New York Toilets changes locale

New York Toilets is going on a bit of a hiatus. For the next year or so, I'll be living in London. So if you are in the area or if you're just hooked, please check out London Toilets (after January 6, 2008). Or, if you want to know more about an American experience in the motherland, check out Leo and Jen Move to London. Happy flushing!

The Blind Tiger

There are two bathrooms located in back at the Blind Tiger in the West Village. Both are labeled WC, and can be occupied by either sex. When I wandered into one around 4 p.m. on a Sunday, it seemed more like a bathroom in a hip club on a Friday night. There were wadded up paper towels and toilet paper on the floor surrounding the waste bin and there was fresh urine on the seat and splattered on the floor. But there was a NY Jets game on and the bar was full of large men in their jerseys, so it was kind of appropriate. What made the bathroom redeemable, aside from being in a bar with an enormous variety of excellent beers on tap, was the lighting (which was very bright, yet flattering) and the hand dryer. I have expounded on the glory that is the Excel Dryer, the XLERATOR® in a previous post. The Blind Tiger has this hand dryer, able to dry your soaked hands in mere seconds, sending a jet of air at crazy speeds, and making the skin from your hands look like it's melting off, leaving only bone. I do love these things. There were also paper towels offered, but who needs that when you have the XLerator? Other pluses - ample amounts of toilet paper and a very secure locking mechanism on the door (which you have to wiggle it a bit for it to lock).

• Cleanliness - 2.5 flushes
  
• Aroma - 2 flushes
  
• Pros - XLerator (need I say more), good lighting, extra rolls of toilet paper, anti-bacterial hand soap, large heavy door with strong lock
  
• Cons - not having distinct men's & women's bathrooms (could help with the uriney mess)
  
• Overall experience - 2 flushes
  

Toilet-locator (courtesy of Google maps)

The Anyway Cafe

The bathroom at The Anyway Cafe may not be the largest, or cleanest, or most hi-tech, but it is certainly not to be missed. There is a single bathroom located beyond the bar and next to the hanging curtain that encases the kitchen, so there will probably be a wait in a highly trafficked area. But once you get beyond the frosted glass-windowed door, which thankfully you can't see into or out of, you enter a New York restroom of the past. The toilet seat has weights on the back of it, I assume to make it easier for weak hipster men to lift up. The toilet has the tank above it, but does lack a pull-chain for flushing (only has a standard handle), so those patrons that are vertically-challenged may need to stand on tip-toes to flush. The sink is set into a corner in the tiled-wall, keeping it out of the way in this rather small space, and has two soap options. An old oval mirror, reminiscent of the one at Grandma's house, is on the wall to the right of the sink. When you stare into it, especially after a shot of the wonderful infused vodkas from the bar, with the soft overhead lighting, you feel like you have stepped back in time.

• Cleanliness - 2 flushes (old tyme does mean slightly grimy)
  
• Aroma - 2 flushes
  
• Pros - two types of hand soap, interesting bathroom fixtures, good lighting
  
• Cons - only one bathroom, so there will be a wait, toilet handle could be a bit too high for some to reach
  
• Overall experience - 2 flushes

Toilet-locator (courtesy of Google maps)

Peasant

There are two uni-sex bathrooms at Peasant located to the left behind the hostess podium. The bathroom lighting is low and romantic, there are perfumed sticks in a jar behind the toilet, the heavy wooden door provides a feeling of privacy and security, the space is large and comfortable, all inviting you to a fabulous bathroom experience. The rustic Italian theme continues into the bathroom with distressed walls, a stone slab holding up the counter-top glass sink, and olive oil hand soap. There are handrails next to the toilet and a plunger provided just in case. There is a small stack of paper towels located to the left of the sink, which could run out if not replenished often.

• Cleanliness - 1.5 flushes (there were a few stray paper towel lying around the garbage can)
  
• Aroma - 1 flush
  
• Pros - olive oil hand soap, synthetic flowers
  
• Cons - romantic lighting is a bit too low for a makeup touch-up, toilet paper is further from the toilet than makes for a comfortable reach
  
• Overall experience - 1.5 flushes

Toilet-locator (courtesy of Google maps)

White Horse Tavern

Yes, Dylan Thomas drank in this historic West Village bar, but more importantly, he must have used the bathroom here. And he probably encountered the same mess as I did last time I visited the ladies room at White Horse Tavern. To the left of the bar, past two rooms of merry-makers, and on the right you will find the ladies room. There are two toilets, and two sinks (though one is located within the far stall and the other is located in the area between the two stalls). I would head to the far stall for more privacy and more space. The sink in the far stall also has a mirror above it and a hand dryer, whereas the one in the in-between region is sans mirror and only has paper towels...which, as you can see from my photos, are lying everywhere. My main complaint with this bathroom is the trash..on the floor, on the walls, coming out of the trash cans. It reminds me of the bathroom at L'Express. Perhaps filthy surroundings lead to creative pursuits, but they also leads to bad reviews.

• Cleanliness - 3.5 flushes
• Aroma - 2.5 flushes
  
• Pros - hand drying options, plenty of industrial strength soap
  
• Cons - trash everywhere, puddles on floor
  
• Overall experience - 3 flushes

Toilet-locator (courtesy of Google maps)

Staten Island Ferry Terminal (Manhattan side)

Every New Yorker knows that the best deal in town is a ride on the Staten Island Ferry. There is nothing better than a free boat ride with cheap beer on a beautiful New York day. But few know what wonders can be found in the bathroom in Manhattan terminal. The women's bathroom is immaculately clean and wonderfully hi-tech with a slight prison-of-the-future essence. You won't find any handles or knobs here since all toilets and sinks work on sensors. The decor is stainless steel (keeps you cool in the summer and frozen in the winter). Above the perfectly-spaced sinks are perfectly-spaced mirrors, and soap in nearly all soap dispensers. And as an added touch, there are paper towels for drying hands as well as an electric hand dryer. The only possible complaint is the occasional pigeon found nesting above the entrance to the bathroom, but I think this adds to the ambiance.

• Cleanliness - 1 flushes
• Aroma - 1.5 flushes
• Pros - many stalls, many mirrors, toilets and sinks with sensors, plenty of paper products
• Cons - potential for getting stuck to the toilet seat during the winter, possibly pigeon-bombs upon entering the bathroom
• Overall experience - 1.5 flushes

Toilet-locator (courtesy of Google maps)

Dallas BBQ (East Village)

Be sure to hold onto the railing if you've already downed a Texas-sized pina colada and need to hit the bathroom at the Dallas BBQ in the East Village. Pass the bar, the register, and the kitchen, and on the right you will find a rather steep stairwell down to the bathrooms. The women's room has two stall, one of which is always out of order. The bathroom is rather clean and smells of disinfectant, which I guess is a good thing, considering what it could smell like. The stall, in operation, has a large garbage can in it, and plenty of paper products. There is a long mirror above the sink, as well as a full-length mirror on the opposite wall, excellent for making sure your skirt isn't stuck up into your underwear.

• Cleanliness - 1.5 flushes
• Aroma - 2 flushes (although disinfectant may not smell too bad, you have to wonder what it is covering up)
• Pros - large garbage can in the stall, plenty of paper products, many mirrors
• Cons - only one toilet is ever functioning, steep stairwell leading to bathroom
• Overall experience - 2 flushes

Toilet-locator (courtesy of Google maps)

The Subway Inn

Few brave souls venture into the Subway Inn on 60th and Lex, let alone into the bathroom. But I, like Virgil, will lead you into this nether region known only to a chosen few (those who just can't hold it in till they get home). Located past the dimly lit bar, in the back of the room are the men's and women's bathrooms. Each is a single occupancy room, large enough to cram in possibly 2 people. The women's room is sparsely decorated, with many an interesting message scrawled on the once white walls. The door to the stall barely closes, as does the door to the bathroom itself, but most of the regulars with their heads in their hands drinking bottles of bud at the bar will rarely notice. What the bathroom lacks in privacy, it also lacks in toilet paper and water pressure. But there is a bar of soap over the sink for cleanliness and a poorly lit mirror for those makeup touch ups that no one in the bar will ever notice.

• Cleanliness - 3.5 flushes
  
• Aroma - 3 flushes
• Pros - soap, working facilities, interesting reading material on the walls
  
• Cons - lack of paper products, doors that don't shut, puddles on the floor
  
• Overall experience - 3.5 flushes

Toilet-locator (courtesy of Google maps)

My New Toilet

After a long hiatus, New York Toilets is back. I'm sure all two of you missed me. I'd like to start out again with a toilet I have grown quite fond of. Located somewhere in the West Village, this unisex bathroom is relatively clean. The toilet is conveniently located beneath a frosted window. In front of the window there is a large ledge, where ample amounts of reading material and extra toilet paper reside. The toilet is situated next to the bathtub, "Perfect," my father-in-law says, "in case you want to soak your feet while you are sitting on the toilet." The sink is average, with a mirror above it. There is good light coming both the window and the lights above the mirror. The soap is typically something smelling of honey (since this is what is most often on sale). Unfortunately, there is rarely anywhere to dry your hands, except for on our bath towels (mental note, get hand towels). There is no distinct odor to the bathroom itself, and it is located next to the kitchen, so on rare occasions, when I cook, the bathroom could take on the lovely odor of the evening's meal. The best things about this bathroom is that the door and surrounding walls must be rather thick since you can rarely hear when a person is using the facilities.

• Cleanliness - typically between 1.5 and 2 flushes
• Aroma - 1.5 flushes
• Pros - sweet-smelling soap, reading material, extra toilet paper, plus bathing possibilities
• Cons - only one bathroom in the apartment, so there could be a wait; no where to dry your hands that isn't my towel
• Overall experience - 1.75 flushes