I'm still working on this, but you get the idea.
As the directory approaches 100 locations, some patterns have begun to emerge: 1) whether it nets out is another story, but the invasion of giant national retailers brought MRCT's to the city. National chain stores top the YES list [museums and new public parks accounted for almost all the rest.]
2) Except for Starbuck's. They may be contributing to the vaguely public restroom inventory, but I have yet to see a single changing table in there. Then again, I'm not really Starbuck's people.
3) That's another trend: this list reads a bit like a travel diary. Maybe one of the reasons posting new MRCT locations has slowed is because I don't go anywhere else. If only Per Se was really one of my regular stops...
4) And the Close Enough category is the other big trend. The number of NO's was depressing (about 75%), but then I started seeing comments about couches and tables and such, and I realized that you can only manage so much idealism about changing a kid's diaper; sometimes you just gotta do it. So sofas--even in bars and a rare hotel lobby--will work in a pinch, but I drew--and draw--the line at changing a kid in the presence of other people or food. Or other people's food.
For some reason, only about a third of the entries show up at the moment, and it only seems to work in Firefox, so if you're a Google Maps mashup god, maybe you can take a look at my code. As soon as I get this version ironed out, I'll work on the downloadable GPS data. [fwiw, here's a pared down list of the locations posted so far.]
The Daddy Types NYC men's room changing table Google Map (beta version)
[made using Google Maps EZ, the MT KeyValues plugin, and way too much time]
nice! i'm getting a bunch of errors at the moment:
"# Multiple div blocks given for one marker
# No ll param for marker [ YELLOW :]
# Multiple div blocks given for one marker
# No ll param for marker [ RED :]"
but you're probably fiddling as i write this...
[oh yeah, I get a lot of that. And I forgot, I can't get it to work in IE. -ed.]
This brings up a small question that's been bouncing around in my head. Why do you only do Men's room changing tables in NYC and not also DC? It's not a crucial issue for me, since although we are in DC, we'll be a two-mom family and not subject to changing table discrimination. But I've always wondered.
[At first, it was a matter of not boiling the ocean. Plus, there's need: NYC's men's rooms are chronically under-changing-tabled, which I have not found to be the case in DC. And outside of NYC, you're more likely to have a car as a worst-case diaper-changing scenario. All that said, though, I'd be the first to support a user-driven, global MRCT database. -ed.]
Hey Daddytypes,
this is great. I'll be sure to refer to this nifty map.
Jenna
Hey Greg...did you hear this on NPR?
[no, but I've been batting around for almost 6 mos for a way/time to do a Google Map that didn't involve reformatting every single post. Finally, I just gave up and rolled up my sleeves. -ed.]
Neat tool! I might just start doing the same thing for the Ames/Des Moines, IA area.
Also, Greg, I have sent you a few emails in recent days and they're all bouncing back to me with the message that your mailbox at greg.org is full. You might want to check that (not that my emails are important, but that others that are important might be trying to contact you).
Scholastic on Broadway has a unisex bathroom with changing table -key must be requested via many stairs though.
ABC Carpet & Home has complimentary 7th Gen Diapers in their 2nd fl. bathroom (Ladies)
Wow you're on Gothamist!
Strangely, I only get a map of Fort Wayne...
[yeah, classic problem. let me work on that. -ed.]
Great idea. Should I email you with more locations? For example, the Whole Foods on Columbus Circle has one, not currently listed on your map.