And now, the last post ever about a laundromat at 173 E. 2nd St., maybe

[EVG file photo]

The end and a new beginning.

Closure on the Klean & Kleaner saga on East Second Street. The laundromat here between Avenue A and Avenue B had been on the market for use as a bar-restaurant. The Living Room unsuccessfully tried to relocate here. The place then closed in the middle of July... then reopened as a laundromat a few days later under new ownership.

And now, the laundromat has unveiled its new sign. Please welcome Fresh Laundry & Cleaners.



The Free Dry with washer use (details!) remains in effect through September.

Laundromat saga comes full cycle on East Second Street

So, some closure on the Klean & Kleaner saga on East Second Street. The laundromat here between Avenue A and Avenue B had been on the market for use as a bar-restaurant. The Living Room unsuccessfully tried to relocate here. The place then closed in the middle of July... then reopened as a laundromat a few days later under new ownership.

As the signs point out, new efficient washers and dryers are coming soon.

And that's not all. You can dry for free after 6 p.m., though only "with wash machine use." So no cheating.

Soap opera shocker: Klean & Kleaner reopening as a laundromat

Wow. Klean & Kleaner closed down on East Second Street this past weekend ... the laundromat here between Avenue A and Avenue B had been on the market for use as a bar-restaurant...

Word spread among readers yesterday that a laundromat is back. EVG Facebook friend Edward Arrocha passed along the following: "Klean & Kleaner will reopen as a laundromat. It was sold to a different owner and the washing machine doors were returned. I do not know if it will be Klean & Kleaner or if it will have a change of name."

Indeed, a handwritten sign on the door yesterday courtesy of RyanAvenueA notes the return of the laundromat. No word on how many of the Klean & Kleaner staff will catch on with jobs here.

As previously reported, the owners of the Living Room on Ludlow Street were hoping to take over this space, though the CB3/SLA committee turned down that proposal in May.

BoweryBoogie reported this from that CB3 meeting:

As it stands, this stretch of Second Street was grandfathered into a general residence district, and doesn’t allow for any performances with cover charges. There was reportedly contact with the DOB to settle this issue, but the Living Room hadn’t heard any news as of last night. And they didn’t have the luxury of laying over the application another month due to landlord/lease constraints, so a vote had to transpire.

Word is the landlord figured that the space would sit empty ... and found a new owner willing to pay higher rents to run a laundromat.

Reader report: Klean and Kleaner has closed

[File photo]

As we reported last September, Klean & Kleaner, the laundromat at 173 E. Second St. between Avenue A and Avenue B, was on the market for use as a bar or restaurant.

Off and on during the last few months, we heard that the laundromat was closing very soon... On April 30, we thought the end was here. "They were loading trucks all afternoon. Wouldn't let me drop off clothes unless I was ok picking up in '2-3 days' at an undefined location," said one neighbor.

However, they remained open through this past weekend. Staff was there yesterday for customers to pick up their laundry. There was a sign noting that the washers were out of service. (Someone had removed the doors to the washers.)

Meanwhile, EVG Facebook friend Edward Arrocha took these photos in late April. "They are devastated," he said of the staff. "I will miss them."









Word is the landlord is now asking $18,000 a month in rent. As previously reported, the owners of the Living Room on Ludlow Street were hoping to take over this space, though the CB3/SLA committee turned down that proposal in May.

Also, this marks the third East Village laundromat to close in the last few months. (East 10th Street and East 13rd Street.)


[Yesterday]

Previously.

Opposition to The Living Room moving to East Second Street

[Photo by Edward Arrocha]

The Living Room is on tonight's CB3/SLA committee docket. The Ludlow Street venue — dubbed "NYC's Best Acoustic Listening Room" on their Facebook page — is looking to take over the space on East Second Street that currently houses Klean & Kleaner, the laundromat that has lost its lease and is expected to close very soon.

We've covered all this before. A quick recap:

This potential Living Room move was a topic of conversation during a community meeting back in March. Co-owner Jennifer Gilson attended that meeting, and made her case on why the Living Room would be a good neighbor, such as shows for kids, use of the space for neighborhood fund-raisers and no pub crawls.

However, from the meeting, East Second Street residents said that they are "vehemently opposed to the possibility of The Living Room" in that space for a variety of reasons, including:

• East 2nd Street is a residential side street whose residents include a large number of seniors and families with young children.
• As a residential street, we already endure excessive noise due to late night crowds from the many bars and restaurants already on our block and nearby.
• While we believe The Living Room is a wonderful part of the cultural fabric of New York City, its presence at 173 East 2nd Street will severely and negatively impact our quality of life.

Ahead of tonight's meeting, someone placed these flyers along East Second Street between Avenue A and Avenue B encouraging people to come out against the Living Room's plans tonight ... a reader sent this one from inside his building on that block...



We've also heard from people who very much want to see The Living Room stay in these parts ... instead of being pushed to Brooklyn. The Living Room currently has a lease on Ludlow Street through August, as BoweryBoogie has noted.

Previously.

Meeting tonight to discuss the future of 173 E. Second St.

As noted several times, The Living Room is hoping to move its live-music venue from Ludlow Street to East Second Street... they withdrew from this month's CB3/SLA meeting, though ... Regardless, it's still a big topic of conversation for residents... and the focus of tonight's 2nd Street Block Association Meeting... According to the flyers posted on the block, The Living Room will likely be on the May CB3/SLA docket...



During a recent community meeting, some residents here said that they were "vehemently opposed to the possibility of The Living Room" on this block between Avenue A and Avenue B. (Read that post here.)

The space currently housing Klean & Kleaner, the laundromat at 173 E. Second St., remains on the market.

Some East 2nd Street residents want a laundromat, but not a Living Room

The Living Room received another lease extension for their current home on Ludlow Street, as BoweryBoogie reported yesterday. Third extension in as many months for the live music venue.

Meanwhile, the folks from The Living Room are moving forward with plans to find a new home on East Second Street. As we reported last September, Klean & Kleaner, the laundromat at 173 E. Second St. between Avenue A and Avenue B, was on the market for use as a bar or restaurant.

This potential Living Room move was a topic of conversation during a recent community meeting. Co-owner Jennifer Gilson attended that meeting, and made her case on why the Living Room would be a good neighbor, such as shows for kids, use of the space for neighborhood fund-raisers and no pub crawls.

However, from the meeting, East Second Street residents said that they are "vehemently opposed to the possibility of The Living Room" in that space for a variety of reasons, including:

• East 2nd Street is a residential side street whose residents include a large number of seniors and families with young children.
• As a residential street, we already endure excessive noise due to late night crowds from the many bars and restaurants already on our block and nearby.
• While we believe The Living Room is a wonderful part of the cultural fabric of New York City, its presence at 173 East 2nd Street will severely and negatively impact our quality of life.

The Living Room will go before the CB3/SLA committee next Monday. Gilson told BoweryBoogie:

Of course there’s a good chance that if they block our liquor license, another less-neighborhood friendly business with less community history will take the space.

[On April 8] I will argue why after 15 years of enhancing the quality of life by hosting great music, kids shows, fundraisers, theater, etc., I should be able to stay in my neighborhood, which I helped to transform, and not be pushed to Brooklyn…

One 18-year resident of the block told us in an email that he didn't have problems with The Living Room, "but I'd much rather keep the place as a laundromat."

Of course, the landlord has different ideas...

Because we need more bars and restaurants and fewer things like laundromats in the East Village

There's a new listing on the books for Klean & Kleaner, the laundromat on East Second Street between Avenue A and Avenue B.

There's isn't any mention of rent... but under the "comments" section...

That's right! "Ideal for a bar/restaurant. Tremendous night and weekend traffic."

And the Gold Rush continues.