Midtowne Spa Los Angeles has closed with little to no fanfare after servicing gay, bisexual, queer, and men who have sex with men (msm) for the past 50 years. The gay bathhouse located at 615 Kohler Street in Los Angeles was founded in 1972 according to their Yelp page. This is the end of the last Midtowne Spa standing in Southern California and across the nation.
“It’s with great sadness that we announce that Midtowne Spa Los Angeles will be closing permanently on Monday, December 19th at 8:00 a.m.,” reads a special announcement by Midtowne Spa.
“Midtowne Spa Los Angeles, officially closed…RIP,” reads a post from a WEHO TIMES reader. “Whatever people may think about gay bathhouses, this was an amazing, eclectic, erotic, nonstop sex positive and Queer sanctuary that will be missed by many. There are a few other local places, but certainly nothing like it as far as the diversity of customers and sheer size in California. Sad day.”
A now former employee confirms that the gay bathhouse has officially closed this past Monday, but did not share details on its closure. The closure is not listed on their website as the posting of this article. However, Google now has the location listed as permanently closed.
WEHO TIMES reported back on September 20th that Midtowne Spa Los Angeles property, home to the historic sex bathhouse, went up for sale earlier that month.
According to sources, Midtowne Spa Los Angeles was slated to close back in October. An employee told WEHO TIMES he thought they had until the end of the year and the end of the year is upon us.
Attempts to reach management were unsuccessful.
Midtowne Spa owned three properties in Southern California, The Melrose Spa, at 7269 Melrose Ave in Los Angeles, which closed in May 2017, and the 1350 Club at 510 W Anaheim St, in Wilmington, which closed some time in May, 2022 shortly after being shut down by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Los Angeles location was the last Midtowne Spa standing. The Austin, Texas Location closed in July, 2016. Dallas closed the following year. Midtowne Denver also closed earlier this year. Most of these locations closed with little to no fanfare, upsetting some of their most loyal customers.
Midtowne Spa Los Angeles offered private rooms as well a lockers. The facility had an indoor swimming pool, whirlpool, Sauna, Steam room, Sundeck and a TV Lounge. They offered adult movie channels, two gay and one Straight/Bisexual and 24 hour secured parking garage right next door to the club.
A guest credits Midtowne Spa for promoting a clean (as possible) environment and also provided STD testing and free counseling, “It’s not just about STD/AIDS, but the counselors also will talk to people, like gay people just coming out, which is so important for some people who may be reluctant to go to other places,” he said back in September. “This is a safe place for queer expression that will be a loss to the community and also has historic value. The original owner, Marty, really wanted Midtowne to stay open long after his demise as an outlet for the queer community.”
The property is still listed as a prime Downtown Los Angeles Development site by Major Properties. Built in 1914, the land area is listed at 30,160 sq ft with a property size of 22,419 sq ft. The asking price is a reduced $6,500,000. The portfolio would be delivered empty, which was a sign that Midtowne Spa Los Angeles would not survive the sale of the property.
To read the full listing visit: https://www.majorproperties.com/property/prime-dtla-development-site/.
I loved this Spa & lived within walking distance. The Midtown Spa had it’s own indoor parking, roof-top deck, a pool, a 14 person hot tub, 20 person sauna, 10 gang showers, Essentials Store on 1st floor, & the free BBQ on Friday Afternoon (1pm-4pm). The Midtown Spa was a very open spacious bathhouse with clean floors/ rooms. The staff was loving, respectful, & helpful to the community. I met plenty of persons at this Club. It is very close to several strip clubs. My best time at the Spa?- Sunday 2pm… I’m on roof top sunbathing with my hubby as four female strippers walk up, stop & stared at me, my tattoo(hip-to-hip down onto shaft), and my 2ga(0.26in thick) Prince Albert Piercing as She DEMANDED a dance. I giggled, replied: “I’m a gentleman-I dance for Dollars” SO I asked two ladies to help me entertain the other 2 ladies. We had a blast- giggly stupid. One dancer invited my hubby <Tony> & I to join them at Black Diamond Male Revue. Two of Female Strippers pushed Tony & I on stage to dance for her… We did! I was offer job as waiter (in the All Black Straight Male… Read more »
I frequented the location in Dallas many times. It is so sad that they have all closed. We will miss them.
I’m an older Gay black man. Midtown was a place where you felt you wouldn’t be discriminate. I hope someone is out there with a lot of money hear messages. this. I decided to go to a white Gay bathhouse. Flex bathhouse. When I go there it’s so much prejudice. I’m never able to get a good room if I’m able to get a room. Depending on the person assigning they always put me in area where staff are located or where they wash the sheets and towels. Sometimes you encounter rude people. Ex. One person comes in my room and cut the light on to see what I look light. I’m handsome. So that’s a 1st for me. Mostly the blacks there don’t like being with other black. It’s only a few black. So what happen to all those thousands of Black gay. They are not being serviced. Please for the sake of fairness and equality. It’s money to be made. Please create a space for Black Gay men to go to
Darrell-PREACH ON! Sadly very few gay clubs survived the COVID shutdown! I hope that your dream of a gay club for black men comes alive.
My buddy Karl experienced this type of RACIST exclusions at WALT DISNEY WORLD in 1999. His anger inspired him to start DISNEY GAY DAYS ORLANDO, which has blossomed into an annual 4/5 day event.
I do hope you will be open to the other versions of humanity….ALL ARE BEAUTIFUL & WORTHY!
I came out in 1978 and my first boyfriend took me to the 8709. I had no idea about anything…..I learned quickly. And what an adventure. Then he introduced me to the 1350 in Long Beach. We would frequent them both VERY frequently. We broke up in 1981. I moved back to the east coast and he was diagnosed with Aids in 1983. He passed in 1986. I remember the talk of a mystery desease that was going around but it was just small talk then. My breakup saved my life. I miss him…….
I’m going to really Miss this Basically BareBack Sex club because of the Trans that I had Damm good Sex with as well as walking around Naked, kissing and Sucking ?
I’m sad at the news Midtown Spa is closing down. I’ve had many great times there. Over the years I have had many first time experiences there, most of them happening on the Mask Party nights and Blackout Party nights. Something about being anonymous and just letting go to fulfill my fantasies in there many playrooms. Most of my more erotic and nasty things that I did there happened in the dungeon basement, like giving multiple BJ’S, first in the GH booths then just out in the open. I’m a fit bottom and had my first GB there on Mask night in the dungeon in that darkroom with the massage table. It was packed in there the first time, I was bent over the side of the table and I just let guy after guy take a turn. A very memorable one was when I got the deluxe sling room and I’m not sure how many men used me that night, the room was packed and men were just climbing on my a*s all night long! I like to please and once they got started I just let them have their way with me. Once I got started doing GB’S… Read more »
I think North Hollywood/Vine has Trans/CD’s ? No parking area/ Uber ? I f so I definitely go to meet/greet and keep as close friends ?
Went there once about 30 years ago out of curiosity. Had a awesome time,always wanted to go back but never did. Just thought about it the other day,thought that I’d take a trip over and check it out again. Unfortunately I waited too long. So sad they are gone.They should of bought the property.
There’s always The Flex but No Trans ?
Midtowne Spa was the very first bathhouse I ever went to over 20 years ago. I decided to go on my 35th birthday, just for the hell of it (really out of curiosity) in August 2001. I wasn’t expecting much, but I met this very hot mature looking (was in his mid 40s) latino brotha name Eddie. All I have to say is that, he gave me the best birthday gift ever! Eddie literally rocked my world (hot sex) that night! Lol!! So think you Midtowne Spa for that experience and the memories.
people used to go there now where are they going to?
Therma Spa in Tustin
Flex
Let me know another place to meet as safe as 1350 and midtowne. Sad.
I was so sad when I knew was permanently closed.
My favorite Bath House was the 8709 located at 8709 west Third Street. A friend of mine used to call the Palace of Fine Arts.
YES! The 8709, my first experience at bath houses, I had a real awakening there. I was the lonely geek surrounded by dozens (hundreds?) of extraordinarily hot Men, bodies like Calvin Klein underwear models. Yup, I had a hardon, I had no idea my Cock was so huge compared to everyone else. Thank you parents! After that I never wore towels at baths again. I miss bath houses, it’s a vanishing culture. You could see exactly what you were getting, none of these hours on the internet and the guy turns out to be twenty years older, thirty pounds heavier and in all the wrong places. The few baths left are full of skanky druggies. 8709, Midtowne, Hollywood Spa, even Roman Holiday (if all those walls could talk!).
The Flex is open but just one flat floor w/ Sauna,Pool,jacuzzi ?
I waited too long to finally check this place out. I went on their last night and it opened my eyes. I wish I had the courage to go years ago, what a special place!
The Flex ?
I went once to check it out and it was in SKID ROW. And this was before society really went south. If I don’t feel safe in WEHO anymore do you really think I will go to skid row after dark? Add covid and you can see why it went under :(
Not everyone is as scared of their own shadow as you. The simple and arguably-sad truth is that bathhouses are an anachronism in the age of online hookups. The fact that any have survived at all is a rather astonishing testament.
I agree, and it’s a shame. Lots of good times in those places.
Chile bye… this place was popping. There is strength in numbers. The local homeless would actually make sure that they kept and eye out. Plenty of men from that bathhouse to men from the streets home..
You would have had nothing to worry about as far as safety was concerned. The spa was well-managed, had an attended parking garage next door and it was a great place to just let loose. You would regularly run into porn models there. Its going to be missed
Well I can tell you never actually went to MIDTOWN… it had private parking, guards for the parking bldg, & security to assist at the doors. This bathhouse was a very safe place to find/enter & the $10 parking for 4 hours was cheaper than street meters!
I suggest you get out and experience world! Death/Traffic/Police/Gangs… are EVERYWHERE. If your that scared…You ought to be hiding in your room!
Fun times. Last visit, I had a fist in my hole and returned the favor.
It’s sad to watch *non-ironic* historic cultural sites never recover from the lockdowns and economic chaos of the covid era
I found that spa reopen
It did after Covid but the staff kept on insisting on you to have a Covid card (Besides the mask) or No entry. While other Sex Clubs didn’t have the rules of having Covid card