We're coming to NYC for the first time and taking the subways for most of our site seeing. Is there a need to plan out where the bathrooms are? Also, where can we typically use the bathrooms at?

Starbucks usually does have bathrooms.

Best bathrooms are in hotels on the main floor. All dept. stores have them. After that, it's hit and miss. There are loads of previous threads on this subject if you do a search.

The bathrooms in the public parks aren't terrible (particularly in Bryant Park and along Riverside). Do NOT use the bathrooms in the subways, if you find one

Also, Penn Station and Grand Central will have restrooms.

Subways don;t have bathrooms. Train stations (Penn and Grand Central) do - but you don;t want to use them.

Best bet are Starbucks, McDonalds (but do buy something to drink), major hotels or department stores.

Sorry - and of course all the major sights, museums etc.

Lower level of the Trump Tower at 725 Fifth Ave between 56th and 57th. ("lower level of the atrium down the south corridor")

They are WONDERFUL and completely open to the public.

I agree with Starbucks. When I was there two weekends ago, there was a huge line of people that were just there to use the restroom. Also, we found two very nice restrooms in Central Park.

I disagree with nytraveler about the bathrooms at Grand Central. Definitely use them! They are remodeled and safe!

I often use the restroom at Penn Station, it is by the Long Island Railroad, and very clean attendant there 24/7.

My favorite restrooms in the City are at the Waldorf on Park Ave.

All the department stores have one and the malls so you shouldn't have much of a problem finding one.

Can someone please tell me why you do not want to use the bathroom at the trainstation? I will be traveling by train and my dd needs a bathroom often.

Thanks,
Dawn

The bathrooms at the actual train stations (Penn Station and Grand Central) are fine. There are indeed a few subway stations with bathrooms but they are scarce, beyond disgusting and hardly even used. So stay away

Also, all branches of the New York Public Library will have a bathroom. Barnes & Noble is also a good bet.

In addition, if you are in midtown, the Manhattan Mall on 6th Avenue has bathrooms. And at Columbus Circle, you can visit the Time Warner Center.

http://gonyc.about.com/cs/atozinde1/a/bathrooms.htm

thank you for the feedback. I am not an experienced city traveler on my own and just want to be sure I am not putting dd in "danger" was not sure what the issues were.

Restrooms in the train stations are indeed safe. (They no longer allow homeless people to live in them.) But, they are not very pleasant - cleanliness depends on # of passengers and person on duty. Just bring you Purell.

Also Au Bon Pain.

NYSC if you're a member of New York Sports Club (which branches out to DC, Boston and other cities) and your membership allows it.

Unfortunately, NYC is not as enlightened as many other cities are...when I visited Toronto I found out there was a law that establishment could not restrict use of their restrooms to customers only...such a law is so common sense but we, unfortunately, don't have it.

But that's, as noted, the difference between a civilized city and a non civilized city.

Nytraveler -- If I can manage through the bathrooms in Italy - this should be fine I was sensing that there was some kind of "danger". Thank you!

Unfortunately, NYC is not as enlightened as many other cities are...when I visited Toronto I found out there was a law that establishment could not restrict use of their restrooms to customers only...such a law is so common sense but we, unfortunately, don't have it.

Ha! I don't think that's enlightened at all. I just don't understand what business it is of the government to require a private business to open its facilities to non-customers. Next thing you know, they'll require me to let people use the bathroom in my house. And what about the bathroom in my office on the 40th floor of a downtown office building. If the government is so concerned about people being able to pee, then they should build (and pay for the construction and maintenance of) more public restrooms.

Yeah, why should an establishment be forced to let people use their facilities w/o being a customer.