I am something of an expert on NYC restrooms.
Okay, that is probably not true. But I am very good at finding restrooms, and I am very good at remembering where they are for future moments of need. You laugh, but when you live in Brooklyn and you’re wandering Manhattan, out-of-town friends in tow, knowing where to find a restroom can be pretty important. This means, of course, that I have a few favorite restrooms scattered across the city, and today I’m going to share two of them.
The first is in Bryant Park. You may have qualms about park restrooms —believe me, we all do—but the ones at the northeast corner of the park, on 42ndStreet, are unique. They are staffed by an attendant who makes sure they are clean, and the toilet seats have ROTATING SELF-DISENFECTING PLASTIC COVERS. You think I’m kidding? Stop by sometime when you’re on 42nd Street and need to pee. All in all, if the line isn’t too long and it’s not raining, it’s a good choice.
Another of my go to restrooms is just a minute down the street—inside the New York Public Library. If you slip in the side entrance on 42nd, you’ll find yourselves right near a ladies’ room (men, I’m sure there’s one nearby, but I’ve never looked). It’s a little dingy, but it’s also right near the library’s children’s room, where you can usually pay a visit to the original Winnie the Pooh and the rest of Christopher Robin’s stuffed animal friends. (I say usually because right now they’re on display in the Gottesman Exhibition Hall as part of the exhibit “The ABC of It: Why Children’s Books Matter”, which is there through September 7, 2014).
These two restrooms are clean, easy to find, and, importantly, don’t require buying a cup of coffee for entrance. They’re also conveniently located near many places that friends and family visiting from out of town want to check out, like Times Square, the library itself, Grand Central Terminal… you get the picture.
What are YOUR go-to public restrooms when you’re showing tourists around the city?
Noted in NYC 
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