The Schvitz, an old-school bath house located in Detroit's North End neighborhood, will be closing for two months this summer.
In a post on Instagram, the popular spot said it was "time to make a few improvements" and that it would be closed in July and August before reopening on Sept. 5.
Friday is the last day for The Schvitz with men only from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m., women only from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. and co-ed hours from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
In 2021, our Dave LewAllen profiled The Schvitz and some of the changes it has made.
“It was originally the Oakland Baths or the Oakland Bath House, but everybody called it the Schvitz. Schvitz is Yiddish for sweat,” said owner Paddy Lynch.
“What’s the biggest draw. Is it the heat?" LewAllen asked.
“I would say it is,” said Lynch. “Incredible heat, very therapeutic, people love it and I think you have to acknowledge that that is the heart and soul of the place.”
The steam room in the basement of The Schvitz reaches 200 degrees. A dunk in the cold pool is a waiting refresher after a sweat.
The building itself dates to 1918.
“Charles and Harry Meltzer got control of the building in the late 20s and they’re the ones who converted it from a Jewish Community Center to a Schvitz, to a bathhouse,” said Lynch.
As we looked through old photographs, Lynch detailed more of the club’s history. Members of the notorious purple gang were regular visitors. Illicit activity took place on the second floor, which we visited. It awaits restoration as an event and banquet space.
“They used to have Bar Mitzvah, Bat Mitzvah, High Holidays and then, after the early years, gambling, high stakes gambling, bookmaking, racketeering, women, you name it,” said Lynch.
The club’s decline in the late ’70s ushered in bawdy behavior among adults. Weekends were reserved for couples nights – a place for swingers.
All that is in the past now. Lynch bought The Schvitz in March of 2017.
