Eros Bathhouse Moving After 30 Years

Eros Bathhouse had opened at the height of the AIDS epidemic in 1992. Now 30 years later, they find themselves moving to a new location.

Eros co-owner Ken Rowe tells the Bay Area Reporter:

“We are sad to be leaving our place in the Castro for the last 30 years, but understand landlords change as do economics. We are excited to have located a great place, closer to BART and a nearby parking garage, in a historic building. We hope to have all the permits and approvals in place early in 2022, so there will be a hiatus. We will be busy building out the new place and building a new website, but we will be available at the same number and email to connect with the community.”

As to why Eros has to move, Rowe says its due to a

“a generational shift in [building] ownership, like much of the city. Our landlord passed away a few years ago and the family trust that owned the building had a fiduciary agent tasked with selling it,” Rowe stated. It sold about [a] year and a half ago to a team of property investors. They have been great and supportive during the pandemic and we wish them well. Our rent was pretty low compared to some property in the area, and they do need to cover their investments. We weren’t able to consider the higher rate, but we were able to get an extension till now at our old rate.”

No matter where Eros ends up, Rowe is confident that the legacy of Eros will continue

“We hoped to stay in the immediate area and had assistance from Supervisor Mandelman and his great staff. … We tried to see a number of properties in the Castro, but could only view those that were interested in us as tenants,” Rowe stated. “We aren’t leaving the Castro, since we hope to be more involved in the Castro LGBTQ Cultural District, Castro Street Fair, and support all our friends and family that reside and visit the area.”

On Sunday, December 12, Eros will be hosting an open house from 6 to 9 p.m. to celebrate the business. There people can “hear about our exciting new space opening in 2022,” according to a Facebook event page, which also states, “if you want to stay after 9, we’ll give you a towel!”

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