In a day and age when the word "legendary" is too soon and too often used to describe various people, places, and things, that word is a most appropriate adjective when in reference to Boystown's house of carnal pleasure: Steamworks. Open 24/7, including Christmas, even Santa needs a place unwind, the all-male private membership club has consistently spoiled its devoted local clientele by providing a refuge from the everyday realities of life, allowing its members to work out in a fully-equipped gym as well as to work out with fully-equipped men. To the many out-of towners who flock to the club as if it's some sort of holy shrine, Steamworks is a tourist attraction not to be missed. While a landmark such as the Sears Tower requires an elevator rides to the top floor for maximum thrill and exhilaration, many would argue that the "rides" at Steamworks bring greater joy and much brighter smiles.

Considered by many to be one of the best bathhouses in the country, Steamworks in fact is much more than a sexual romper room. To find out the full story about what all is happening there, several of us from boi took guided tours of the four-story facility and interviewed Steamworks' General Manager Richard Perez. Our collective resultant discovery about Steamworks: "This is not your daddy's bathhouse."

boi: What's the history of Steamworks?
Richard Perez (RP): It was started 31 years ago by founder Rick Stokes with the first facility in Sacramento. Currently there are three facilities: Chicago acquired 15 years ago, Toronto, and Berkley, California.

boi: How has the Chicago location changed over the past 15 years?
RP: By leaps and bounds! Under the leadership of Stokes and his business partner Ross Moore, Steamworks has continually remodeled and expanded to include a fully-equipped gym. As well we've created a world class wet area with a huge whirlpool, spacious steam room, and a dry sauna. This area is probably the crown jewel of the Chicago location. boi: Your website boasts "thoughtfully designed and appointed private rooms" as well as "imaginative play spaces." What exactly does this mean?
RP: As we've invested heavily in the club over the years, we now more than 85 rooms of varying sizes to offer our members, including various theme rooms that have slings and other fun equipment. All our rooms have locking storage compartments and a mirror, and a large majority of the rooms have televisions with multi-channel video offerings.

boi: Tell us a little bit about your members?
RP: We truly have all kinds of guys who come here: urban dwellers and suburbanites; from college-age to middle-age to seniors; downtown professionals and blue-collar types; and an ethnic and racial diversity that reflects the city as a whole. On average we have about 3,000 guys come through the doors each week and it's a fun and interesting mix that includes your buff body boys as well as your average Joe's.

boi: Everyone who comes to Steamworks always comments about how clean it is.
RP: We really take pride in our cleanliness as we realize it's a very important feature and one of the reasons for our success. Many guys have had bad bathhouse experiences at other places throughout the years with unclean rooms and dirty public areas. However, when someone comes to Steamworks they know we are going to provide them with a truly clean, safe, and comfortable environment.

boi: To those who aren't familiar with Steamworks' gym facility, I think they would be pleasantly surprised.
RP: We have a wonderful modern gym on the third floor with lots of weights, various machines, and updated equipment. And with our GymRat Packs, anyone can come in and work out for basically $4 per session. The gym has been another significant area of investment for us as we continue to try and better serve our current members and attract new ones.

boi: Reminiscent of bathhouses in Europe, it's not all about sex here at Steamworks, is it?
RP: Definitely not! First and foremost, as I said before, it's about providing a safe and comfortable environment where men can hang out. You know, it's not uncommon at all to have guys simply coming to Steamworks to lounge around, talk, maybe watch "Oprah" in the TV Room, shoot a game of pool, or use the third floor computers to check their email.

boi: In addition to the rave reviews from your members, Steamworks has also been recognized for your contributions to the community.
RP: Steamworks really does understand that when it comes to the health and well-being of our members, as well as of the larger community, we have a tremendous obligation and responsibility. Our founder Rick Stokes takes this very seriously and even have a Director of Health who is responsible for our various community outreach initiatives. Here in Chicago we have partnerships with Howard Brown, CALOR, and BEHIVE in order to provide on-site HIV & STD testing, outreach, and referral services. For a variety of reasons, many of our members can't, or are reluctant, to access these services on their own outside of these walls, but feel comfortable to do so while here. We just started a new holistic HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness program with TPAN called Mr. SEXX and the other night 18 guys talked with the counselor about a variety of topics. In addition to these in-house activities, we've also been a major sponsor of organizations such as Chicago House and of last year's Gay Games.

boi: One of the features that your members seem to really enjoy is the live DJ music on weekends.
RP: We started having DJs here several years ago and find that it really does enhance our members' experience. Coming up this year over Memorial Day weekend we will be having our annual "Skin Party: The Final Chapter" with DJ DeMarko of NYC. It's an after-hours "play party" on Saturday night and it's always been one of the most popular events we have.

boi: What does the future hold for Steamworks?
RP: Here in Chicago we're doing some minor work to the second floor that will be ready in time for IML, but otherwise no major plans are on tap. On a corporate level, we are definitely in expansion mode and are looking to enter into new markets in the not too distant future. As well, we hope to return to the San Juan market in a new location.