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Division St Russian & Turkish Baths
Rating Details »
Neighborhood: Wicker Park
1916 W Division St
(between Wolcott Ave & Winchester Ave)
Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 384-9671
1916 W Division St
(between Wolcott Ave & Winchester Ave)
Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 384-9671
- Price Range:
-
$$$
6 reviews for Division St Russian & Turkish Baths
While hipsters walk by outside unawares, the Russian Bath House keeps on steaming. A relaxing experience like no other, you leave feeling reborn.
Vito has explained it better than I could, so I will only say my experience - your first time, you're a little nervous, but by the first cold dunk, you've got it figured out. After a couple hours here, you feel like a million bucks.
It's a good good day after a visit to the bath house. Although the sight of a man beating another with a massive leaf may seem peculiar at first, once you've immersed yourself in the steam it doesn't matter.
Trips in and out of the steam room into the cold pool are a great way to refresh oneself.
A good good day for all occasions but especially after being into your cups the night before.
This was great for what I went for: an escape from a Chicago winter. It was damn hot in the steam room here: it felt as if my hair was going to burst into flames.
I gave the cashier 20 bucks, and I got a key to a locker, and a little bottle of soap. I opened my locker and there were two (pretty musty smelling) towels in there. I took off my clothes, wrapped a towel around myself, put on my flip-flops (thanks Vito, for reminding me!) and headed into the steam room. I sat in there for about 15 minutes. Then I came out of the steam room, took a dip in the really cold pool, sat down for a bit, went back into the steam room, and repeated. I was in and out of the place in less than an hour and felt very refreshed.
Yes, there is a tremendous amount of bare old-man ass here. You would probably look a little strange if you walked around here in a bathing suit. And no, it's not a gay thing: this place seems to be mostly old-school Ukrainian, Polish, and Russian clientele. There is a feeling of establishment here and it seems like everyone knows each other. If you're going for your first time, you'll probably feel a bit of an outsider.
This was a very cool place to go before it closed. I met Jessie Jackson Jr. here and other bigwigs. This is a secret place for the man's man. I hope that they open back up.
Never underestimate the power of a good schvitz!
I've been wanting to write up a review of this place for quite some time, but never got a around to it until now. So, here it is.
First, let me begin by telling you that there is nothing fancy, pretentious or trendy about this place. This place is a Chicago institution and has been around since 1906. It is the last and only remaining Russian bath house in Chicago.
It's $20.00 bucks to get in which includes 2 towels, a small sheet, and a bar of soap. There are no grand toiletries like at a fancy spa, so if you want moisturizer and other Queer Eye type products, bring your own. You also need to bring your own shower shoes since it is not proper etiquette to walk around barefoot anywhere in this place and I'm sure you don't want to risk getting athlete's foot
The way this place is laid out is a locker room, lounge areas with a widescreen television and massage rooms on the first floor. Stairs lead down to the basement level, which contain the bath facilities: open showers, a cold pool, a warm pool, eucalyptus-scented steam bath and a hot room which is the most popular feature here. This is the traditional Russian Banya or hot room built of concrete and tile with a glass door. In the corner is a brick oven in which granite boulders, approximately the size of watermelons, are heated to extreme temperatures by gas jets; hot water is then thrown on the rocks by the customers as desired. When this happens, the water instantly evaporates, creating steam inside the oven and heating the brick enclosure, thereby raising the air temperature in the hot room. This method provides a much dryer heat than common steam rooms. The bathers sit or lay on three-level tiered wooden benches, which allow for dramatically different temperatures at the various heights. Cold water is provided by spigots located under the benches --- when overwhelmed by the heat, a bather may dump a bucket of frigid water over his head while still in the hot room, or may step outside to use the cold pools.
STEAM ROOM ETIQUETTE
1) The guy getting the plaitza (rub) is king, and controls the room temperature. If he wants more heat, he gets it promptly and without complaint. The no heat crowd should always move down off the top row rather than try to quash any request for more heat. 2) Quiet is paramount. Please temper your trap so that I too, may enjoy the taking of steam. If you're running your mouth in the steam room, it's obviously not hot enough. 3) If you take a plaitza, then you must help give one. You are only excused if you paid the parchik to give you a plaitza. 4) Wear bath shoes. Sit on a towel. Place a bucket of cold water within reach. 5) Keep the steam room clean. Pick up stray oak leaves and towels. No newspapers or glass containers allowed, and definitely no smoking anywhere near the steam room, showers, or pools.
I've been frequenting this place for about ten years now and I think this place is awesome. It's the last haven for men to be away from their wives/girlfriends and all the other annoyances in their lives.
This is the ideal place to go with your buddies to sweat out the remnants of a hard night's drinking and afterwards to enjoy a fine cigar and a good breakfast.
Toriano - the Bath House is not closed - its open with different hours - now they serve women in the morning and men in the evening, The place still rocks and the heat only got better
