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Ohh, to be out and about in the Windy City, 20 El stops away from home, with a full bladder.
Chicago might seem like an endless sea of shops, restaurants, and bars, but there are few ports in the storm with bathrooms open to non-paying customers. So what to do when nature calls? We’ve ridden the Red line up and down to separate the best (and free-of-charge) pee stops from the rest.
All of these restrooms are within a brisk five-minute walk from the nearest El station and open until at least 9 p.m. You don’t need to ask for a key to get in, and each bathroom’s got some local flavor to boot.
Here are our 5 bitchin’ red line pee stops:
Home to Marshall Field and Co.’s flagship store until 2006, the Macy’s building on State Street—a block from the Lake stop—is a 12-story staple of Chicago consumerism. You have to make your way past some cosmetic counters, down an escalator, and through half a food court to get to the bathroom. But it’s worth experiencing this landmark—originally built in 1892 and expanded in the following two decades—for yourself…the dozens of stalls you find are just a sweet, bladder-relieving bonus.
As your train meanders along the Red Line, you can’t help but notice the Uptown Borders—open until 9 p.m. every day—from the El window. For a bookstore chain, the well-kept ladies’ room is alive with color—the walls are turquoise, and the tiled backsplash a blend of Borders’ signature burgundy, gray, and white. We love the automatic flush, the seven stalls to choose from, and the bathroom’s proximity to cultural markers like the Riviera Theatre and Green Mill Jazz Club.
Stepping into Standee’s is like going 30 years back in time. Wood panels cover the walls, vinyl booth seats fill the floor, Coca-Cola light fixtures hang from the ceiling, and the waitress knows everybody’s name. The bathroom in Standee’s—a few paces away from the El rails—is single-stall, and its linoleum flooring, butter-yellow walls, and a rotating roll of cloth hand towels are old-school diner at its finest. If you’ve worked up a post-lavatory appetite, you can choose from countless greasy dishes on your way out.