Why Bathhouses Built the Foundation for Modern Wellness — And Why Atlanta Is Ready

I made a trip to Spa 88, a Russian and Turkish bathhouse located in New York City’s Financial District. On any given day, bankers and financiers move in and out of this space recovering from the grind of city life. Normally, I’m never in FiDi — I’m not a banker, and I don’t gravitate toward office food courts or Starbucks with self-brew coffee pots.

This trip was different.

I was staying in Weehawken, New Jersey, just steps from Port Imperial. The ferry route conveniently drops off in the Financial District, which made it easy to incorporate Spa 88 into my day. Sometimes logistics create alignment — and this was one of those moments.

Back to the Basics: Why Bathhouses Matter

Bathhouses are where I come alive.

When I lived in Wicker Park, I could walk from my apartment down North Avenue, cut over to Damen, and head toward Division to visit the Chicago Bathhouse. Many stressful days were relieved there. Many moments of self-reflection happened inside that Russian sauna. And many early ideas for Do Not Disturb were formed in that exact environment.

Bathhouse visits are my ultimate pressure test — a resilience builder and a barometer for mental fortitude.

If you’ve ever been to a traditional bathhouse, you know the vibe. Grungy. Practical. Authentic. To the untrained ear, those words might sound like a real estate agent describing a shack as “charming.” But in the bathhouse world, those are compliments.

Russian saunas reaching 215 degrees. Wet saunas. Steam rooms. Hot pools and ice-cold plunges. Dim lighting. Awkwardly placed lounge chairs. A towel guy stationed deep in the laundry room dungeon. No frills — just heat, cold, and recovery.

Bathhouses are the genesis of contrast therapy.

Contrast Therapy as Culture, Not a Trend

In many countries, bathhouses aren’t a novelty — they’re cultural infrastructure. People gather there multiple times a week. They socialize, decompress, and build routines around them.

The best analogy I can offer:
Bathhouses to much of the world are what gyms are to Americans.

We build routines around fitness centers. We inconvenience ourselves to squeeze workouts into our schedules. We socialize there. We feel guilt when we skip. That same behavioral relationship exists with bathhouses in other cultures.

That’s what makes contrast therapy so powerful — not just physiologically, but behaviorally.

Why This Matters for Atlanta Wellness

By the time I arrived at Spa 88 around 6:30 p.m., it was full. When I left at 8:15 p.m., many of the same people were still there. That alone validated my belief that people are willing to spend real time prioritizing their wellness — when the environment supports it.

This is the foundation behind Do Not Disturb, a restorative wellness and recovery studio in Atlanta.

Our mission is simple: create a space that empowers a community to prioritize wellness and develop sustainable routines.

At Do Not Disturb, we bring the essence of bathhouse culture into a modern Atlanta wellness experience by offering:

Private dry sauna
Cold plunge
Contrast therapy
Massage and recovery services
Quiet, intentional spaces designed for decompression

Instead of performance, spectacle, or pressure, we focus on tranquility. Instead of trends, we focus on routine. Instead of one-off experiences, we focus on consistency.

Bathhouses taught me that wellness only works when it becomes habitual. Atlanta is ready for that philosophy — and Do Not Disturb was built to deliver it.