South End Rowing Club

The Room

Big old raised wooden benches and seasoned by decades of saltwater. Tile floor. Window with a sliver-view of Alcatraz. Some light door leakage but the room's so voluminous it diffuses. Ventilation felt solid.

Kinda terrible lighting. Nice daylight from the window, but with interior overhead fluorescent lights.

Heat Character

170°F sounds hot on paper, but the space is large enough that it doesn't smack you the moment you walk in. It's a slow build.

Cleanliness

Decent. Not spa-sterile, not gym-gross. Felt like a long-running communal facility run by people who use it regularly.

Crowd

Loved it.

Old-school SF working-class men, old timers, swimmers, handball dudes, people who have clearly been coming here since before I was born. Tons of nudity, very social, people know each other, talk, come and go. Zero staff presence because it's volunteer-run.

The Extras

Access to the Bay, and handball is weirdly big here. Old boat-house energy everywhere with raw wood, painted lockers.