The Ansonia Hotel

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That's where the Trench sisters carried out their little dietary experiments!

Used to work in that building for years. Never had a paranormal experience.

R1 why?

The only disturbing activity that went on in that building was all the fucking in Plato's Retreat in the basement.

What did they do to the heated pool? Was the basement converted into apartments?

Bit of history...

R6

Think that heated pool is long gone. As part of restoration/renovation process for Ansonia hotel a garage was added which occupies much if not all the former Plato's Retreat space.

"According to the owners' conversion plan filed in early February, Ansonia Associates will retain control of the building's retail spaces as well as the garage added in the early 80's in a space once occupied by Plato's Retreat, a nightclub catering to swingers."

No discussion of Ansonia hotel would be complete without speaking about the Continental Baths.

Bette Midler, Barry Manilow, Larry Kert, Peter Allen, and others all performed at Continental Baths early in their careers.

More:

Still more:

R10- The guys in that photo look straight. Are they straight or gay?

[quote]Bette Midler, Barry Manilow, Larry Kert, Peter Allen, and others all performed at Continental Baths early in their careers.

Should've renamed it the Anusonia.

R10

All sorts of gays went to the baths, from those who were out and proud to normal looking everyday guys who just wanted gay sex. Not every gay man was a muscle Mary/Chelsea Boy back in 1970's. Gays tended to look just like most other guys.

Thinking about it you probably had a high number of closeted straight looking (and acting) gays at baths. They only went for one main reason, to find other men for sex. Something otherwise back then largely confined to cruising or going to a gay bar or club.

I love those type of guys in R10's photo- slim guys with natural bodies, especially the guy in the center holding the cigarette.

R14- I guess in those days few men , gay or straight had muscular bodies, most guys were slim. Today most guys are FAT or MUSCULAR or both.

You didn't nearly have the focus on working out back in 1970's that came with 1990's and onward into 2000's.

Young men maybe played sports like basketball or something to keep relatively fit, but working out daily at the gym wasn't a routine thing like nowadays.

Today guys like in linked picture wouldn't get a second look, unless someone is into twinks or something.

Interview done in 2013 with Steve Ostrow, so called "King of the Continental Bathhouse".

Interestingly in UK "the continent" or "continental" is often used disparagingly in reference to what British considered louche behaviour.

This likely has something to do with Europeans having more liberal attitudes about things like nudity, free love, homosexuality and a host of other things uptight British found distasteful.

R19-I find British food DISTASTEFUL.

Eeek!

Post R56 is in wrong thread!

Disregard...

[quote] I find British food DISTASTEFUL.

British food gets a bad rap. It's not all bland and grey. The pasties from Cornwall are amazing as are the mince pies around the holidays.

OP, didn't you already start a thread about Plato's Retreat? It didn't gain much traction.

This thread seems like you are trying to repackage it through the Ansonia Hotel.

British cuisine benefited greatly from expansion of the empire and thus arrival of foods, spices and other things from around world.

Some of the best Indian food is found in UK.

Who in their right mind would start a thread about Plato's Retreat on a gay forum?

Not surprised such a thread went down in flames; what was the point?

Looking a those old pictures of Barry Manilow and Bette Midler it's easy to see just how much work both have had done over the years.

Gee, I can't imagine, R25.

[quote]Post [R56] is in wrong thread!

And in the future of this one.

Crisco oil party in room 419, pass it on...

F. Murray Abraham had perfect body and look for a 1970's gay man in a bath house or bar...

For poster above who doesn't like "fit fat", what do you think about guy in elevator?

Hello Frisco

They chopped up many apartments into smaller units. Sometimes at very odd places and angles. It was quite disconcerting and disorienting.