Talk:Watergarden
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zbenye .. from yelp
5 star rating
06/18/2007
What a wonderful place! A clean and sane hangout. I live in cold SF, so in the summer months, every Saturday morning I pack my toothbrush and head down to San Jose (who would've thought?) where summer is real. I get to Watergarden at around noon on both weekend days, and bake in the sun.
The facility is spotless, the other guests are cool and the staff is incredibly friendly.
I go primarily for the pool and sun, but always end up getting personal with someone or sometwo or somethree...
The outside area has said pool, a hot tub, and lounge chairs all around. Soft music playing throughout. On the inside there are the showers, restrooms, steam room, big-screen porn room, small TV room, lounge with sofas, magazine and pool table, vending machines. At the front there are the lockers and a minimal gym, and the area in between is divided into some 50 small rooms.
The place is so much nicer than the filthy Steamworks in Berkeley, but if sex is your main interest then Steamworks has a higher sexual temperature. Not to say that you can't always find at Watergarden a butt looking for a plug ;-)
Although I never stayed quite that long, I like that admission here is for 12 hours rather than 6 at SW. However, a 6-month membership here is $25 compared to just $6 at SW. Within the 12-hour period, you may leave for a couple of hours and come back in with a pass. Great for fueling oneself up at Togo's and Starbucks a couple of blocks down the road.
They had a free BBQ for Memorial Day. The clubs in LA provide a free lunch every Sunday; they should do the same here.
One thing really missing here is glory holes.
Danny M. from yelp
4 star rating
11/04/2006
I see that some other brave chaps have stepped up and reviewed the Water Garden, or, the resort where one can sunbathe and opt for a one-off at the same time.
The Water Garden resembles more a hotel lobby than a bath house. Everything is warm, the darkness is kept to a calming dim, and the outdoor pool makes me forget that I have lost my kit and my third leg is aroused as another chap backstrokes by.
Though it is a bit of a trek for me, and a bit of a chunk of change to get in, I would say that of the 3 known options in the Bay Area for a public-yet-private cruising ground, this would be the best spot.
Jim G. from yelp
4 star rating
10/06/2006
This is a place that almost transcends the term bathhouse. The clientele is 100% gay men so far as I know. It requires a membership to get in and you have the option of renting a cubby hole of a room or just enjoying the public areas. I usually opt for the latter. The place has been very clean on my visits and those have occurred over a long period of time (1995-Mar 2006). My favorite part about it is the outdoor hot spa, which is set in a private courtyard that is the presumable origin of the name Watergarden. Huge and feels great on a sunny day as well as a gray or drizzly day.
Update: Came back to the Watergarden on Nov 8, 2007 and they have made ongoing improvements, they have a new workout area, more vending, & some additional play products. I took a swim to get the juices flowing (wish they'd used more of the available space for a full 25 meter pool but oh well I swam laps anyhow and it was OK).
review from the OUT TRAVELER guides
The clean, modern, bright and airy Watergarden, which is on par with Berkeley's Steamworks among California bathhouses, offers a nice garden, a big pool, a big whirlpool, a steamroom, free billiards, a large-screen TV and a friendly, relaxed atmosphere, with a friendly and helpful staff. The facilities are clean and modern. The dot-com bust in the Silicon Valley did nothing to diminish the popularity of this place, which is absolutely packed Friday nights -- arrive early to get a room! Has a strong Latino and Asian following, but expect everyone and anyone, with no attitude. One-time membership $8, rooms $22-$32, lockers $16. Check Web site for special offers. Free condoms and STD testing. Directions: Take U.S. 101 South to San Jose, then take Interstate 880 south to The Alameda exit. Turn left at the end of the exit and follow The Alameda (it will curve to the left after about 7 blocks). Watergarden is just after the curve on the right side.