Restrooms in New York City

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Restrooms

Public restrooms in New York are few and far between; some are very clean, and some are filthy. Facilities in Penn Station and Grand Central Terminal are not only safe but fairly well maintained. Because of concerns about vandalism and other crime, restrooms in most subway stations have been largely sealed off. Two clean pay toilets (25¢) are at the adjacent Herald and Greeley squares on West 34th and West 32nd streets.

Head for midtown department stores, museums, or the lobbies of large hotels to find the cleanest bathrooms. Public atriums, such as those at the Citicorp Center and Trump Tower, also provide good public facilities, as do Bryant Park and the many Barnes & Noble bookstores and Starbucks coffee shops in the city. If you're in the area, the Times Square Information Center, on Broadway between 46th and 47th streets, can be a godsend.

Restaurants usually allow only their patrons to use their restrooms, but if you're dressed well and look as if you belong, you can often just sail right in. Be aware that cinemas, Broadway theaters, and concert halls have limited amenities, and there are often long lines before performances and during intermissions.