Sneak peek into 8 of the best bathrooms in Birmingham
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What are the best bathrooms in Birmingham? Yes, we wonder about strange things here at Bham Now. But we love art, and we love local businesses, so it only made sense to check out the art scene in local loos.
1. Crestwood Pharmacy and Soda Fountain
Our adventure began at Crestwood Pharmacy and Soda Fountain. A visit to the facilities revealed walls covered in the wonderful world of Peter Thomas Wilm. Imagine, if you will, the entire room covered in the most exquisite sharpie art. To get the full effect, you need to see it yourself. In case you need any further encouragement, Crestwood Pharmacy and Soda Fountain has incredible milkshakes. Need I say more?
2. Tropicaleo in Avondale
Next, we reached out to other folks on the Bham Now team. Because who else has pictures of cool bathrooms at the ready? Lauren Bedford reached back almost immediately with this fun snap from the baño at Tropicaleo.
If you haven’t been to Tropicaleo yet, you need to know: Birmingham loves Tropicaleo. Cubanos, fried plantains, vegan offerings . . . and that’s just a tiny taste of the food. They’ve got art, music, film, and activism as well. Oh, and drinks.
3. Slag Heap Brewing Company in Trussville
Speaking of drinks, Bham Now’s Patience Itson had this to say after heading to the ladies’ room at the grand opening of Slag Heap Brewing Co. in Trussville: “Offering a retro-boutique vibe, it’s like a teenager’s dream bedroom out of a 1980s Molly Ringwald movie.”
As the Psychedelic Furs said back in the ’80s, “isn’t she pretty in pink.”
4. The Marble Ring in Avondale
Rumor has it that The Marble Ring has cool bathrooms, so we went to see for ourselves. Rumor has it right, don’t you think?
5. Naked Art Gallery in Forest Park
Next we went to Naked Art Gallery, because in addition to showcasing local artist’s work for over 20 years, they also have a cool bathroom. In fact, they’ve been hosting a monthly “Tour de Loo” competition, in which local artists turn the bathrooms at Naked Art, Shoppe (next door), and Zoë’s (across the street) into installations. The winner gets a $300 prize, thanks to sponsor Will Brooks.
“Den of Bridezilla,” by Sarah Heath, was my kid’s favorite by far. Pictures hardly do it justice. Imagine walking into a dimly-lit cave made entirely of recycled wedding dresses, complete with stalactites and stalagmites. Crazy-sounding, right? Absolutely incredible to behold.
6. Shoppe in Forest Park
From Naked Art it’s a short walk on a path to next-door neighbor Shoppe. Their current installation is called “Bloom,” by Celeste Laborde Houma, and it’s so pretty. So many lovely details . . .
7. Zoë’s in Forest Park
Across the street, Delaine Derry Green’s “Through the Liking Glass” installation made us laugh as we talked about how easy it is for people to get sucked into our phones.
8. Rojo in Southside
Finally, we ended up at Rojo, which was on pretty much everyone’s list of cool bathrooms in the ‘Ham. Once we were there, we could see why. They put a lot of thought and effort into the décor, and it shows.
So tell us, Birmingham, what best bathrooms did we miss? Which ones are your favorites? Tell us or post your own pictures in the comments below.
