A Schvitz at the Russian & Turkish Baths

On a quiet block of East 10th Street, the Russian & Turkish Baths has been sweating out New Yorkers since 1892. It is not a polished spa: there are five saunas and steam rooms, a cold plunge pool, a roof deck and a small restaurant, and the routine is the one bathhouses have always run on: heat, plunge, rest, repeat. Regulars range from neighborhood old-timers to groups of friends on a cold afternoon, and the place keeps its own eccentricities, down to being run in alternating shifts by two separate owners.

There are no reservations for the baths, massages or treatments; you simply walk in. A single admission is $60 plus tax as of October 2026, and robes, towels, shorts, slippers and a locker are included, though you can bring your own suit and flip-flops. Most of the week is co-ed, with a couple of men-only windows, and everyone must stay covered during co-ed hours. The minimum age is 18. Prepaid passes only work on the shift of the owner who sold them, so first-timers should simply pay at the door.