Laundromats of note in selected U.S. cities
In other countries you might put your laundry in a basket and go down to the river. In the U.S., if you don’t have a washing machine, you throw your clothes in the car and head to a laundromat.
The laundromat is an important social institution. You don’t have to get dressed up to go to the laundromat. Under bright fluorescent lights, you get to see other people not at their best. You are looking at life unvarnished. People going about their private business pretty much in public.
Along with diners and barber shops, laundromats are an important part of the American vernacular. So thanks for coming along on this tour of well-named laundromats around the U.S.
Our first stop is Ann Arbor, Michigan. Welcome to Mr. Stadium, voted the best laundromat in Michigan by the Detroit News. Mr. Stadium is a good name because it has nothing to do with laundry, it feels big, and a stadium is where people go to have a good time.
Aside from the automatic doors, the free wifi, and a few classic arcade games, customers report that it is staffed by humans who will actually give you a cheerful refund if one of the machines eats your money. And it’s a good place to work on your term paper. Some customers report that they are more productive at Mr. Stadium than at home.
Our next stop is Brooklyn and the laundromat of the future. Called Celsious, an interesting and relevant name but it’s not clear why they didn’t consider naming it Celsius, which would have been a lot cleaner.
People who used to dread doing their laundry come to this over-the-top, two-story location with café and outdoor patio in Williamsburg. They leave feeling relaxed and happy, which is not the way you’re supposed to feel when you leave a laundromat.
Founded by two women who grew up in Germany, Celsious was developed under the watchful eye of Lisa White, of Absolute Laundry Systems. Of course.
Some customers are not exactly happy with the seven dollar washes at Celsious, but when you figure in the free soap, the free sanitizing rinse so your cooties are all your own, and the 50 cent dryers, it all comes out in the wash.
Our next stop is Portland, Oregon and the Spin Laundry Lounge, a name that captures the whole zeitgeist — the energy, the utility, the fun. Cocktails are not on the menu but you know from the name that this is going to be a chill place, even if you’re doing a hot water wash. Spin is housed in an industrial space, complete with clerestory windows, so it doesn’t feel anything like a conventional laundromat.
So put in your month’s worth of laundry into the 8-load gigantic washer, grab a beer and check out the video arcade up in the loft. The only interruption: you’ll get a text when your laundry is ready for the dryer.
As they say in Portland, “Doing laundry anywhere but at home kinda sucks. Spin makes it suck way less.” When people say their only complaint is the quality of the paninis, you know they’re doing an okay job.
Apparently, the laundromat business is not exactly booming. So it’s good to know that there are people like Spin owner Morgan Gary, who is working hard to make it a civilized experience and a sustainable business.
