New York City's hustle and bustle is exciting -- until nature calls when you're far from the clean, convenient toilet in your hotel or home. Dodge the horror of squalid or unsafe public potties by learning where to find the best free NYC restrooms.
You won't find restrooms in New York City's subway stations, and the Port Authority and Penn Station restrooms have a reputation for being dirty and unsafe. The Grand Central Terminal's restrooms generally have a good reputation, though. And if you set your sights on coffee shops, fast food restaurants, bookstores, supermarkets, shopping malls and department stores, you have very good odds of finding an open bathroom. Just keep in mind that some businesses may ask you to buy something before they let you use the restroom.
You can also find a listing of free public restrooms on the NYC Parks website, searchable by ZIP code and borough. You'll find one public bathroom so posh that it practically counts as its own tourist attraction in Bryant Park, on 42nd Street between 5th and 6th Avenues.
If you can't see any likely prospects nearby, turn to websites like NYrestrooms.com or SitorSquat.com -- also available as an app -- and stand-alone apps like Red Rover to find the nearest clean public restroom.
