Manhattan Circuit

The Altar

Beautifully designed and you can tell they really worked with a range of craftspeople. They have one of the best curated shops and even if I don’t buy anything, I always go to look at the packaging. The last things I bought were a St. Lucie sauna serum and an over the counter peptide drink that tasted like gasoline. The crowd skews a little more gay and a little more fashion-forward, which I don’t mind. And they have a whole longevity clinic attached so if you want to do peptide injections and sit in a hyperbaric chamber, then this is the place; Union Square Greenmarket, OCafe, Travelers Poets and Friends, and Eva Joan

Lore Bathing Club

I was happy when Lore opened, because it’s a very different product. It’s a membership model, meant to be the kind of place you can drop into every day. There’s basically one big main room with what might be the biggest cold-plunge tub in the city and a large event sauna. They do some great Aufguss sometime led by the two founders themselves. It’s more welcoming than some of the more nightclub-feeling spots, and its clientele has a real range of ages. It’s also near my office, so I can get in and out in 30 minutes when I have to; Gasoline Alley Coffee, a great Japanese clothing store called 45r, and Clockwork Jiu-Jitsu

Elahni

Probably the least-known stop on the circuit, but actually one of the first to open. It’s been nicknamed the “speakeasy bathhouse” because it’s a small second-floor space with a four-person sauna, a four-person cold plunge, and a wellness bar to enjoy after you’re done with a circuit. The two owners are almost always there, and they’re warm and knowledgeable, so this is the place I’ll take both first-timers nervous about contrast therapy and friends who are deep into it. They also have a free take-with-you library that really captures the spiritual side of the practice; Rizzoli Books is right around the corner and Madison Square Park is close by

Bathhouse (Flatiron)

This is my go-to double-date spot. It’s more of a traditional bathhouse format in that there are no prescribed activities, and no programming you have to follow. I’ve gone and spent the whole time just sitting in the warm bath catching up with a friend. That being said, they have the most developed Aufguss program, led by Alonzo Solorzano, who won the US Aufguss championship in 2025. They have a bar and snacks on-site, which I love because bathing makes me hungry. Like Othership and The Altar, it has a vaguely night club lighting feel; the High Line, the elevated rail line turned public park that I co-founded and ran for 20 years before getting into the world of bathing

Russian & Turkish Baths

This will always be the first bathhouse I ever visited, back in the ’90s, and I think most people would agree that it’s the OG NYC bathhouse. Unlike so many of the newer spots, this one isn’t trying to be fancy. It’s the closest you’ll get in the city to an old-world Eastern European banya. And I won’t judge you if you finish with a vodka shot, or a Baltika, or whatever else they’re pouring; there’s an eclectic crystal shop called Crystals Garden, a plant store that still feels like the New York I moved to, a Japanese sticker-and-stamp store called Nico Neco Zakkaya, a great bakery called From Lucie, and a string of quirky little food spots in between.

Othership Flatiron

A modern bathhouse experience & wellness entertainment through sauna, ice baths, and breathwork. Huge modern sauna fits 90! Offers both guided breathwork classes, or free use at different times; it’s right next to The Gallery by Odo, which is the less expensive outpost of a Michelin star Japanese restaurant. They also have nice plants and always show great art. Right across the street is Fireclay Tile, a time store where the samples are so beautiful I’ll buy a one even when I’m not actually in the market.