a quiet morning at brooklyn’s new Bathhouse [cold plunge, sauna hats, and more]
some relaxation on busy Atlantic Avenue.
On a breezy morning in mid-May, I found myself at Bathhouse on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, the newest outpost from a roster that includes locations in Flatiron and Williamsburg.
The team there offered the chance to check out the new location during opening week, and I was happy to take in the space, unwind, and sweat.
When I arrived, around 9 a.m. on a weekday, I had the space virtually to myself. Bathhouse Atlantic Ave has three pools: a cold plunge, a lukewarm pool, and a heated pool. There’s also a small “bodega,” where you can order healthy food, snacks, and drinks, and several sauna and steam rooms. An outdoor space is scheduled to open this summer and is currently under construction.
After storing my stuff in the locker room, I headed immediately for the cold plunge. It was still pretty early in the morning, and I wanted to wake myself up in the most elemental way possible.
Cold plunges (and, alternatively, cold showers) are tools I use to re-regulate my nervous system. That week, I was coming off a pretty busy schedule. I had just finished my Master’s thesis, had friends and family in town, and was graduating. Needless to say, my nervous system was wrecked.
I like to rip the bandage off when I cold plunge and submerge myself to my shoulders immediately, instead of easing in. That was a shock to my nervous system, but it worked, and my head felt clearer. With that out of the way, I showered off and continued my cycle.
I usually like to rotate between pools to get a full experience: cold plunge, hot plunge, lukewarm. Rinse. Cycle. Repeat.
I spent a lot of time in the sauna, which had this gorgeous tiling, simply meditating.
I also got to check out the Aufguss USA tournament. If you aren’t familiar (I wasn’t either), Aufguss is a sauna ritual that combines heat, ice, sound, and scent. There are performances with some pretty intense storytelling. It gets pretty hot — if you tap out, you can’t come back in — so I opted to sit closer to the floor, where the temperature is about 10 degrees warmer.
I learned a lot about bathing culture during the performance, which explained the hats. When I entered the sauna, I noticed nearly everybody around me was wearing these hats. I didn’t ask why; I just figured they were part of some bathing club. I don’t consider myself an expert sauna-goer. I’ve been to some local bathhouses in New York and knew a bit about bathhouse culture, such as showering beforehand and keeping your phone in your locker.
I got to see sauna master Alonzo Soloranzo’s performance, which included pouring ice over fire and fanning guests with towels scented with pepper. It was an artful performance, and he took third place in the competition.
I’d planned to spend only about two hours at Bathhouse before heading home to start the workday. But my body needed the reset, and I stayed for much of the morning. I left the space, emerging onto busy Atlantic Terminal, with no thoughts of work, or job hunting, or errands on my mind. I ended up sleeping for much of the afternoon.
If you’re interested in checking out Bathhouse for yourself (this is not sponsored!), you can book a day pass for as low as $29.
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