Michelle Yastremsky
for Bushwick Daily
What started as an intimate sex party in Bushwick has evolved into a collaborative and inclusive community, somewhere you can indulge in the freedom of self-expression and pleasure in a judgment-free zone. That zone is Hacienda, and it includes the 15-bedroom polyamorous house—Hacienda Villa—and the recently completed Hacienda Studio, a sexual education space open to any and all that want to explore and learn.
Bushwick resident, real estate developer, and Hacienda founder Andrew Sparksfire bought his first house in 2003, and has been “obsessed with the neighborhood ever since.” Combining his passion for polyamory and sex-positivity with his existing real estate investments, he inspired to create a comfortable, all-inclusive environment to share with others in the community.
Sparksfire shares how it all began: “The whole thing started as a sex party at my house, called the original Hacienda. It was a small party originally, about 20 people or so. Now they are bigger—still invite only, and not open to the public. They are the foundation of community, that’s what created the culture which was based on consent, inclusive of all genders and orientations.”
Sparksfire says his goal was to “take the shame out of sex, and to take sex out of isolation.” One way he works towards this is to not only continue hosting the sex parties, but also by opening Bushwick’s Hacienda Villa in 2014.
The Villa is home to 14 full-time residents from different walks of life who all share the same sex-positive mentality and support the polyamorous lifestyle—a requirement for living in the Villa. And as for the question on all Bushwick Daily reader’s minds, there are 13 bathrooms found within the house, so no need to beat the morning rush.
Members of the community also have access to Hacienda Maison, a luxurious house in New Orleans where Sparksfire hosts retreats, sex-ed classes, and workshops. It can even be rented out on Airbnb for those in the market for a “Hedonistic Palace.”
As interest and participation in the sex-positivity scene continues to transform, so does Hacienda.
The newest piece of Hacienda opened in 2016: the event space located in the basement of Hacienda Villa called Hacienda Studio. The gut-renovated studio space houses a diverse offering of events covering all the ins and outs of polyamory and sexual education.
Attendees can participate in a panel with Janet Hardy (author of polyamorous bible ‘The Ethical Slut”), enjoy a theatrical performance by porn director Madison Young (set to open fall 2017), or swing into the scene with a gender-fluid tango class taught by Hacienda Villa’s resident dance instructor.
The mission of these classes is not only to educate, but also to provide an inviting atmosphere. Sparksfire explains, “Our community is about socializing with sex present, not the sex itself.”
Most of the events hosted at Hacienda Studio are open to the public; upcoming events can be found online on the villa’s calendar.