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Mapping the 20 Best Places to Poop in Downtown Seattle

By Sean Keeley
5 comments / new
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By Sean Keeley
5 comments / new

Image: Blake Handley

Can we all be adults here for a second? Look, sometimes you're out and about and nature calls. You're too far from home to make it back in time. You're not near your office and none of your friends are home. You don't want to have to wait in line or pay $10 for something you don't want just to find some relief. And you know you're rolling the dice with certain public restrooms. You're left to scramble Seattle for a private bathroom, if you can find one that doesn't have a lock or code.

This is one of those moments in life when you end up saying "thank goodness for Reddit" because when one person asked the question, "Where is the best place to poop downtown?," 323 comments appeared shortly thereafter full of pooping possibilities. We scoured them to figure out the very best strategic locations to squeeze out a Seattle steamer and picked out the 20 best. Most of them have to be credited to "nipple_u_used_2_know," who listed a ton of special spots "I frequent." Best not to ask any more questions. Just say thank you and keep this list handy next time you need to bury a figurative Bertha.


· Where is the best place to poop downtown? [RS]
· All Curbed Maps [CS]

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Olympic Sculpture Park

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"Hang a right at the bottom of the ramp, 2 bathrooms, cold but clean. No code needed."

2901 Western Ave, Seattle, WA 98121
(206) 654-3100
(206) 654-3100

Also featured in:

Green Leaf Vietnamese Restaurant

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" Go through that door, go down the stairs on the left, bathroom will be straight ahead. Clean and discreet. No code needed."

418 8th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104
(206) 340-1388
(206) 340-1388

Also featured in:

World Trade Center

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"Go through door, down the hall take a left, bathrooms on the right. Clean and discreet. Requires a code, ask the front entrance employee"

2200 Alaskan Way, Seattle, WA 98121

Seattle Marriott Waterfront

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"Go through entrance, go down hall, to the right of the bar is the bathroom. No code needed."

2100 Alaskan Way, Seattle, WA 98121
(206) 443-5000
(206) 443-5000

Bell Harbor Marina

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"In that blue hut. Ask the attendant for the code. Cold but clean."

2203 Alaskan Way, Seattle, WA 98121

Whole Foods Market

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"Go through entrance, past customer service desk, bathroom on the right. No code needed."

2210 Westlake Ave, Seattle, WA 98121
(206) 621-9700
(206) 621-9700

Westlake Center

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"Main bathrooms on the 3rd floor. Not very clean, always crowded. No code needed."

1601 5th Ave, Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 467-1600
(206) 467-1600

Nordstrom's Downtown

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"Go through the doors, downstairs, hang a left. Sometimes clean, always crowded. No code needed."

500 Pine St, Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 628-2111
(206) 628-2111

Also featured in:

Pacific Place

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"Nearly every floor has a bathroom. I prefer 3rd floor. Sometimes clean, usually crowded. No code needed."

600 Pine St, Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 405-2655
(206) 405-2655

Pike Place Market

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"Bathrooms on the 1st floor, dirty, crowded. No code needed."

85 Pike St, Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 682-7453
(206) 682-7453

U.S. Bank Centre

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"Through the doors, up the escalator, down the hall, up another escalator, on the left/right. Clean, discreet. Code needed."

U.S. Bank Centre, 1420 5th Ave, Seattle, WA 98101

Washington State Convention Center

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"These bathrooms are the 'private' ones for convention goers. Generally no one gives a shit if you use it though. Go through the doors, up the elevator. Several clean and discreet bathrooms on the 2nd/3rd/4th floors. Usually open, sometimes closed. No code needed."

800 Convention Pl, Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 694-5000
(206) 694-5000

Fairmont Olympic Hotel

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"Through the doors, hang a right past the elevators, bathrooms on the right. Clean and discreet. Act like you belong and no one gives a damn about you. No code needed."

411 University St, Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 621-1700
(206) 621-1700

Seattle Public Library

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"Through the doors, to the right. Dirty and sometimes crowded. No code needed."

1000 4th Ave, Seattle, WA 98104
(206) 386-4636
(206) 386-4636

Renaissance Seattle Hotel

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"Through the doors, take the escaltor on the left up to the 2nd floor, hang a right, bathrooms on the left. Clean and discreet. No code needed."

515 Madison St, Seattle, WA 98104
(206) 583-0300
(206) 583-0300

Seattle Ferry Terminal

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"Behind the ticket booth. Dirty and sometimes crowded. No code needed."

801 Alaskan Way, Seattle, WA 98104
(206) 464-6400
(206) 464-6400

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Columbia Center

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"Several good bathrooms throughout the tower. All clean and discreet. No code needed." According to another poster, focus on the Columbia Tower Club's upstairs women's bathroom. "I'm a man and work in the building and haven't gotten to try it but supposedly it looks out over the city. So you can poop on everyone like a God on Mount Olympus."

701 5th Ave, Seattle, WA 98104
(206) 386-5151
(206) 386-5151

Also featured in:

Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park

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"Bathrooms on both top and bottom floor. The bottom floor is more discreet and cleaner. No code needed."

319 2nd Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104
(206) 220-4240
(206) 220-4240

King Street Station

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"Through the doors, all the way to the back. Sometimes crowded, but usually clean. No code needed."

303 S Jackson St, Seattle, WA 98104
(206) 382-4125
(206) 382-4125

Union Station

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"Public restrooms available Monday - Friday, 8am-5pm, with a 1 hour closure between 11:30am - 12:30pm. Happy pooping!"

4th Ave S & S Jackson St, Seattle, WA 98104

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Olympic Sculpture Park

2901 Western Ave, Seattle, WA 98121

"Hang a right at the bottom of the ramp, 2 bathrooms, cold but clean. No code needed."

2901 Western Ave, Seattle, WA 98121
(206) 654-3100
(206) 654-3100

Green Leaf Vietnamese Restaurant

418 8th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104

" Go through that door, go down the stairs on the left, bathroom will be straight ahead. Clean and discreet. No code needed."

418 8th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104
(206) 340-1388
(206) 340-1388

World Trade Center

2200 Alaskan Way, Seattle, WA 98121

"Go through door, down the hall take a left, bathrooms on the right. Clean and discreet. Requires a code, ask the front entrance employee"

2200 Alaskan Way, Seattle, WA 98121

Seattle Marriott Waterfront

2100 Alaskan Way, Seattle, WA 98121

"Go through entrance, go down hall, to the right of the bar is the bathroom. No code needed."

2100 Alaskan Way, Seattle, WA 98121
(206) 443-5000
(206) 443-5000

Bell Harbor Marina

2203 Alaskan Way, Seattle, WA 98121

"In that blue hut. Ask the attendant for the code. Cold but clean."

2203 Alaskan Way, Seattle, WA 98121

Whole Foods Market

2210 Westlake Ave, Seattle, WA 98121

"Go through entrance, past customer service desk, bathroom on the right. No code needed."

2210 Westlake Ave, Seattle, WA 98121
(206) 621-9700
(206) 621-9700

Westlake Center

1601 5th Ave, Seattle, WA 98101

"Main bathrooms on the 3rd floor. Not very clean, always crowded. No code needed."

1601 5th Ave, Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 467-1600
(206) 467-1600

Nordstrom's Downtown

500 Pine St, Seattle, WA 98101

"Go through the doors, downstairs, hang a left. Sometimes clean, always crowded. No code needed."

500 Pine St, Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 628-2111
(206) 628-2111

Pacific Place

600 Pine St, Seattle, WA 98101

"Nearly every floor has a bathroom. I prefer 3rd floor. Sometimes clean, usually crowded. No code needed."

600 Pine St, Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 405-2655
(206) 405-2655

Pike Place Market

85 Pike St, Seattle, WA 98101

"Bathrooms on the 1st floor, dirty, crowded. No code needed."

85 Pike St, Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 682-7453
(206) 682-7453

U.S. Bank Centre

U.S. Bank Centre, 1420 5th Ave, Seattle, WA 98101

"Through the doors, up the escalator, down the hall, up another escalator, on the left/right. Clean, discreet. Code needed."

U.S. Bank Centre, 1420 5th Ave, Seattle, WA 98101

Washington State Convention Center

800 Convention Pl, Seattle, WA 98101

"These bathrooms are the 'private' ones for convention goers. Generally no one gives a shit if you use it though. Go through the doors, up the elevator. Several clean and discreet bathrooms on the 2nd/3rd/4th floors. Usually open, sometimes closed. No code needed."

800 Convention Pl, Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 694-5000
(206) 694-5000

Fairmont Olympic Hotel

411 University St, Seattle, WA 98101

"Through the doors, hang a right past the elevators, bathrooms on the right. Clean and discreet. Act like you belong and no one gives a damn about you. No code needed."

411 University St, Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 621-1700
(206) 621-1700

Seattle Public Library

1000 4th Ave, Seattle, WA 98104

"Through the doors, to the right. Dirty and sometimes crowded. No code needed."

1000 4th Ave, Seattle, WA 98104
(206) 386-4636
(206) 386-4636

Renaissance Seattle Hotel

515 Madison St, Seattle, WA 98104

"Through the doors, take the escaltor on the left up to the 2nd floor, hang a right, bathrooms on the left. Clean and discreet. No code needed."

515 Madison St, Seattle, WA 98104
(206) 583-0300
(206) 583-0300

Seattle Ferry Terminal

801 Alaskan Way, Seattle, WA 98104

"Behind the ticket booth. Dirty and sometimes crowded. No code needed."

801 Alaskan Way, Seattle, WA 98104
(206) 464-6400
(206) 464-6400

Columbia Center

701 5th Ave, Seattle, WA 98104

"Several good bathrooms throughout the tower. All clean and discreet. No code needed." According to another poster, focus on the Columbia Tower Club's upstairs women's bathroom. "I'm a man and work in the building and haven't gotten to try it but supposedly it looks out over the city. So you can poop on everyone like a God on Mount Olympus."

701 5th Ave, Seattle, WA 98104
(206) 386-5151
(206) 386-5151

Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park

319 2nd Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104

"Bathrooms on both top and bottom floor. The bottom floor is more discreet and cleaner. No code needed."

319 2nd Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104
(206) 220-4240
(206) 220-4240

King Street Station

303 S Jackson St, Seattle, WA 98104

"Through the doors, all the way to the back. Sometimes crowded, but usually clean. No code needed."

303 S Jackson St, Seattle, WA 98104
(206) 382-4125
(206) 382-4125

Union Station

4th Ave S & S Jackson St, Seattle, WA 98104

"Public restrooms available Monday - Friday, 8am-5pm, with a 1 hour closure between 11:30am - 12:30pm. Happy pooping!"

4th Ave S & S Jackson St, Seattle, WA 98104