New York Bathrooms → Know where to pee!

The dilemma that all locals and tourists alike deal with, finding a restroom in New York. So today we’re going to talk about the bathroom situation in NYC.
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[@mv3967]

Churches 😅, thanks me later 🤣🤣

[@metagoat]

New York is a great place to go into random churches too, if you like architecture and interesting spaces.

[@GeorgeStar]

So they are useful for something.

[@jessedylan6162]

Thats about it​@@GeorgeStar

[@andrewgraziani4331]

Your authenticity is ASTONISHING. As an urban pedestrian/hiker I know exactly what you are saying. Here in Pittsburgh I have a mental map of the whole city's public bathrooms, libraries, hospitals, hotel lobbies etc. Drug stores often are good spots. But boy did covid shutdown really make it hard at times.

[@professional.commentator]

Thank you for making this video! As a native New Yorker, the bathroom problem is one of the most frustrating things in this city. I don't know if it's just me, but I feel like there's a lot of guilt-tripping that goes on with needing to use the bathroom. Like people will be concered if you're hungry or thirsty, but never if you need to use the bathroom. And I say this because a lot of establishments will literally have signs up that say restrooms are reserved for employees only. And these are in places where people eat and drink.

[@MrRezillo]

I share your concern as well as your predicament. Unfortunately, bathrooms sometimes do get trashed and become disgusting, so I can understand why a restaurant owner might want to keep them off limits. It's not fair, I don't like it either, but I understand why it's done.

[@succerberg84]

I am going to visit NYC soon and your channel has really helped me understand how to move around the city :)

[@thegeneral123]

I was shocked when I visited in Dec, the lack of restrooms was appalling. Almost everywhere I asked had no bathrooms and while most blamed it on Covid, the underlying suggestion was it was due to how many homeless are in the city. Same with areas to sit and take a break. It's one of the reasons why my hotel for the next trip is a 3 min walk from the nearest subway stop. So if I have to go, I will just return to my hotel. Previous hotel was a 15 min walk from the nearest subway station and while that's not far. In Winter when you desperately need to go, it's a very long walk.

[@aeugenegray]

hilarious, I have never once heard a female say "take a leak" in 42 years. great vid

[@jamesdanieltamayo5197]

English or spanish

[@MrRezillo]

Wow, thanks for bringing this topic up; it's especially important for senior citizens like me.

[@kennethwilliams79284]

Straight banger, lol. Now I don't have to pee on the subway escalators (obviously kidding, but somebody is doing it, and it needs to stop).

[@mjfreespirit]

Most large hotels won’t bother you on the way to the bathroom. Also, Diners in NYC.

[@JimAllen-Persona]

Seconded on hotels. Diners are iffy.

[@beppo2814]

Hotels lobbies is also my number 1 answer for clean bathrooms. 2nd are hospitals. (Big busy ones, not small urgent care clinics.)

[@sams3015]

I always try and find an upscale department store. If anyone Evers visit Dublin…local top is goto Brown Thomas. The urinals even have tv screens lols

[@fyaboijay]

Yes. I had to go REALLY bad after a long day in Manhattan for New Year 2023. I was parked in Jersey City. I walked into the Hyatt House near Exchange Place and you have to catch an elevator to the main lobby. I just acted like I had a room there and security didn’t bother me at all. I almost didn’t make it 😅

[@YacDiesel]

And bars

[@yexoticio6653]

Most McDonalds have a bathroom and McDonalds are everywhere at least in Manhattan. I always just look for the closest McDonalds when I gotta go

[@Aidan_Au]

Thank you so much for making this video I asked a while ago!

[@ManChan-w5p]

A real native New Yorker goes in between. In between parked cars on the street and in between cars on the subway.

[@richarddavis2484]

I was in NYC recently, and when I was on West 59th Street by Central Park, I REALLY had to use a bathroom. Because I had watched this video, I knew that there was a public bathroom in the Warner Center at Columbus Circle. It worked out so well! Signage in the mall for the bathroom was easy to follow, and my problem was resolved. Thank you!

[@UnnTHPS]

when i visited nyc i went thrifting somewhere in brooklyn, and really needed to go u know, and i see a perfect place, both popeyes and a burger king right next to eachother! i think 'perfect!".. both restrooms were out of service and at this point i just made my way back to the hostel i really struggled tho

[@alexanderboulton2123]

Go at the place that you're trying to get to. Find a museum or a church or a restaurant. Go to the bathroom there. Spend time there.

[@patya1951]

This is one of the reasons why New York stinks so much, and the subway in particular. If I want to spend time downtown or elsewhere in the city, I always plan my trips near supermarkets, clinics, and hospitals. How can you not take into account such a natural and necessary need of people? Especially considering that this is a tourist city.

[@tomtrask_YT]

Libraries are a good source of restroom facilities.

[@itsadriancarter]

Just came back from New York and had this exact problem 😂 it was super frustrating.

[@carlostucho]

Excellent Tips I'm traveling in October so you are my new " pocket guide" big hug from Argentina ❤❤❤❤

[@MTAFan585]

I think the most ridiculous thing about the bathroom situations is where do people besides public parks in NYC?! If its an emergency and can’t hold it in, you have to find something like 5 blocks away to where you are. What about riding the subway and can’t find a place to go. Open up every bathroom in each subway station if you have a long commute to work. After all the mayor needs to come up with an idea for people where to pee if they have no place to go besides a local department store, just running into a local restaurant and asking for a restroom or basically walking anywhere!! I have insights on this since I don’t need to watch the video but have a lot of experience with the whole bathroom situation. Thanks again for another content!!!

[@chuck1728]

I have found McDonald's to be a place I can count on and they are all over Manhattan. They don't make you buy anything cause they know you will. I have found some burger Kings will want you to buy stuff first which can be a real pain if it is urgent. I knew a corner diner new New York University that had a rest room but it was always closed. This is not always the case BUT it is NOT uncommon. And do not think about Walgreens or CVS. I have been told that rest rooms are for employees only! The most upsetting thing about NYC for sure.

[@jessedylan6162]

The cleanest public restrooms in Manhattan are at Grand Central Madison, below the Terminal and right by the LIRR East Side Access. Thank you!

[@MrRezillo]

Thanks, I'll make note of that when I visit NYC in a few weeks.

[@Pappysan]

Hahahaha...love the dehydrated Sponge Bob...

[@Davidgon100]

The street is also a viable option

[@jimspies2775]

Great video, and really important topic. Question - are the park bathrooms open year round? Here in STL, the park bathrooms (and drinking fountains) are shut off from roughly Oct-Apr because of freezing temperatures.

[@frankb1]

Bars always have restrooms. I've never been to a bar that didn't have a restroom. You don't have to buy a drink, but you can if you want one.

[@reptongeek]

When I was in London last October I found something similar. I had a toilets map for the Underground on my phone as I was trying to visit every station in a day. But I did the thing of not drinking anything for the last five hours of my attempt so I didn't need to use a bathroom

[@filescopying]

Great video! I wish clean public restrooms were so common that stores could opt out of having their own.

[@UrbanCaffeine]

Thank you!✌️

[@spunkyb5249]

Establishments: please write down your bathroom door code on a piece of paper to hand out to patrons. I was in Boston during the pandemic, and all the public bathrooms were closed. I found an open coffee shop, bought something, and asked the employee for the door code. It was 10 digits long, not exaggerating, and he could barely speak english. I had him repeat it several times but I still couldn't understand him. I ended up going outside to find a friendly tree to do my business. Why can't they write it down?!? I tried!!

[@emeraldkimble7602]

I admit I have continence problem as senior u wear diapers ans extra large menstrual oads

[@Tmac90-c7n]

Portable charger is a must in NYC

[@otea-app]

We made an app for this very purpose! Reserve a restroom through our app

[@Aidan_Au]

Thea I'm glad that you went to the meetup with a lot of urbanist, even though your channel isn't about urbanism per se. There's the word "Urban" in your channel haha

[@UrbanCaffeine]

It is. Urbanism is about being pro-city. I like talking about the cultural side of urbanism and the how-to's on how to live in a city. If we want people to be attracted to living in a city, we have to show the human side of what that means.

[@danmanstan9921]

You touched on SO MANY of my go to bathroom stops in the city. You know your stuff

[@KeelohTwango]

Very pertinent topic

[@JimAllen-Persona]

There’s also a public restroom over by the Circle Line pier. Funniest thing I saw in there.. wish I could post the picture.. r roll of toilet paper secured down by a chain that is more appropriate to be used on a barge. New York is serious about its TP 😂 BTW: drivers experience a similar problem. Parking garage bathroom are notoriously out of order. If driving though, no one wants to stop in Manhattan to use the bathroom. If you pull off on a side road, expect to find no public bathrooms or situations like one place in Queens that literally charged my wife $5 to use the bathroom.

[@tomtom9792]

one word: Starbucks!

[@aprilflowers7291]

The link to the website seems to be broken.

[@willieriley2255]

Dont for get the air freshers and pooeurie

[@AC-mj1pr]

Tip 1: Avoid New York

[@Tuukkohakee]

I don't use an app but cafes and museum were a pretty good places to use the toilet at for a tourist. In new york especially the oculus was really clean place but I felt like the guggenheim for example didn't have enough capacity.

[@richrichie7911]

Unhoused LOL!

[@frednich9603]

We visited federal hall yesterday. Free to enter, and they have very nice restrooms in the basement, and there is even an elevator!

[@dwdeclare1965]

5:05 right on!!!

[@skateboader360]

i love to get selfie with you

[@maureenmaureen713]

THANK YOU for this vid! Excellent tips. 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@josephyoung6749]

5:00 I literally had the same idea

[@tarciliotimoteo185]

Thank you for making this video. I'm going to NYC in October.

[@eugeniaperez6105]

Hi! Sorry I haven’t had the time before, but I want to thank you very much because this past march I did my first trip to NYC for 6 days and it was AMAZING! I did watch several of your videos and they were a great help. Indeed I had some issues to find a restroom. Even with an APP, I was finding establishments in were in order to use the restroom it was mandatory to make a purchase. I was in a tight budget and ended up buying some food I didn’t want. Anyway that was a minor issue because I had a great time and people of NYC were good to me.

[@Qboro66]

When I read the title of this video, the first place I came up with before I clicked on was South Ferry and sure enough that was the first location mentioned... Another public bathroom location is 30 Rockefeller Plaza...

[@Undecided0]

If you’re at Bryant Park, I would just go to the library. Those lines at the library are ridiculous. Also if you’re on 5th Av. between 40th St & 60th St. There are numerous department stores you can use.

[@amaiacm]

My favourite toilets are at the Rockefeller Center and the one in Bryant Park which is even beautiful! Thanks for your videos :)

[@ali773n]

I think NY puts itself in a HORRIBLE cycle. Workers get irritated by the nasty attitude NY customers have. So, when an unsuspecting customer comes in, the worker already has an attitude cresting a terrible experience for the customer. Its a cycle😭

[@adventureswithcarl123]

Very nice informative video! Have a wonderful day beautiful lady😘😘😘xox

[@mmmsunshine5367]

Yup cuz I can’t travel anywhere with no restrooms - small bladder issues

[@porp109]

Any unlocked port-o-John is a public restroom

[@fredashay]

I usually find an upscale hotel. They almost always have super clean bathrooms that are accessible to the public but don't have homeless people living in them, though you may have to venture deep into the innards of the building to find them.

[@AmbroseChamberpot]

The transit hubs..if you dare, Starbucks headquarters said that all store bathrooms are open to the public after a well known incident happened in nyc but also things change.

[@BobBrown.]

Places to pee 1. MTA elevator 2. random corner 3. door way 4. Mc Donald’s

[@ManChan-w5p]

I've seen years ago, one rainy evening a black man wearing a raincoat standing besides a wall outside of that hotdog and tropical drink establishment on 72nd and Broadway, lift up his coat bend over and expell his bodily waste onto the side of that wall. I went inside the establishment to report that and the Bangladeshi worker went outside and became incensed by saying "again"?

[@sams3015]

There was a scene in “Broad Street” (that tv show about two girls in NYC) where they were just at a cafe and realise they both need the bathroom after they walk out like 2 mins later and they go back and told “customers only” & refused. It’s so NYC it could happen!

[@rockvilleraven]

When I went to the Stonewall Days Concert at Hudson Yards and got a free general adimission ticket, they just wristband us we had to use the restrooms at the Mall at Hudson Yards.

[@maximusfame537]

Toilet paper , hand sanitizer, Lysol wipes, and a gas mask

[@jesusramones1]

Can you pls run for mayor? Thanks I’m advance

[@rcdizo]

are you born here in NY or you came from philippines when you were small?

[@phantastik3389]

I suggest going to a bank and asking to use the bathroom. In June when I attended my daughter's graduation, they had porta potty's. Them thangs were atrocious, ugh! But, I went straight to the bank down the block and it was like going to use the bathroom at a hotel. lol!

[@alk61695]

Can also use bathrooms in hotel lobbies. Times Square Marriot is always a good one to use. Or the Hilton on 53rd and 6th.

[@Pappysan]

I'm old enough to remember when it cost 10 cents to pee in Manhattan!

[@lookanabeauti9386]

Have fun in Montreal, its a great city. Love NYC.

[@mjfreespirit]

Also there are a lot of buildings that are public access. New York is full of buildings that are open during business hours with public lobbies and access to businesses on floors that have bathrooms for that floor. It's a stretch and you have to know what you're doing but if you have to go bad enough you will find a way

[@LearnToRefine]

There are a lot of libraries in northeast Ohio, and I have peed in most of them. I have also walked into a fancy hotel as if I owned the place. 30 minutes later, I walk away relieved and go about my day.

[@marktrout5417]

Thank you! Always posting great content 🙂

[@mood4eva98]

I usually just go into a Starbucks and a lot of Transit Hubs 😅

[@andrewgraziani4331]

Diaper wipes are everyday carry in my shoulder bag.

[@bokkebokke7]

The bathrooms at Oculus & Moynihan were lifesavers for me when I was there earlier this year.

[@mhbbej1]

Hotels are great places to use a public bathroom.

[@jaz499]

There’s one on Madison ave and 23rd for a quarter

[@leroyjabari]

The end is it, more bathrooms!

[@brennanbussell2035]

I'm in N.Y. right now!

[@ccfromnj]

@Thea, which sit/stand desk do you have? Would you recommend it?

[@UrbanCaffeine]

I have the GeekDesk. I've had it over a decade now. It's been great so far.

[@chuckthompson9184]

Wear a diaper. Then you never gotta use the restroom!

[@ManChan-w5p]

You know NYC has exploding diapers.

[@ali773n]

There’s nowhere to charge your phone or use the bathroom because they don’t want to deal with the homeless.

[@cicchiamichael]

👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👍👋🌟🌟🌟

[@Aidan_Au]

You may want to visit Norway if you like the public bathrooms in zurich and Madrid

[@UrbanCaffeine]

Can you imagine picking vacation spots based on public bathroom quality? Maybe we should get a Michelin Guide for restrooms 😂 I've always wanted to visit Norway, though. Thanks for the tip!

[@leosav.4382]

Thanks!

[@UrbanCaffeine]

You're welcome!

[@bigapple3870]

Totally agree that NYC needs more bathrooms and even sponsor an app so people know where they are. Its ridiculous to have to look and look and when its an emergency you walk into a restaurant and beg them for a key to their bathroom!

[@esgee3829]

the hard thing in nyc using a public restroom is to find one where someone isn't doing some kind of drug inside. someone should make an app for that. the ones inside some security outside (oculus, staten staten island ferry) are good bets. there are some good ones in buildings with restaurants on the pathways along the east river.