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)

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)

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

Lederhosen

Welcome to the ladies room at Lederhosen, a German bar/restaurant in the West Village. It is a single room located past the bar, in the dining area. Since there is room for only one, and ladies on average take a longer time in the bathroom than men, you will most likely encounter a line. This can be a bit of an embarrassing experience, especially if you have guzzled down a couple liters of beer. But once inside, you are welcomed by a hand-written message over the toilet inviting all types of women to use the facilities. Hand rails are helpful for the inebriated, but are placed a little too far from the toilet to give any real support. There is a mirror above the sink, paper towels on a roll and an extra roll in the room just in case. Sweet smelling soap and the reassuring "Employees must wash hands" sign complete the overall pleasant experience.

• Cleanliness - 3 flushes
• Aroma - 1.5 flushes (the smell of sauerkraut and wurst would cover any unpleasant bathroom odors)
• Pros - single room for some alone time, plentiful paper products, pleasant graffiti
• Cons - having to do the pee-pee dance for a dining room full of intoxicated West Villagers
• Overall experience - 2.5 flushes