Best gay seattle gyms with open showers?

[Bobby Briggs]

When I was in college, I fell in love with going to the YMCA and hanging in the men's sauna and open shower area being naked with other men of all ages and races and body sizes. The downtown Seattle Y used to have a perfect setup that also lead to A LOT of cruising and I used to love going there, but it has since been ruined with inane "towel cover up rules."

As I've said in other threads, it's not just that I like seeing lots of penises and I like showing off my body with other men, although I do; it's also that gyms with open nudity policies create a more relaxed and less conservative feeling and the men, gay or straight, are generally a lot friendlier in these gyms than at the ones that teach you to hide your body and feel ashamed of it.

So I live around the Seattle area and I'm wanting to drop my lame 24 Hour Fitness membership and find a better gym. My ideal gym would be one with open showers and sauna and steam in the men's area with a whole valley of the penises. Anyone got any suggestions? Feel free to respond here or to message me personally with more information.

I really appreciate any help I can get!

 

[1046469]

Did you ever find a gym?

 

[Bobby Briggs]

No! Seattle sucks! And all gyms are morphing into those awful soulless separate shower stall/coed steam room monstrosities. I hate the world I live in!

 

[Bobby Briggs]

BUMP. Would appreciate any advice and help from others in or around Seattle who know the best gay gyms.

 

[hzs3fg]

Question: Isn't this what gay bathhouses are for?

Just saying...

 

[Bobby Briggs]

It's more fun to have that special sexy secret bonding experience with others in a way that's kinky and on the D.L. Bathhouses are boring, everyone knows what you're there for, there's no mystery, there's no excitement, and people are also far too aggressive. The magic of having to use your body and your peripherals to communicate with other men without even speaking is completely gone. Also, Seattle's bathhouses leave something to be desired. Steam Works doesn't even have a damn steam room (should be called Steam Don't Works) and Club Z, which I've actually never gone to, is rumored to be a meth den and drug hang out. I was thinking of giving it a look to see if they've cleaned up their act, as there are some recent positive Yelp reviews.

 

[rooster8]

Try Golds gym on Capitol Hill. Glass shower deviders smoked on top. No sauna.

 

[Bobby Briggs]

Any more ideas? I love any place where it's socially acceptable to be naked with other men. The downtown Seattle Y has been ruined with a new swimsuit rule and so there's only a few places I can think of:

The Q Spa and Sauna in Lynwood
The Palace Spa in Federal Way
YMCA in Bellingham

Anyone have any ideas to add?

 

[StaringIsCaring]

Swimsuit rule?

 

[Bobby Briggs]

Swimsuit rule?

Yes sir. The Y in downtown Seattle used to be a bastion of penises large and small in every direction you looked, now they are enforcing a rule you must wear swimsuit in Sauna and steam and whirlpool.
I dropped my membership immediately and I’ve heard from people who still go that the staff even come by and inspect to make sure everyone is covered. Ridiculous.

 

[StaringIsCaring]

Inspect how?

 

[Bobby Briggs]

Inspect how?

They pop in and make people open their towels, trust me and just don’t go and support them or give them money.

 

[charade712]

Any more ideas? I love any place where it's socially acceptable to be naked with other men. The downtown Seattle Y has been ruined with a new swimsuit rule and so there's only a few places I can think of:

The Q Spa and Sauna in Lynwood
The Palace Spa in Federal Way
YMCA in Bellingham

Anyone have any ideas to add?

I've also heard of Gated Sanctuary in Snohomish, and they have a men's only day on Saturdays. It's clothing optional but I feel most guys would go nude.

 

[Capt Hook]

They pop in and make people open their towels, trust me and just don’t go and support them or give them money.

That sounds like sexual harassment to me. It's one thing if staff notices you getting dressed without a swimsuit, but to inspect people like that?!

 

[Capt Hook]

Bobby, have you tried the ones on the Open Showers Map, specifically the Washington Athletic Club? Open Showers - Google My Maps

 

[Bobby Briggs]

Bobby, have you tried the ones on the Open Showers Map, specifically the Washington Athletic Club? Open Showers - Google My Maps

Wow, what a great suggestion! I did cruise the Athletic Club one day and had a bit of fun but in that case the wet area being really small is a bit of a problem, only a few can fit into sauna and steam. I also hate private showers and that gym has those.

 

[johnthursday]

Any updates on the Downtown Y? I'm traveling to Seattle for business soon and would love to enjoy the steam room there. A few years ago it was a fun place...

 

[john_1231]

Just moved to Seattle - what would be the gym to join for best wet areas? Open to driving ~15-25 min from downtown....

 

[RamenBrick]

Great thread gents. Definitely understand and love the unspoken bonding experience of the open showers. This thread is making me miss the days of my lunch hour workouts at the YWCA downtown Vancouver. It isn't on the map, so I assume they've since altered them to be closed. Shame.

 

[Bobby Briggs]

Giving this thread a bump, obviously COVID has ruined all of our lives this past 14 months or so, but in the next few months I’d like to get back to the gym and back into shape and preferably at a cruisy gym with open showers if any still exist on this planet.