Yesterday, I read a post on Slavs of New York which led me to an interesting website called Russian-bath.com, which reveals the location of the Russian Bathhouses in New York City using Google Maps and Trulia style pins. More than that, it provides information on the particular bath, amenities and prices.
Russian-bath gives the pros and cons of each facility and assigns a rating. Okeanos Spa on East 51st Street, Manhattan got 4 stars and was touted as “undoubetedly the most luxurious banya in New York”, though it was cited as small, expensive and lacking a cold plunge (an inexcusable omission to many, punishable by a thousand lashings with a venik).
So, if you always wanted to soak in some authentic Russian culture but were unsure where to dip your toes, check out Russian-bath.com. Just beware the Bannik.
For the buffs, the webite offers a revealing look at the history of the Russian banya or bania. For those wanting to learn the distinctions between Russian vs. Turkish vs. Swedish and other cultural baths— no sweat, get a dose of it here or at Cyberbohemia.
