NYC Will Get 20 New Public Bathrooms

With the city council approving a measure to bring twenty new public bathrooms to the city, Newsday looks at the places that need public bathrooms:

Public toilets 10. The Brooklyn Promenade
9. Museum Mile
8. Upper East Side jogging trail
7. 125 St. & Lenox Ave.
6. St. Patrick's Cathedral
5. The Top of the Brooklyn Bridge
4. At the TKTS booth in Times Square
3. In Battery Park near the Liberty Island boat
2. On Canal Street at the entrance to the Holland Tunnel
1. Outside David Letterman's studio

Gothamist feels no compunction to storm into various establishments to use their bathrooms so we don't think we have any requests for where the new bathrooms should be placed...we'd just like 'em clean and stocked with toilet paper. That goes for bathrooms of the dive bars we go to as well as public bathrooms. Newsday also gives a rundown of public bathrooms around the city you can use with minimal fuss from proprietors.

Gothamist previously on public bathrooms

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on August 20, 2003 9:15 AM

Comments [rss]

masoomeh

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Danielle

Here are some stores that have great bathrooms:

The Container Store, 6th Ave, 19 St-ish

The Disney Store, 5th Ave, 53rd-ish

American Girl Place, 5th Ave, 49th St

Banana Republic, 5th Ave, 50 St

Gerry

" Ilove New York!"So say the folks that live there. That's because they have a bathroom to use.I never saw a town so visitor unfriendly in all my travels. I go only when I have to. To New York that is.

Gene

Great stuff, Rion. I'm printing this out as I write this.

rion

sadly, i've been proud of this for many years of city living: i have my own top ten list of "public" bathrooms that i use when out and about new york:

10. mcdonald's: but it would have to be an emergency.

9. any starbucks in a storm: the line is a chore, but they're really easy to find, and generally clean unless located anywhere near nyu.

8. barnes & noble @ union square: or really any one of them for that matter... these are the best public toilets in the city because everyone has to go to the restroom when they've spent a few minutes in a book store.

7. the met, upper east side: while you're suppose to have a tag to enter, fee is voluntary so a quick "i need to use the restroom" to the "guard" works just fine. take the north wing, pass through the egyptian halls and rather than using the nearby bathroom (a loo with a queue), cut downstairs to the shop area near the costume institute --- there will be significantly fewer people in there, yielding no restroom lines.

6. the coffee shop, union square: (only during the day) before "going to check for a table" at the inside stand, walk straight in toward the back right, "check" the facilities, and then head right back outside...

5. crate & barrel @ b'way and houston: if you can't find a b&n, then head to c&b, where the second floor touts a clean and fragrant set of bathrooms facing the south side of the building... they are hidden a bit from the main floor, making it less obvious that's the only reason you're there.

4. the soho and tribeca grand hotels: the former has bathrooms past the front desk in a back hallway... the latter has bathrooms near the bar area, to the right and then downstairs.

3. the apple store: mmm... so well designed, so bright, so clean, soho. plus, you can check your mail and recharge your ipod.

2. the puck building: enter the front doors on lafayette and head immediately left through a metallic door... if you do it fast enough and naturally enough, the guard at the front desk to the right, won't even notice. descend down the spiral staircase to a small crooked hallway that leads back to two very large bathrooms. it's a bit quiet and deserted to feel comfortably-new-york, but it beats the line at mcdonalds and from the hall, there's a sometimes unlocked entrance to under the sidewalk (if you're feeling adventurous).

1. the plaza: enter the small door three steps down from the north side sidewalk and instead of going right to the restaurant, go left down a few more stairs to the restaurant bathroom. it's a lovely wc and starbucks can't beat someone handing you a towel to dry your hands... if you act like you know where you're going and you don't look more disheveled than a tourist, there's little chance they'll question you.

Glenn

A note to the squimish: It's just a hole in the ground to use for emergencies. Do you need new age music and rose petals every time you have to go?

P.S. Plan for a worst case scenario, i.e. BYOTP.

Brian

Looks like George Michael's dance card is all full up!

West Coaster

We have these in SF and one has to hurry, they're timed and the doors will open even if you're not finished. Hilarity or misery? Depends on which side of the door you're on. They're best for really urgent #1's, where men and agile females need not touch a damn thing.

CU

Maybe the city should just open more Barnes and Noble bookstores.

hy

scald the interior? dude, that can't be fun if you get stuck inside one. i really hope there are emergency exits or something...

matty h

I thought that Starbucks and McDonalds counted as public bathrooms! Paris has amazing public toilets that scald the interior with boiling hot water after each use.

mike c

I'm sorry. I don't think any amount of self-cleaning can make a NYC public restroom acceptable for doing the deed (unless you're a guy and you only need to do #1). If anyone has ever used the restrooms in Penn Station or Port Authority or Central Park you'd know what I meant. I *heart* NY but let's be honest, most people walking the street are pretty slimey and one can only imagine what kind of ooze is emitting from various parts of their bodies. That's not even thinking about graffiti and garbage...

Liz

this post movtivated me to track this site down (i *knew* there had to be one out there on the wide, wide internet--small bladders rejoice!)--this one even notes the occasional celeb sighting:

http://www.thebathroomdiaries.com/usa/new+york/