Dallas spa question

[Guest Finn_McCool]

Which is better: Club Dallas or Midtown Spa?

[Guest dueywant2]

used to be Club Dallas but now it is Midtown Spa

[NWDALbearsub]

Hadn’t been in years 

[SwitchDomBB]

since Reno i like club dallas 

[Hard8Stud]

Midtowne Spa-Dallas closed in, I think, May 2018; it originally planned to close a few months earlier but didn't apparently because of popular demand. (The chain's ownership had already closed 4 others, including the one in Austin, one of only two that had an outdoor, ground level where it could host venues like parties and guest appearances by porn stars (from what I could tell, attendees could not be nude because they were considered public events.)  Despite efforts to keep it open under new ownership, reports were that it went downhill those last few months, and staff members (who would eventually be laid off) seemed mostly to care less & less.  For some time before and after it closed, guys posted fond memories and reiterated their preference of it over Club Dallas.  (The main host of Dallas 7½-year run of monthly group parties tired of hosting the parties and started going to Midtowne Spa-Dallas almost every Tuesday night; we made several attempts to meet there, but our schedules wouldn't mesh.)  A month or so after it closed, I was alerted to a new cruise listing (posted by someone in Australia!) of a similarly named place (Dallas Midtowne Spa?) at the same address; it linked to a Website (midtownespadallas?) that was under construction and that soon made it clear that a very similar business was to open soon at the same address.  Unfortunately, several months later, I found no trace of it; I hadn't saved the Web address to my browser or computer; so, I couldn't verify what had happened with the restart venture.  Checking in Google Maps, including Street View, is inconclusive.  I was without my automobile for much of 2019, had to move unexpectedly just over a year ago, the pandemic hit, and my car's been awaiting diagnosis of its current problem for 7 months; so, I have had no chance to see for sure what is there now.

Cruise-listing comments were generally better for Midtowne Spa-Dallas than for Club Dallas while admitting that the latter had the better workout facility.  Apparently in an effort to attract more who hadn't yet visited after Midtowne Spa-Dallas closed, The Clubs spent a lot of money to maintain and upgrade Club Dallas; that was drawing mixed reviews when it was shut down by pandemic-related restrictions. Its current restrictions (from which those 18-24 are  partly exempt) have kept a lot of guys away since reopening.  Club Dallas's current restrictions may not ease until May or June.

[Hard8Stud]

I got curious last week about The Clubs and the current status of the Midtowne Spa chain.  (The person who owned the franchises in Dallas, Houston, Austin (one of the chains 2 locations for big outdoor appearances by porn stars), and one other city should have sought to sell those franchises instead of summarily closing them just because he wanted to retire.)  Before Midtowne Spa-Dallas's last months, guys still preferred it over Club Dallas; when it closed, comments by former patrons all said Midtowne Spa-Dallas had been better except for the workout facility.  Because of a post last week by CumUnion elsewhere, I searched and found that the prominent Club 1035 in Wilmington, which Midtowne Spa acquired years ago to reach its peak of 8 locations, recently closed permanently as a result of pandemic-related shutdowns. Only two locations remain, the one in Denver and the one in Los Angeles.  For "adult fun," Midtowne Spas requested using condoms but (from member reports) never actually required them, which is why the former main host of Dallas's monthly group parties told me he would go in the middle of every week; but, all of The Clubs usually require them.  (Since Club Dallas is the only such club currently in Dallas and nearby Ft. Worth has no such club, CumUnion told me that they are currently unable to schedule events in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area.)

The restrictions for almost all of The Clubs have eased a bit—they're all supposedly open again 24/7, and rooms & lockers are available to rent—but still no bags of any kind for things like clothes or favorite lube, only wallets & cell phones can be brought in, masks must be worn regardless of immunity (so no effective workouts without suffocating, and what's the point of trying to play), all visits are limited to 6 hours with no renewals, and those 18-24 still get in free (that is, at the expense of everyone else).  So, not exactly inviting.  Two guys I know say they have cancelled their long-term memberships and will not return to Club Dallas until restrictions are reasonable.

[TycoBubba]

What are the best places to go in Dallas?

 

[Hard8Stud]

Well, it's the end of an era: The owner & general manager of Midtowne Spas, ready for retirement, never bothered to look for new owners. When asked in January 2022 about rumors concerning the Denver location, he admitted he had put the building up for sale while it was still open for business. I did not find a follow-up article on that; but WEHO Times reported in September 2022 that the Denver spa had indeed closed early in the year and that the last one in Los Angeles was under strong pressure from developers who want to build there, now close to downtown. (The location's founder died in 1998 at age 74.) From pictures available online, both were excellent facilities with full-sized swimming pools. Originally opening in 1972, what became Midtowne Spa-Los Angeles you can see was among the best anyone could expect of any spa, gay or not. Over the next 3 months, admission tickets would sell out & capacity would max out despite demand driving prices up. 

 On Monday, December 19, 2022, Midtowne Spa-Los Angeles closed permanently, thus completing the demise of the popular chain.  That was only a month ago. I tried going to the Website, but it is now "private."

I captured screenshots from Google Maps Street View from the past of Midtowne Spa-Dallas; but someone had taken this picture shortly after it closed in 2017. The last I checked, the sign on the sunshade said simply "Midtowne." Dallas Midtowne Spa's Website, under construction in 2018, strongly indicated it was about to reopen as an independent spa similar to the old one along with merchandise for sale. I lost the link to it, though, and wasn't able to learn how that enterprise went. Judging from the most recent image from Google Maps Street View, whatever the new Midtowne very near downtown was fell victim to pandemic-related restrictions.  The only gay-oriented spa now in North Texas is Club Dallas, which at least is close to DART's Deep Ellum Station. (If you take DART Rail, be aware of schedules since the trains haven't run as late since Jan. 24, 2022, especially on weekends.) 

 CumUnion does have group parties in similar places around the U.S. But, in Dallas, their parties are held in a private warehouse northwest of downtown.