Did you know the building from Only Murders in the Building was inspired by a gay bathhouse?
Only Murders in the Building premiered on streaming services last night, so upfront – no spoilers from the finale are contained in this article. (You’re welcome).The show, starring Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez is set in the fictional Arconia building – believed to be inspired by the real-life Ansonia hotel in New York.
Most viewers who were tuning in last night are probably unaware of the extensive queer history that comes from the basement of the Ansonia.Imagine it – the year is 1968.
On New York City’s 74th Street and Broadway, the streets are lined with towering, early-20th-century buildings with elegant mouldings and bay windows.
Though one building lies vacant, decaying: The Ansonia.Steve Ostrow, a former opera singer turned businessman, sees potential in the basement of this once opulent structure.
