Dirty, divisive, and utterly delightful: in defense of Brooklyn Banya
The Brooklyn bathhouse that's become a social media sensation, get Spirited Away to Japan, and our pick of the year's news.
A bathhouse has been making the rounds on social media the last couple months.
No, not the viral puppy spa. Or the insta-friendly rain room in Italy. No, some place far less glamorous: Brooklyn Banya, a no-frills Russian bathhouse deep in the outer boroughs of New York City that, somewhat ironically, doesn’t even have its own Instagram page. Both Vice and the New York Post — those peerless doyens of lurid clickbait — recently profiled Brooklyn Banya as one of the worst-rated businesses in New York City.
Some sample reviews:
“Dirty, reeked of urine, and is sorely mismanaged”
“Jacuzzi was filmy, people were smoking inside, the floors were dirty, and a cat lives in the women’s locker room. Like, it really lives there.”
“Are they not needing money and customers? THE WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE EXPERIENCE”
It’s not hard to see why Brooklyn Banya provokes such strong reactions. It’s a little grimy. The restaurant is almost always closed. The cold plunge is literally a freezer — better suited for raw meat than a living human. And, with a receptionist who doesn’t speak a lick of English, the customer service is — how can I put it? — distinctive. All in all, it’s the polar opposite of the pampered American spa experience.
It also happens to be one of my favorite places in the world. I live nearby. But sometimes it feels like Brooklyn Banya is my real living room. I read books here. I host friends here. I even celebrated part of my wedding here (below).
There are many things I love about Brooklyn Banya. You can bring your own food and drink. You can change the music on the PA. And the saunas are just stupendous — powered by monumental, grandfathered-in gas ovens that make today’s electric saunas feel like dollar-store space heaters. Not to mention it’s an all-too-rare example of a woman-owned bathhouse in an industry dominated by men.
But what I love most about Brooklyn Banya is something else. Something deeper. Something that cuts the core of what bathhouses are and can be.
Its versatility.
Nestled in the heart of one of the most diverse cities in the world, Brooklyn Banya is a place for young and old, straight or gay, day and night. It’s a place so simple, and so unpretentious, that anyone can claim it for themselves.
Over the years, I’ve seen it host brass band concerts and all-night raves. Men-only nights for the Orthodox community and men-only mornings for the queer community. Some days you come in and there’s Arabic music blasting. Other days, it’s George Michael.
Better than any highfalutin spa, Brooklyn Banya can truly teach us how to make a bathhouse a home.
Just don’t forget — it’s cash only.
Adam Bamba Tanaka
@abathingadam
Spirited Away, 2001
With the holidays here we have been compiling a list of some of our favorite bathing films. We just couldn’t wait to share Miyazaki’s masterpiece. If you haven’t seen it, Spirited Away is a must-watch animated fantasy film written and directed by the legendary animator Hayao Miyazaki founder of Studio Ghibli. Much of the story takes place in Yubaba’s Bathhouse, one of the film’s most iconic settings. Allegedly, the main source of inspiration for the bathhouse was Dogo Onsen Honkan, said to be the oldest bathhouse in Japan with a complex wooden structure that closely resembles the windy maze-like interior in the animation.
Stay tuned for more bathing films next week.
In the news
With interest in bathing soaring in 2024, we round-up the year’s unmissable news.
“Water is a great healer. Can New York’s public pools and ‘blue spaces’ be engineered for collective hydrotherapy?” Aeon explores the importance of access to water in the city.
Aeon, February 24, 2024
“The hub of activity surrounding the newly restored 16th-century bathhouse points towards a wider cultural renaissance occurring in the city.” Al Jazeera charts the revival of Istanbul’s hamams.
Al Jazeera, August 24, 2024
“Heating a swimming pool with waste data center energy on its face is a good idea, but it sort of looks like using a gas-guzzling Hummer’s radiator as a panini press” Time explored the rise of bitcoin-powered pools.
Time Magazine, September 4, 2024
“A deep, earthy palette and atmospheric lighting to heighten the experience for guests” Dan Howarth analyses Futurestudio’s design for the recently opened Othership Flatiron in NYC.
Dezeen, September 24, 2024
One last thing
Take me there!
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I still haven't been to BB but one day I'll get out there. There used to be a Russian place on McDonald Avenue that I liked - my friends and I seemed to be the only non-Russians when we went there. Have a schvitz, eat some whitefish and drink some vodka, that's all you need.
I was just watching the vice piece on Brooklyn banya