Hip + Bathroom = Your Alright Kid? Yup!!

KidsAreAlrigh.org

I worked for Brian McNally in the 80s, he probably doesn’t remember me but… as the saying goes… “If you remember, you weren’t there.” (Which, by the way, is an excellent motto for myself referring to ‘what I ate for breakfast,’ today.)

After years on the Upper West Side and then the East Village, my husband and I were smart enough to move back downtown to Battery Park City to raise our kids —We now take them to Odeon for every day occasions as the Odeon has become a neighborhood “joint.” How incredibly awesome?

Fast Forward: I’ve become a hard core advocate for special needs children and parents on the LES; in the New York City D75 school system.

My oldest daughter and I just returned from Europe after a month long trip for her high school graduation gift in which the last leg of our trip was London. After a silly night at a ridiculous show on The West End, we literally stumbled upon Balthazar…in my opinion, the definitive Brian McNally restaurant.

To my shock and completely moving surprise, this was the only restaurant, not only in London but throughout Northern Europe (and face it, anywhere) in which I found a special-needs bathroom — let alone a special needs elevator all decked out in either Art Deco or Beaux Art extravaganza (depending upon which art school you attended).

For years I have taken notice and wondered why the handicap bathroom stall is always at the very end of a very long septic corridor. Why are those confined to wheelchairs subjected to going an additional 50 feet? Aren’t public bathrooms horrible enough without having to be knocked every time someone opens their stall door? Who likes passing crowded sinks with people putting on make up, brushing their hair or air drying their underarms in a Dyson? This configuration is beyond my comprehension.

The West End Balthazar manager was incredibly and I repeat, incredibly welcoming. He sat with us during a prime post-theater rush to discuss the restaurant’s inclusiveness to all and explain why ALL places of service (especially restaurants) need to begin following a similar business plan.

Wouldn’t it be easier to locate the “handicap” stall to the direct left or right of a restroom entrance? If not separate, at least accessible as soon as one enters. Really?

The “go to the back of the room” mentality is beyond offensive. I applaud McNally and his restaurant for this subtle, basic response to a basic human need. Offering those who might need extra privacy, subtle needs from an establishment who understands is where we all need to be.

Balthazar London is welcoming to and FOR ALL!

#brianmcnally #londonbalthazar #reasonableaccommodations #wheelchairproblems

Ellen Hunter, Founder: KidsaArealright.org