2006
spare parts express
maura @ 9:31 pm
We’re 33.3% through NaBloPoMo, only 66.7% to go! In honor of making it to the 1/3rd mark I thought I’d do today’s post photo essay style.
Today’s topic is:
The Most Bestest* Public Bathroom in Manhattan**
* Because for some reason after class this evening I described the burgers at Shake Shack to a fellow student as “the most bestest burgers you have ever eaten.” Ah, Fridays, when the rush of the week smacks you full in the brain.
** There might be nicer bathrooms in the other boroughs, I haven’t really had a chance to check.
If you are ever in need of a restroom and are within walking distance of Bryant Park, just head on over to the public toilets on the northeast corner of the park, tucked in next to the NYPL’s Humanities and Social Sciences Research Library.
The luxury of this bathroom is unbelievable, especially for those of us accustomed to the toilet-seat-(and-paper)-free, soap-less and stinky cabins that pass for public bathrooms at (some) playgrounds. So I’ve documented today’s excursion photographically for you. Prepare to be dazzled!
Here’s a shot of the exterior. Looks pretty standard, right? Note the lounging tourists.
Wait, are those fresh flowers?! Why yes, they are. A whole ginormous urnfull, in fact!
There was a gaggle of young gals availing themselves of the facilities, so while waiting in line I snapped this detail of the tilework.
Just look at this sink: more fresh flowers, marble counters, SOAP and automatic RUNNING WATER…my god, it’s like you’re at a hotel or something!
And the stalls, they are made of real laminated wood! Not dented metal with grafitti sharpied everywhere (“Mommy, what does s-k-a-n-k-y h-o spell?”)
But no, gentle readers, it gets better…
The toilet, it has a magical red button, which when pressed causes a fresh AND sanitary seat cover to be magically dispensed for you, like magic!
Last, but not least, the automatic hand dryers, which are made by a company called Xlerator (bonus points for spelling!). Indeed, they must be powered by rocket sauce, because the air blast is so mighty that it pushes the skin on your hand like some crazy astronaut g-force or something (and actually DRIES your hands, rather than just pushing the water around like those inferior, non-Xlerated dryers).
Tomorrow we will return to our regularly scheduled, un-illustrated blathering. But I leave you with this, a view of the urban splendor around Bryant Park on this beautiful day in the city (sunny, high around 60F):
