Business Entertainment
“Rage” room helps the uptight unwind
By Brandon Henry
She grabbed a baseball bat and used it to bust up a desktop computer and a flatscreen TV that had been propped against a brick wall.
“I happen to prefer the glass. Today, it was the healthiest way to express my anger,” said the woman, referring to her objects of choice to destroy inside The Ragery and, because of her lived experience, asking not to be identified by name.
“If you have been on the receiving end of violence and it’s trapped in your body, you need to get it out,” she added. “And, of course, this is the safest way to do it.”
To keep customers safe, the owners of that Lower East Side establishment outfit those who show up to rage out in a polypropylene bodysuit or an apron also made of plastic; plastic glasses or goggles; a hard hat with a visor and headphones attached; a pair of latex gloves; and, topping those, leather utility gloves. Available to use as weapons are baseball bats, golf clubs, skateboards and hammers. Breakable items include ceramic cups and plates, televisions, barbecue grills, microwaves, toasters, VHS players, air fryers and computer monitors.
The Ragery, said co-owner Roman Lupu, is a spot where people can “let it all out.”
“Some people just have an “urge to destroy,” co-owner Bogdan Zhukovsky said
The Ragery has three rooms. The Cage, which accommodates five people, is the front and most popular room. Passersby can see all that destruction happening through a glass window. The Back Room also accommodates five people and The Grand Room, can hold seven.
“They come for fun sometimes, for dates, for spending time with friends,” said Russian-born Lupu, whose English isn’t exactly perfect. “Some get some stress relief, just to decompress, steam out and have fun. It’s like a two-in-one.”
The business, at the corner of Essex and Stanton Streets, also hosts other events, including parties. “People came back from those events, mostly,” Zhukovsky said. “Some people who just were here by themselves, they actually brought their friends and family to show it to them, to share the experience and to have fun again.”
Regularly, Luu added, he sees customers leaving “with a smile on their face,” feeling relieved and lighter.