The Seach for a Clean Public Restroom

The city's subway bathrooms may be "overflowing with filth," but is it the same case for the bathrooms in the city's parks? Though there are a few websites out there with databases of free public restrooms (including Starbucks: "America's Restroom"), there are only 19 restrooms throughout the sprawling 843 acre Central Park, and not many elsewhere. The Times' Ariel Kaminer set out to see which of all the city's parks were the cleanest.

Notable facilities include the secluded restrooms in the southwest corner of Van Cortlandt Park, the cherry tree surrounded privacy of the north end of Meadow Lake in Queens and the weird, perpetually broken pay toilet outside of Madison Square park. But the winner was the spotless, elegant restroom in Bryant Park. Decorated with fresh flowers, wood and marble, the space is the exact opposite of what the thought of a public bathroom usually inspires. Professor Harvey Molotch, author of “Toilet: The Public Restroom and the Politics of Sharing," said, “The cleanliness and the high standard of the maintenance signal that not only is something right about the restroom, but something is right about the park, and by extension the city.” So by that logic, something is very, very wrong with the subways.

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By Jaya Saxena in News on April 18, 2010 2:00 PM

Comments [rss]

Ed

Its not really the lack of public rooms. I've noticed that bars and restaurants tend to have far fewer restrooms than needed for their number of customers, restrooms consisting of one toilet but no lock, restrooms with toilets that don't work, restrooms that haven't been cleaned in months, and a ladies room and a men's room that contains one urinal (apparently men never need to take a dump). Given all the regulations on small businesses, you would think there would be a requirement for places that serve food and drink to have sufficient toilet facilities for their customers.

And yes, when I travel to other cities, this doesn't seem to be a problem.

TheKlaus

"The Seach for a Clean Public Restroom"

Come on Gothamist! You are better than that!

Blue387

Who goes fishing with a pole in the toilet?

slyguy

ok, thanks for mentioning this. Here we have the complete FAILURE of the city to meet the most basic needs of its people. Ever travel somewhere and find it isn't impossible to find a pubic bathroom when you need one? Ever compare that experience when you're back home in NYC to the ease of finding a public bathroom abroad? Ever think about how on the most basic level, the city is incapable of providing this basic service to its tax paying citizens- instead relying on businesses to do so?

nivek

More like Americans...and white people in general don't know how to aim in the toilet, or take a shit. You guys need toilet reeducation.

610dean

You are watching white people piss and grading them on their aim? Just want to get that straight. Nothing weird about that.

nivek

Sorry, I meant to be xenophobic. I meant non-Asians.

Splicer

Do you wonder why Bryant Park's public restroom is so clean? Have you seen the snooty people that walk around that area with their air of privilege (and let's not forget the tourists)? You certainly wouldn't expect people of this high stature to deal with any old restroom.