The Loft, Regent Square

Grade: A-

Not bad. Not bad at all. Decorative tile, auto-flushing toilet, great water temperature at the sink, beautiful lighting. The one problem - and it's a big one - is that the lock on the door was broken. That's fine for the urinal, but it's hard to use the toilet in a one-y with a non-locking door.

Emiliano's Mexican Restaurant & Bar, South Side

Grade: C-

Superficial decorative flourishes disguise an otherwise pedestrian - even somewhat rundown - restroom. One of the sinks has no water pressure to speak of, but the other is quite powerful and offers good water temperature. The wall paint has seen better days. The biggest issue is that the door takes a very long time to swing shut, leaving the back of the person at the urinal exposed to the restaurant for a significant amount of time.

Also: this is a (quite good) Mexican restaurant. What's with the Miller Lite poster?

Chatham University Art & Design Center 2nd Floor

Grade: B
This men's room was a pleasant surprise. Not that I should have expected something crummy - it is the arts building, after all. The restroom is private and, while not exactly glamorous, does sport some impressove faux-marble tile. There's a veritable army of cleaning supplies lined up on the window ledge, which is reflected in the facilities' cleanliness and pleasant (fruity/floral) smell. Nothing to luxurious - everything is manually operated - but nice all the same.

Chatham University JKM Library 3rd Floor

Grade: B

What this restroom lacks in amenities - it's about as basic as you get, with utilitarian tiles, one toilet, one urinal, one sink and manual everything - it makes up for in privacy. In all my time using this bathroom, I have come across one other person while inside. I don't know if it's the out-of-the-way location or the relatively low number of men on Chatham's campus. Either way, it's a great place to get away and relax.

Chatham University AFC Athletic Center

Grade: A

Entirely decent for a university campus restroom, especially in a fitness center. Clean, decorative tiles, foam soap, Rihanna's "Umbrella" blasting over the radio (this, of course, was coincidence). Only thing that could have pushed it into the realm of the truly elite would have been auto flushing/sinks/dispensers. Recommended, if you get a chance to check it out.

Shadyside Market District

Grade: B

My apologies for the extended absence. It seems I am doomed to post with great regularity for six months, only to go into hibernation for the next six. I will try to post at least once a week, or possibly more if my schedule allows me to visit multiple new restrooms in a week.

For those of you who were not aware, we have moved our headquarters back to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. While a great deal of the posts going forward will be for establishments located in Pittsburgh, we as always welcome guest restroom reviews from anywhere in the world. We are also interested in receiving reviews of women's rooms, if you are so inclined. Please leave a comment, visit our Facebook page, tweet at us, or e-mail placestodobusiness@gmail.com if you are interested in writing for us.

But on to the Shadyside Market District men's room. This is a solid public restroom, with automatic flushing urinals and toilets and some nice decorative details (see: wall paint, fake potted plant, above-average floor and wall tiles). The hand dryer is a little weak, but I appreciate that both paper towels and a hand dryer are offered.

My one major qualm with this men's room is its proximity to the front end/registers. The restroom is so close, and is accessed through an open corridor - as opposed to a door - so the noise from the front end is quite loud. This really diminishes the feeling of privacy and solitude that a great restroom offers.

Getty Center, Tram Station

1200 Getty Center Dr., Los Angeles, CA 90049
Grade: B

The Getty Center's tram station men's room is nothing particularly special, but it does rise above the average public restroom thanks to its (I'm assuming faux-) marble floors and walls and its automatic faucets. Unfortunately there are no hand dryers, and the bathroom somehow feels a little dirty and soulless, lending to an oddly uncomfortable experience.

Coral Beach Cantina

Ste 310, 29350 Pacific Coast Hwy , Malibu, CA 90265-3970
Grade: A-


Coral Beach Cantina features a small yet comfortable and decorative men's room. There is little in the way of above-average convenience features, but it does include toilet seat covers and appears to be kept extremely clean. The pedestal sink and wood/metal mirror frame are nice.

Sonoma Wine Garden

395 Santa Monica Place, Santa Monica, CA 90401
Grade: A+

Places to Do Business had the pleasure of traveling to Los Angeles last week, and my posts for the next week or so will cover the various men's rooms - and one unisex restroom - that I came across. In general I found many of the facilities to be quite nice, though it is true that we mostly only visited nice establishments (it being a vacation and all).

Sonoma Wine Garden in Santa Monica has a fantastically decorated men's room. In keeping with the restaurant's theme, the floor-to-ceiling wallpaper displays a wide variety of wine bottle labels. The sliding door includes a fun illustration with directions on how to lock it, just in case a rube such as myself finds themselves very confused by the non-traditional setup. The toilet automatically flushes, and the urinal is of the water-free design that I encountered almost everywhere in Los Angeles.

Perhaps my favorite part of this restroom, though, is the layout. While some might find the sink placement awkward (outside of the restrooms themselves and directly in between the men's and women's rooms, so that men and women share the two sinks), I find that this is a great way of keeping people honest when it comes to washing their hands. Everyone will know if you do not wash your hands, as you will simply exit the bathroom and walk right past the sinks. This is not just great for appearance's sake, but for helping to stop the spread of germs and bacteria in general.

Plus, the sinks - and the sink area in general - are beautiful.

Papa Gallo Mexican Restaurant

205 West Genesee Street, Fayetteville, NY 13066
Grade: A

First of all, my apologies for being away for so long. I was on vacation last week and am preparing for a big move in the next two weeks, so it's going to be hard to keep up with posting for a bit. I will certainly try, though.

Here's one I've had on deck since several weeks ago. Papa Gallo's men's room pulls off its Mexican-themed decor very well, especially with its wooden cabinet and backsplash. The sink basin and faucet are very nice, as are the wall tiles, mirror frame and light fixtures. There is nothing particularly special in terms of convenience - pretty much everything is manually operated - but it's a pleasant atmosphere nonetheless.

Also, the time-release air freshener is definitely working overtime. While I was taking a picture of the sink, it somehow managed to spray me directly in my eye.