Russian Turkish Baths & Yap
With cold plunge enthusiast Lauren Armani and guest appearances from the New York City Shvitz Club
Schvitzing: A Yiddish word that means "steam bath" as a noun and "to sweat" as a verb.
The Russian Turkish Baths (RTB) has been on my list for a long time. Since I was living in NYC this year, I figured it would be a simple one to check off my 2024 list. (You can see the full list here— RTB had been consistently getting bumped back up from the crazy content on their social media account, shout outs from a lot of bath heads including
and Ekin of Hamam Magazine, and my dear friend Issac known for his iconic reel intro “whaaaaaat is”Last week after a night of catch-up udon, I convinced my old work daughter Lauren to join me for a classic New York adventure: strolling and schvitzing. Bathhouses used to be the cornerstone of neighborhoods (maybe more in the old country than the new). In New York, neighborhood identity is often tied to your local bar or restaurant rather than a communal bathhouse. That said, The Russian Turkish Baths has a reputation that precedes itself - a true NYC institution and one of the only left of its kind.
The RTB has been open since the late 1800s, which is absolutely bonkers given the ever-changing context of New York. Before Boris and David purchased the establishment in 1985—originally called the 10th Street Baths—it was one of the last remnants of the Lower East Side’s once-thriving bathhouse culture. This culture, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, was vital for immigrant communities, particularly Russian, Italian, Irish, and Jewish immigrants, who found solace and community in the warm, steamy confines of these spaces since most of the tenement buildings in the area didn’t have their own baths (and forget showers those weren’t really popular yet)
It also was known as a safe place for mafia men to get down to business since you had to strip down to literally nothing (no hiding guns, weapons, or contraband). Plus, most of the staff working the bathhouses were mute or deaf to keep secrets safe. I understand the safe feeling in theory but where there’s a will there’s a way like in David Cronenberg’s Eastern Promises bathhouse fight scene. T.W. violence and nudity
Ownership Dynamics:
The RTB is run on alternating weeks under “David” shifts and “Boris” shifts, a result of a family feud and division of business management responsibilities. And yes, there’s evidence online that the two management styles are so distinct that frequent guests can tell the difference between the two operations.
Boris caters to hotter rooms and consistent russian and jewish regulars (owns the social media account and sister spa in Miami that has recently reopened)
David leans into groupons and tourists
Pro tip: if you’re planning a visit, check their management schedule in advance to ensure you’re choosing the vibe you want for your experience. Here’s their hours link and a fun link so you always know what kind of day it is.
Schvitz Club Serendipity
In my experience, going to a new bathhouse is equal parts fun and a bit intimidating. Many Russian style banyas lack women-only hours, so sometimes it can feel overwhelmingly “boys’ club” in nature. I was excited to go with Lauren especially because she had been hearing about my water and bath obsession for most of this year. We ran to her place after udon and grabbed bathing suits and some spa supplies and hustled back to RTB for their last hour and a half of the night.
In LA, I had just gone to City Spa the OG establishment for WET magazine founder and bathing culture icon Leonard Koren. My first NYC banya experience was Wall Street 88 Baths back in February and in London banya No.1. They’ve all be different in their setups and vibes. With the history of RTB and it’s lasting staying power, I knew it wouldn’t me the most modern facility but I was super intrigued to experience the layout. We checked in at the front desk putting our valuables in the metal lockboxes, changed into our swimmies, grabbed the provided RTB sandals and shorts, and headed down into the basement in an intimidating stairwell. The spa is one long rectangle with a series of different rooms, as per their website:
“Since 1892, we've served New York as the place to experience an unexpected paradise. The Russian & Turkish Baths features 5 saunas and steam rooms, a cold plunge pool, a roof deck, and restaurant. We also offer massage services and treatments.”
More or less immediately we were offered a platza treatment but we wanted to explore the rooms first. We had a quick shower and started in the aromatic steam room but it didn’t last long since we were excited to see what the Russian room was all about.
After our first hot-cold cycle, I immediately recognized a familiar face—a schvitzer in a felt hat, no less. Turns out it was JD, someone I’d met 10 months ago during my first visit to 88 Baths when they were in the midst of what I thought was the start of a boys’ night out and they soon adopted me into their group and we poured buckets of water on eachother. Sweat serendipity or the sauna gods must’ve brought us all together on a random Wednesday night in Manhattan
Lauren and I joined up with JD and Phil and quickly fell into conversation about our first experiences with public bath experiences. Phil’s was in Lithuania, JD’s was at the Russian Turkish 10th street baths, and mine was a hotel hammam in London.
It’s strange how shared experiences in the steam and cold water bind you into this community and you might just run into a familiar face more than once.
JD and Phil run the IG account shvitzclub for those of you looking for a sweat community in NY!
The Facilities
COLD PLUNGE
REALLY BIG AND REALLY COLD
RUSSIAN ROOM
REALLY BIG AND REALLY HOT
TURKISH SAUNA ( a more humid sauna)
Maybe needs new wood - smelled like BO
AROMATHERAPY STEAM ROOM
NICE STEAM AND GOOD SMELLS
REGULAR WOOD SAUNA
NICE, Couldn’t tell how hot it was after Russian room
NORMAL STEAM ROOM
ONLY SEATS 3 PEOPLE AND HAS A FUNNY CORNER OFFICE SHAPE OVERLOOKING THE COLD PLUNGE
SHOWERS
ONLY COMMUNAL, BROKEN SHOWER HANDLES AND ONLY ONE KIND OF NAMELESS SOAP
CHANGING ROOMS
RUSSIAN ROOM HEATS THE FLOORS, WERE VERY MESSY AT THE END OF THE NIGHT
Our Experience at RTB
We went in for entry only, but I left with a platza.
Platza is a traditional Russian treatment involving a bundle of leafy branches, typically birch and oak, used to gently rattle against the skin and increase circulation and expose the skin to astringent plant oils. The platza master Sam (whose full name I later discovered is Mukhtar Imamutdinov from a photo credit on another article) did a fantastic job and you will definitely leave feeling refreshed. Almost the entirety of the treatment takes place in the Russian room so make sure you’re hydrated going into it and take your time post platza since you might be a bit dizzy ie savor the head high!
Lauren, the Cold Plunge Queen
On the walk over to the RTB, Lauren told me she loved a cold plunge but I didn’t realize how much until we got to plunging. The cold pool at the RTB is cold. Not just a brisk, refreshing cool, but a gut-wrenching, full-on icy slap that had me questioning my life choices. My body tends to shut down under anything below 45 degrees, and I get brain freezes the moment I dip into water that cold. Lauren is the gnarliest cold plunger I’ve ever seen.
She didn’t just get in the water—she owned it. This girl would stay submerged for multiple minutes at a time, barely blinking, making it look effortless in a way that could have inspired a TED Talk on mental toughness. Even the Eastern European men noticed her crushing their personal records in disbelief.
What’s in her spa bag?
Simple straightforward Cerave queen: foaming wash + moisturizer
Lauren’s TLDR:
Final Thoughts
The duality of the bathhouse is why it’s my favorite version of 3rd places. There’s the physical detoxification and the meditative psychological state it invokes. The communal nature of the space, a blend of strangers, old friends, and serendipitous connections like JD and Phil, reminded me of just how transformative shared sauna experiences can be. A place like this isn't just a bathhouse; it's a meeting ground for connection, history, and healing. However in this day and age, I’m looking for something a bit more - either more authentic or just nicer. It’s hard to compare because the Korean spas of Los Angeles come in a wide variety at a much cheaper price point.
What they do well at RTB:
Russian room is really hot
Cold pool is really big and really cold
Platza treatment was great
The social media account
The Shortcomings:
$60 entry feels expensive for the experience you get, I don’t see any active groupon deals but next time I would look
No robe service as advertised on the website
No showers in the locker rooms, no shampoo and conditioner, leaving feeling like I have to shower at home again
The stairwells felt ominous, with a smell that lingered as you descend into the bathhouse basement
Tips automatically added if you pay with credit card (example my $45 platza became $60 without my being asked)
Being rushed out between 9:30 and 9:40 so they can close at 10pm on the dot even with the inevitable bottle neck of end of night customers closing out
Next time, I’d love to try their massage and check out the rooftop deck in a warmer month of the year.
Is it my favorite spa ever? No. Will I come back? Probably, but my quest for my favorite New York (or New Jersey) bath house continues and I’ve still got a gift card for Bathhouse Flatiron.
Until next time, schvitzers.
xoxo,
Coco