Buffalo Baths: Portland’s new queer-owned hotspot to soak your cares away
Buffalo Baths, a private outdoor bath retreat in North Portland, hopes to open by mid-November.
Mark
Jeff Gierer and his partner Jesse are turning their North Portland backyard into a private soaking retreat. Buffalo Baths , a queer-owned outdoor bathhouse, offers two spacious tubs under a clear roof. They are available for two-hour bookings. It aims to open by mid-November.
GayCities caught up with Gierer [below left] to find out more.
Have you lived in Portland long? Is this your first business?
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My partner, Jesse, and I are both decades-long Portlanders by happenstance and good fortune. Jesse works in philanthropy and volunteers with various good citizen endeavors. I worked in our local public schools for over twenty years, spending most of that time teaching special education. In our spare time, we keep bees, garden, cook, happy hour, and wonder how we wound up so generally lucky. Buffalo Baths is indeed our first business venture.
When and how did the idea for Buffalo Baths first come about?
A relaxing soak has always been my preferred vice. And, historically, the Pacific Northwest has been a place where folks found salve and respite from the winter chill and damp with saunas, spas, and warm water soaking.
We were lucky that for the better part of a decade Portland was home to our own queer-run private bathhouse in our neighborhood, Blue Star Wellness. Right around the same time I decided to take a break from teaching, Blue Star’s proprietor closed up shop. We were blue to lose our beloved bathhouse, of course, but the timing felt like kismet.
“Affirming”
How long has it taken between deciding to do this and the actual launch date?
From initial business exploration to opening our doors, it’s been just over a year — a year of zoning and permits, contractors and designers, landscapers, graphic designers, bath salt suppliers, handsome handymen, and more.
What have been the biggest challenges?
Buffalo Baths is run from our home and, since we’re both hopelessly Hobbit-y in nature, it’s been interesting to see our cozy, familiar nest transformed to host our business and guests. I’d say the largest concern on our minds has been to make certain our business really offers the restore and relaxation we know our community (particularly our queer community) needs in these worrisome times.
We know the benefits a good long soak (alone or in good company) can bring – and it’s important to us that every part of our process from booking to welcome to farewell feels curated and careful and affirming whoever you are. We want our guests to leave Buffalo Baths feeling their cares lifted and to feel that they’ve got another place to come when worries abound.
“A private queer-run backyard bathhouse oasis”
What can visitors expect when they visit?
Buffalo Baths is a private queer-run backyard bathhouse oasis. Guests are invited to relax in our Pacific Northwest-inspired cedar bathhouse, restore in our private fern-hugged outdoor space, and, most importantly, soak their cares away in our two spacious and welcoming tubs. Portland is a place that brags of wonderful massages, spa treatments, saunas, and more — but our niche is just private outdoor baths.
Are there any little touches or elements you’re particularly pleased with?
There are lots of things that feel good and welcoming to me, such as the aromatic cedar used to build our bathhouse, the tables and benches made specially by local woodworkers, the mossy-minty color of the tile, the ferns close by the place that feel both prehistoric and very Pacific Northwest.
But, I’d say the part I’m most glad about is the incredible team of folks who made Buffalo Baths possible. We had the most amazing, collaborative designers, builders, plumbers, landscapers and more. No one we worked with had ever done a project like this before, and everyone was excited to make our bathhouse a reality. I’m also beyond thrilled that the majority of our team were queer-identified folks.
“Soak curious”
We know the baths are LGBTQ-owned, but is the business also aimed primarily at gay folk?
Buffalo Baths is queer-run, but we welcome everyone. We do hope it will be a particular respite for LGBTQIA+ folks in these trying times, but we want everyone who enjoys a soak (or is soak curious) to feel welcomed and cared for at our place.
When do you currently hope to launch the venue?
We’re in “soft launch” right now — that is, having friends, family, and other beloveds try out the tubs and let us know their thoughts. We’re hoping to take their feedback, finesse things, and be up and running by mid-November (fingers crossed!).
Buffalo Baths offers two spacious bathtubs in the Piedmont Neighborhood of North Portland. It will cost $165 for two hours of exclusive use of the area. Each bath can fit one or two people. As the space is in the backyard of Jeff and Jesse’s own home, they provide the address after booking. For more details, check the FAQ section of the Buffalo Baths website.
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