South Hills Village

S Hills Village, Pittsburgh, PA 15241

Grade: A-

More often than not, I find going to the mall to be a completely exhausting experience. This is not an antisocial or anti-consumerist thing; I feel very comfortable in crowds -- I have lived in or near cities for my entire life, and would not have it any other way -- and I sometimes do enjoy the casual shopping experience. But there is something about the harsh lighting and breakneck pace of most shopping malls that I simply cannot handle for prolonged periods of time. As a result, I prefer my visits to the mall to be quick and to the point, and generally only visit the mall for a movie or for a very specific item from a very specific retailer. My ideal mall visit certainly would not last long enough to have to take a bathroom break.

But in the rare case that I do need to spend several hours shopping, it's good to know that there are some malls that have their patrons' hygiene and comfort in mind. Take the men's room at South Hills Village. I couldn't ask for a more pleasant restroom experience than I received here, especially from a major retail center on a Saturday afternoon. The facilities were nearly spotless, and the decorative countertop and tiles have more in common with an Olive Garden or a movie theater chain than what I remember of the grimy mall restrooms growing up. 

The toilets, urinals, faucets and soap dispensers are all automatic. There is a manual paper towel dispenser, but an automatic Xlerator hand dryer easily makes up for that. What really impresses me, though, is the toilets' flushing power. While I at first thought that one toilet seat displayed traces of another human's liquids -- and thus hinted at negligence in general restroom upkeep -- after some tests I realized that the toilets flush with such strength that they lightly spray their seat tops. While it is certainly inconvenient to have to wipe down the toilet seat should you need to use it, this over spray shows that the restroom's equipment is functional and up to date.