Comments (0) Best (and only) Russian-bathhouse dance party - 2006

Russian and Turkish Baths

Last Valentine's Day, Gemini and Scorpio, two sultry lasses who provide online dating advice as well as compelling reasons to get offline, hosted the first dance party to take place in the East Village's legendary Russian and Turkish Baths since it opened in 1892. As with all G&S fetes, the crowd was quirky, comely, artistic, and friendly, and adding to the enticement, very nearly naked. Steamed pierogi and free-flowing iced vodka warmed the crowd and set the stage for the loose-limbed bacchanalia of Romashka, a New York–based Gypsy band led by Lithuania-born singer Inna Barmash. Dressed in 1950s starlet swimsuits, flannel robes and flip-flops, smoking jackets, and '70s hot pants, the crowd danced, flirted, and indulged in the facilities—a 200-degree rock-fed sauna, steam rooms scented with lavender and eucalyptus, an icy pool, Swedish shower, and sundeck, which was covered in snow at the time—for five full hours. Those who didn't lock lips with the Russian bartender found longer-lasting fulfillment in a Dead Sea salt scrub or Russian massage. In the end, the only complaint was that the night didn't last long enough. Gemini and Scorpio promise another trip to the bathhouse soon, but space is extremely limited. It's a good idea to monitor their website and sign up for the weekly event list, which offers ample warning for all their "Get Off . . . Line" G&S events.