I was trapped in a suspected brothel. The city just shut it down

I was trapped in a suspected brothel. The city just shut it down

The Standard visited Empire Spa in July - and things got strange fast.

San Francisco shuts down massage parlor accused of operating as brothel for years

By Carlos E. Castañeda A massage parlor near San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood, long accused of being a front for prostitution, was ordered to be shut down as part of a lawsuit settlement, authorities announced Tuesday. The San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu said in a press statement that his office had secured a $275,000 settlement that permanently closes Empire Relaxation Spa on O’Farrell Street, between Jones and Taylor Streets. The…

Cops shutter alleged Astoria brothel after months-long investigation – QNS

Cops shuttered an alleged brothel at Astoria's Relax Spa last month after a months-long investigation determined that the site was being used for prostitution. The spa, located on the ground floor of a four-story, mixed-use building at 23-20A Broadway, was shuttered on Dec. 19 pursuant to a nuisance abatement closing order after police conducted undercover investigations at the premises earlier in 2025. Justice Lumarie Maldonado-Cruz issued a pr…