If you’ve ever lived in or visited New York City, then you may notice that finding a public restroom to use is a bit of a hassle, which is something that several folks have complained about online.
It’s not as easy as stopping at a gas station by the side of a road, nor do many bodegas or businesses even allow people to use the restrooms inside of their establishments.
But one woman revealed her hack while being interviewed in a clip that was posted to the @got2gonyc TikTok account that’s received 1.8 million views as of Friday—signing up for an Equinox membership so she would have access to clean restrooms in the Big Apple.
@got2gonyc whats the craziest thing youve done in order to secure access to a bathroom in nyc???
♬ original sound – got2gonyc
She says in the video, “I literally got an Equinox membership just so I could have access to a bathroom every 10 blocks just in case.”
The interviewer responds, “That’s hilarious you gotta do what you gotta do.”
According to Dr. Workout, a multi-access Equinox monthly pass costs $230 a month, not including a $100 initiation fee, but the outlet goes on to state the prices do vary from location to location.
The gym chain’s restrooms are also lauded as being some of the best in the business with offers of packaged luxury skincare amenities, like Kiehl’s products purportedly being offered in Equinox locations.
Equinox’s official TikTok account responded to the video, writing, “Well. If it works, it works.”
However, one user thought that the high cost of living in New York would make affording an Equinox membership prohibitively expensive.
“Imaging living in NY and still being able to afford an equinox membership I could never,” they said.
Another said some jobs offer pre-packaged Equinox memberships as a perk of being employed with them so this could be a great benefit to city dwellers looking for a place to pinch a loaf in a pinch.
“Some jobs offered equinox memberships so a definite bonus,” they claimed.
According to Secret NYC, as of January 2023, there are 29 Equinox locations situated in New York City, while Business Insider says that there are 35 Equinox Gyms scattered across Manhattan and Brooklyn.
Another TikToker said that if having access to a bathroom is a top priority for New York City residents or visitors, there’s a more cost-effective option available to them. It also gives them a greater chance of finding a restroom within a closer distance, due to the sheer number of franchise locations.
“I got a Starbucks card for free,” they shared. “It comes with access to bathrooms and they’re on almost every block in Manhattan.”
In July of 2022, NPR reported that New York City has around 1,400 public restrooms, but officials are looking to build more in order to help folks find a place for some relief as they amble around the island. Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine said he is looking to collaborate with other lawmakers to ensure that more restrooms are constructed in order to accommodate the city’s massive daily population.
6 Sqft writes that during peak times, there are 4 million people in NYC on any given day,
The Daily Dot has reached out to @got2gonyc and Equinox via email.
