certainly a surprise to see such a place in the heart of the East Village. I've actually decided to come here once every month or so to relax and open my pores a bit. Overall, it's not a ladies spa day, but I'm...