It’s been nearly two months since NYC debuted its 17 high-tech public restrooms to the tune of $235,000 a pop — or, perhaps, a poop.
Equipped with no-touch amenities, calming plant-print wallpaper and soothing music, the free public toilets created by tech startup Throne Labs have a 10-minute time limit for gotta-go New Yorkers. And so far online, the results have been a royal flush.
One tickled online creator in the Bronx was impressed with the setup, which included extra amenities for parents and those who need accessible fixtures.
“You got free pads,” he said. “You got a baby changing station. You got toilet paper. You got some tunes… This sh-t fire.”
“Traveled New York to use this toilet in particular,” said another TikToker about Astoria’s so-called “Mamdani Toilet,” which even has a Google Maps rating from the mayor’s most zealous fans.
The verdict?
“I wouldn’t want to poop anywhere else!”
With those rave reviews, The Post had to try the tech-y toilets for ourselves.
We stopped by the Malcolm X Plaza Throne Labs toilet on a weekday morning. (Toilets are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.)
For those with phones, entering the stall is a breeze. Users have three options: scan a QR code, text the number on the toilet door or use the free Throne mobile app.
The 4% of New Yorkers living off the mobile grid — or those unlucky enough to be at zero battery with a full bladder — must obtain a reusable key card provided by local community partners (in Harlem, that’s the Food Bank for NYC), which operate on more restricted hours.
Still, the Central Harlem Food Bank told The Post that about 10 people have been given toilet passes every day, which come with a unique code that can be deactivated if a bathroom is left in poor condition after use.
Fortunately, we found the Throne Labs restroom to be shockingly sparkling.
The toilet, sink and floor were clean and the toilet paper and soap were well stocked. What’s more, the pod-like toilet was nearly soundproof, creating an unexpected oasis from the busy city outside.
We even purposefully overstayed our 10-minute limit to see what would happen. After being given clear and calmly delivered warnings at five minutes and eight minutes, the digital screen inside the private bathroom flashed a 30-second countdown clock. Then the door gently opened and we stepped outside.
Of course, the potties are not perfect.
Online critics have wailed on the 10-minute time limit (“Likely violating ADA for anyone with IBS,” one Redditor quipped), the premium price (“17 toilets costs 4 million dollars…This is a terrible idea,” said another) and fears the facilities won’t stay clean or free of mischief.
But Throne Labs co-founder and COO Jess Heinzelman told The Post that employees clean the bathrooms after every 11 to 16 uses, or sooner when issues are flagged by squatters. The Thrones currently boast a 4 out of 5 rating from users — even though the toilets have already been flushed over 20,000 times.
Heinzelman added that “the units are quick and easy to place” because of New York’s easy grid layout, leading to potential for more toilet installations down the road.
That’s good news for Mayor Mamdani, who is hoping to install 2,000 more public toilets across New York City — a massive dump compared to the mere 17 relief centers they’re testing now.
The porcelain throne pilot program was the first step of the city’s $4 million plan to address Gotham’s lack of public restrooms — a piss-poor 1,100 toilets for the city’s 8.6 million people.
(That’s roughly 8,500 New Yorkers duking it out for a single public john.)
“Brother, I’ll tell you that when you need one, if you can find one, [it] makes a difference,” said the mayor during a press conference in late September. “So, 17, yes, it is an important first step… To us, this is also what it looks like for a city government being responsive.”
Even normally grouchy keyboard warriors seem to agree.
“There’s 0% wrong with this,” said one Gotham Redditor. “It’s a free and regularly cleaned bathroom. You [just] can’t camp out in there.”
Although honestly, the Malcolm X Plaza toilet was clean and quiet enough that we would briefly consider it.
Throne Labs public restroom locations in NYC
- Fulton St. & Truxton St. – Truxton Triangle, Brooklyn
- 34th Ave. & 64th Street – 34th Ave Open Street, Queens
- Columbus Park – Borough Hall Station, Brooklyn
- 54th St. & Northern Blvd – Northern Blvd Station, Queens
- Columbus Square – Astoria Blvd Station, Queens
- 31st St. & Northern Blvd – Dutch Kills Station, Queens
- Monsignor Raul Del Valle Square – Msgr. Raul Del Valle Square, Bronx
- Elston Gene Howard Field / Yankee Stadium – Bronx
- Admiral Farragut Playground – Bronx
- Mapes Park – Bronx
- Malcolm X Plaza / Central Park North – Malcolm X Plaza, Manhattan
- Audubon Plaza – Plaza Alianza, Manhattan
- Milestone Park – Brooklyn
- Avenue C Plaza – Brooklyn
- Delancey – Suffolk – Manhattan
- Cooper Sq – Manhattan
- North Shore (Richmond Terrace / St. Peter’s Place) – North Shore Esplanade, Staten Island
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