SJ Watergarden Closing Permanently

[BlackDude]

Last time I went there, I was told no rooms were available by my some snobby Latin clerk. White guy came in about 2-3 minutes after me and got a room. I left and never went back. Good riddance. 

[Guest]

On 7/17/2020 at 8:50 AM, Guest FinalDL2021 said:

The Watergarden was the first Bathhouse I went to, I can still remember building up my courage, to finally go in; I must have done a dozen drive by's….lol. This was back in the early 90's, a time I am getting more and more nostalgic for. 

I can totally relate..................................has anyone heard anything, regarding this bath house possibly opening again,  under new management? 

[backpackguy]

Look like it's gone for good...like too many other gay play spaces...understand that the property has been sold and it will be torn down for condos and/or apartments...sigh...can you believe that in it's gay hay day, SF had eight gay bath houses...now it has one 😭

[versasslover]

Sad to hear another one closed down. Never been there myself but heard recently my old regular bath house in Van Nuys, CA. Closed permanently a while back too. This is happening way too often lately. 

[fskn]

I walked by the old Watergarden bathhouse (in San Jose, California) on Thursday.

Demolition has started.

Each time I walked by over the past year, it was sad to see the front doors boarded up and a digit missing from the address sign. Now, even the glass blocks beside the doors are gone. An excavator was parked on the former pool deck.

Let's hope someone sets up a commemorative plaque, maybe a few doors down at the Billy de Frank LGBTQ community center. It's especially important to remember gay spaces in suburban areas, where people had few places to go and where local opposition must have been fierce.

Edited April 23, 2022 by fskn

[StlBottom]

One less item on my sex-bucket list