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To Have and Hold

© Jeanne-Michele Vigna

The subject might seem funny, and for some, a bit inappropriate for an article, but the truth of the matter is, when on vacation one eventually will have to go to the bathroom. And “where” is always the question, especially in the Big Apple. One would think a major city like New York would have a bevy of public toilets, maybe something similar to those in Paris or London or Tokyo, but not New York.

In 1975, the state outlawed pay toilets because it was argued that coin-operated stalls in public restrooms discriminated against women. We’re still not quite sure how, but in 1990, a group of homeless people sued New York City and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority for public toilets. And so, the state granted the city an exception to the ban in 1993.

Today there are two new pay toilets in Manhattan, one at 32nd Street and Broadway in Greeley Square; the other in Herald Square at 35th Street and Broadway. The two toilets were paid for by the 34th Street Partnership, a business improvement district, at a cost of $350,000 a piece. They are green, with panels for advertising on the sides and back. In size, they're a little larger than a newsstand, big enough to be used by someone in a wheelchair. And when the door closes after the user leaves, they flush automatically. The City Council had allocated $5 million to build 100 pay toilets, but none of them have appeared yet.

So two public toilets in a city of 8 million people does few good. Which is why I have attempted to come up with a short list of places you can comfortably duck into without having to feel guilty for not buying a drink or an order of fries at the local McDonalds.

When in midtown, sure there are already two public toilets that cost 25-cents, but then there is also Macy’s with its free public bathrooms. No little old lady sitting here with a tray next to her full of change. And this Macy’s is a must stop for any shopping maven anyway. It’s the largest Macy’s and the company flagship store. It is the beginning and the end for the infamous Thanksgiving Day parade and some of the fixtures inside are still left over from its original days such as its wooden escalators. The bathrooms are clean, the lines are never too long and it is very easy to sneak in and out of them guilt free.

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