World Spa opened in Midwood in late 2022 and occupies 50,000 square feet, positioning itself as one of the city's largest bathhouses. The exterior sits beneath F-train tracks with a brutalist facade; entry proceeds past a security guard and down a curved staircase to a marble service desk. A $100 admission includes a robe and locker but excludes anti-slip footwear, which the spa retails. Facilities include multiple hammams, banyas, pools, an ice room with simulated snow, roped-off cabanas, and a central lounge and dining area. Nearby alternatives include SoJo in Edgewater and QC on Governors Island, both requiring longer travel.
"Call it a bathhouse, banya, or spa - everybody's got an opinion on where to get a shvitz. As a big primper, I seek grandeur and premium amenities wherever I can find them. I have gone as far as Edgewater, New Jersey, to dip in the rooftop pool at SoJo's multilevel complex (followed by a compulsory stop for onigiri at Mitsuwa across the street) even though it requires finding someone to chauffeur the two-hour round trip."
"It was a little disorienting when my Uber dropped me off in front of a brutalist building with concrete panels and the F-train tracks overhead. I stopped thinking about the street view once I walked past the security guard and down a curved staircase to the marble service desk. (A $100 fee included a robe and a locker but no anti-slip footwear, so BYO Crocs if you want to avoid paying $30 for a pair of World Spa's fake Yeezy slides.)"
Read at Grub Street
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