Public Toilets for When You're in Town

Comments (0) By Rebecca Raber Tuesday, Aug 17 2004

When you gotta go, you gotta go. And sometimes you don't want to have to buy a slice of pizza or soda just to comply with the "Restrooms for Customers Only" sign that hangs in almost every bar and restaurant. Though midtown isn't exactly flush with public toilets, there are some available, if you know where to look.

photo: Cary Conover

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ROCKEFELLER CENTER[Sixth Avenue and 49th Street] Bathrooms in the public basement concourse of the GE building are open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

GRAND CENTRAL STATION[East 42nd Street and Park Avenue] Restrooms are convenient—just head downstairs toward the dining concourse.

MACY'S[Sixth Avenue and 34th Street] The hub of the Thanksgiving Day Parade is only a block from MSG and has plenty of stalls—the most accessible are downstairs in the Cellar. In an emergency, it's a true miracle on 34th Street.

LORD & TAYLOR[Fifth Avenue and 38th Street] The department store has clean and quiet bathrooms for those who need a break from the action.

MARRIOTT MARQUIS[1535 Broadway] This is such a busy hotel that no one will notice that you aren't a guest there. Simply take the escalator up to the third floor.

TIMES SQUARE SUBWAY STATION[42nd Street and Broadway] All you need to do is buy a ride to get to one of the four stalls in its new, gleaming bathroom (near the entrance at 42nd Street and Seventh Avenue, by the elevator).

AUTOMATED PAY TOILETS[Broadway and 32nd Street, and Broadway and 34th Street] These modern, Swedish-made toilets cost only 50 cents and allow you 20 minutes in the lavatory before it self-cleans for the next customer.