The city of New York has filed a lawsuit against East Garden Spa, located at 23 W. 45th St., alleging that workers offered undercover police officers sexual acts for cash. This action comes more than a decade after the building's owner agreed to a court order prohibiting prostitution on the premises. According to the nuisance abatement suit filed on September 30 in Manhattan Supreme Court, undercover officers were offered sex acts for an additional $100 on top of the cost of a massage on two occasions in late May.
On May 21, an officer was offered an hourlong massage for $80, plus the $100 add-on. On May 30, another officer was offered a 30-minute massage for $60, with the same $100 extra charge. The suit cites a 911 call reporting prostitution at the spa, referencing NYPD records reviewed in February.
Online advertisements for the spa promote services with phrases such as "Young Hot Beautiful Asian Girls" and indicate that the spa is open seven days a week until 1:30 a.m. The city is seeking to close the spa for a year, seize its contents, and impose fines of $1,000 for each day the alleged nuisance was allowed to continue.
The building, previously owned by 531 Central Park Avenue Associates LLC, was sold to 21 W 45 LLC on September 16, just two weeks before the lawsuit was filed. The new owner reportedly plans to demolish the building and construct a new structure spanning 21 and 23 W. 45th St.
This is not the first legal action against the spa. In November 2013, a woman was arrested for agreeing to perform a sex act on an undercover detective for $40. The city previously sued the building's owner in November 2014, resulting in an injunction against prostitution in the unit, which was signed by a judge in March 2015.
A woman who answered the phone at the spa indicated that it had closed due to the building's sale. When a reporter visited, the elevator did not stop on the third floor. The building directory lists Seville Real Estate Services as the manager and leasing agent, but a representative stated that the firm was no longer associated with the building.
Neighbors expressed surprise at the allegations, with local businesses indicating they had not noticed any suspicious activity related to the spa.