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| Angelika/Mike Schilli |
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Michael You know how it is: You're downtown and need to use the restroom. Restaurants and cafes don't like it when you just use their toilets and sometimes make it quite difficult if you're not a customer. But if you know your way around, it's relatively easy to find establishments that allow you to use the restroom without having to make any pseudo-purchases.
I must advise against using public toilets. Firstly, all subway toilets were promptly closed following the September 11, 2001 attacks. Apparently, no one misses them, as they have not been reopened to this day. Secondly, all public toilet facilities in San Francisco are inaccessible because they are used by drug addicts for low budget prostitution. So where does the average citizen go? Not to the shady establishments that display "No Public Bathroom" or "Bathrooms for Patrons only" signs. And not to the shady record-selling company "Virgin" on Powell, which offers a large selection of CDs but has a restroom that either doesn't exist or is constantly occupied--I spared myself the details of finding out. A disaster.
The best restrooms in downtown are at bookstores. The "Borders" on Powell Street (between Geary and Post) is not only located right on the cable car route, but also has decent toilets if you take two escalators all the way to the top.
On Market Street, at the corner of 2nd Street, is the independent bookstore "Stacey's," which also has excellent facilities on the upper floor (stairs up, then directly behind the information desk next to the magazine stands). By the way, Stacey's is an independent bookstore that needs support, otherwise it will soon go bankrupt, so feel free to buy your travel guides there.
Editor's note: In January 2009, Stacey's announced that it would close the store in March. The reason: declining sales caused by competition from book chains ("Barnes and Noble", "Borders") and online sellers ("Amazon").
If you are in SoMa (Rundbrief 05/2003), at the corner of 9th Street and Bryant, there is a store called "Bed, Bath, and Beyond" that not only offers excellent products at low prices but also has a spacious and exceptionally clean restroom on the 2nd floor (take the escalator up) in the far corner by the down comforters. I love going there; it's a real pleasure.
A similar situation applies to the area around Fisherman's Wharf, where there is a branch of the bookstore chain "Barnes & Noble" that even offers wonderful restrooms on the ground floor next to the children's book section. McDonald's and Burger King branches also usually have decent restrooms. However, like Starbucks branches and gas stations, they sometimes issue a key with an oversized tag at the counter, which you can use to unlock the restroom. This is petty and mean, and also shows poor business sense, which is why these chains should actually be boycotted.
You never have to walk around with a strained face in shopping centers either, as every Target, Walmart, Home Depot, Circuit City, and Costco all have decent restrooms.
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