The bathrooms at public parks are typically scary, dirty, dimly lit, or a combination of the three. I was impressed to find that the bathrooms here were clean, bright, and not scary at all.

I’m not saying that these bathrooms are decorated beautifully, but the bathroom was spotless.

It also had a changing table, which is fairly important to me these days.

Plus, the view when you walk outside of the bathroom is pretty nice.

I wouldn’t suggest going to Dorsey’s Knob for the bathrooms, but I will say that if you are there playing Frisbee Golf, staying at the Dorsey’s Knob lodge, or walking up to the “Sky Rock peak,” you can safely use the bathrooms without feeling like you need to put on a Haz-Mat suit first.

Overall Grade: C+

Today’s evaluation takes us to Trader Joe’s in Pittsburgh, PA. I love Trader Joe’s. Great produce, organic items, lots of healthy and tasty foods, and pretty flower bouquets. One item that Trader Joe’s is known for is Two-Buck Chuck; very cheap (it’s actually $3 despite the name), and not terribly bad tasting, wine. Because of Pennsylvania liquor laws, however, no Two-Buck Chuck can be purchased. I also just learned that Two-Buck Chuck is owned by Franzia Wine…sorry Mom and Dad.

Whether you visit Trader Joe’s for their foods, flowers, or franzia-owned “Chuck,” you need to stop in the bathrooms. There are 2 bathrooms in the back, left corner of the store next to the sample area. Both are family bathrooms, which means they are equipped with changing tables. Each bathroom has a theme. One is a submerged submarine (of which I have no pictures). The other is done in a nautical theme.

From the paintings on the walls to the accessories, every square inch of the bathroom is used to complete the look. The ceiling was also covered in a canvas material that made it seem like you were under a boat sail. The lights were the same kind that you might see on a tugboat or fishing boat. Also, note that the toilet paper dispenser is a steering wheel, and it really turns.

Beside the sink – underneath where the boat in this picture is – is a wooden chest covered in sea shells. I assume it stores cleaning and paper projects, but T.J.’s covers the chest nicely and it doesn’t take away from the scene, but adds to it.

If you have ever been to Trader Joe’s you’ll know that they are busy…very busy…at any hour of the day. The bathrooms, however, showed no evidence of high traffic. They were clean, well-stocked, and fresh smelling. Therefore, if you are in the area of this Trader Joe’s, it’s definitely worth a stop to check out the bathrooms and maybe even spend some quiet time pretending to steer yourself to a tropical island.

Overall Grade: A+

One day, when the stench of mold and whatever chemical they were using to fix the roof was at its worst, I decided my first bathroom review would come from this building, especially when I walked in and saw the huge, gaping hole in the ceiling of the 5th floor bathroom. The hole is the first thing you see when you walk in the bathroom. It’s ugly and doesn’t instill the greatest level of confidence that your time in the bathroom will be private, especially after noticing the numerous workmen going up and coming down from the roof.

Even without the hole in the ceiling,  the bathroom really only meets minimum standards. It’s generally clean, which is an important characteristic of a bathroom. The size of it, however, makes it difficult for two adults to be in here at the same time despite there being two stalls. In the second picture, my camera was at one end of the bathroom pointed towards the opposite end. As you can see, there isn’t much space. It wasn’t possible for me to get a picture of the sink area because it was so tight. If one person is washing their hands, the other person needs to wait by the stalls because there is no room for two people by the sink, even though there are two paper towel dispensers (but only one sink).

The stalls meet the minimum requirements in that you can do what you need to do, however they aren’t the most attractive place to do your business. Like I said in my first post, bathrooms were a place where I could kill time if I needed or wanted to. The bathrooms in Eiseland make me want to get out as fast as I can. From the cement block walls, to the stall doors that slam shut behind you, to the gaping hole in the ceiling, this bathroom is one that will meet the basic requirements of a bathroom but will not allow you to have an enjoyable experience.

Overall Grade: C-

As I got older, I’d always have to visit bathrooms of restaurants, shops, or parks just to see what they look like. I think you can tell a lot about a place based on the quality of their bathrooms. For example, there are some really nice restaurants with average, or even sub-par, bathrooms. They meet the minimum standards (e.g., they are clean, the facilities work), but are not welcoming places and don’t make you want to stay and hang out. Other fairly mediocre restaurants have really nice bathrooms, which make me reconsider the overall value of the place.

When I got my first job during my freshman year of college, I would kill time in the bathroom. It’s not that I hated that job, but I didn’t really like it. Standing around made me look lazy, and I also wanted to avoid getting assigned any extra jobs. A few years ago, my husband and I went to Seattle. I got to use the #2 best women’s bathroom in the city. I started thinking about the judging criteria as to what makes a good bathroom and how people came up with the idea to even judge various bathrooms around a city. Hence, the idea for this blog was born. Now, I am pregnant (31 weeks) and am visiting more bathrooms and more often. I figured now is the time to do this.

Once a week, I will feature a bathroom around Morgantown, WV. Once a month, I’d like to feature a bathroom in the surrounding area. I doubt I’ll be traveling much, but when I do, I’ll also update you all on bathrooms around the country.