Coming soon to this block of 5th Street: Duo Cafe and For You Laundry

Signage is up for Duo Cafe at the under-renovation west-side storefront at 223 E. Fifth St. between Second Avenue and Cooper Square. (Thanks to all the readers who sent in the tip!)

No word just yet on who is behind this venture, which will offer desserts and tea, per the signage. 

Also coming soon to this block (closer to Second Avenue): For You Laundry, providing the customary washing, drying and folding as well as dry cleaning...

Dry cleaners and laundromats make a return

The dry-cleaning business was hard hit during the pandemic.

In early 2021, the National Cleaners Association reported that one in six dry cleaners had closed or gone bankrupt in the United States. In the East Village, 10 dry cleaners went out of business.

Perhaps the worst is behind for the owners who offer these services. E3 Cleaners recently debuted at 82 E. Third St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue. E3 offers dry cleaning, tailoring and drop-off laundry service.

Meanwhile, a combo dry cleaner-laundromat has opened at 31 Avenue A between Second Street and Third Street (thanks to Stacie Joy for this photo from Friday). This had been in the works for this NYCHA-space for some time — we first spotted this in August 2020.

A laundromat is also coming soon to 60 Avenue B between Fourth Street and Fifth Street.

Mike's Cleaners is closing on Avenue A

Mike's Cleaners is closing up shop on Avenue A between Fourth Street and Fifth Street. (Thank you to Stacie Joy for the photos.)

The note on the gate blames the closure on the "current situation." 

Across the country dry cleaners have been hard hit during the pandemic...  as more people are working from home and not wearing business attire, and fewer people are going to events where they need to dress up. So no need to take things in to a dry cleaners.

According to the National Cleaners Association, one in six dry cleaners have closed or gone bankrupt in the United States during the pandemic.

The numbers seem higher here. By my count, 10 dry cleaners have closed in the East Village since the start of the pandemic... Dion Cleaners on 14th Street, Amy's aka C & C on Seventh Street, LT Baron's on 11th Street, Sun's Laundry on 14th Street, Best Ave. B Dry Cleaners on Avenue B,  AAA Cleaners on Avenue A, Exquisite Cleaners on First Avenue, Sunrise Cleaners on Third Street and Danny Cleaner's on 10th Street (they merged with Lois Cleaners on the southeast corner of 10th Street and Third Avenue).

Back on Thursday, local community groups gathered outside outside Michelle Dry Cleaners & Laundry on Avenue C to call on state legislators to support commercial rent relief for small businesses. 

Dion Cleaners is closing after 35 years in business on 14th and A

After 35 years in business, Dion Cleaners is shutting down on the southwest corner of 14th Street and Avenue A. 

While Saturday is their last official day, EVG regular Christine Champagne shared these photos of workers cleaning out the space... (apparently you have until Saturday to pick up any outstanding items)...

Dry cleaners have been hard hit during the pandemic...  as more people are working from home, and fewer people are going to events where they need to dress up ... We've already seen several closures in this neighborhood, including Amy's aka C & C on Seventh Street, LT Baron's on 11th Street and Sun's Laundry on 14th Street.  

Pandemic aside, it has been a tough slog for Dion. For nearly three years this side of 14th Street was an active construction zone for L-train repairs with a variety of trucks, drill rigs, pile drivers, compressors and generators. 

Several businesses were forced to shut down due to severely limited access to their storefronts. Outside Dion, customer access included only 28 inches of sidewalk space — not big enough for a wheelchair in spots.

Here's a photo from September 2018...

LT Baron's Dry Cleaners & Laundry shuts down on 11th Street

LT Baron's, a small dry cleaners and laundry at 520 E. 11th St., has gone out of business here between Avenue A and Avenue B. (Thanks for Gojira for the tip.)

Several families have owned the business through the years, with a nice couple taking over early this year.

Several neighborhood dry cleaners have had to permanently close during the pandemic, including Sun's Laundry and C & C. The customer base has seen a sharp decline with more people working from home and fewer people attending dress-up events such as weddings.

C & C Dry Cleaning closes on 7th Street

From the EVG tipline... the longtime dry cleaners at 178 E. Seventh St. just west of Avenue B – Amy's aka C & C — has closed... 

Dry cleaners have been hard hit nationwide during the pandemic: more people are working from home, and fewer people are going to events where they need to dress up ...

[Updated] These 3 dry cleaners have closed

[Photo by Vinny & O]

Three neighborhood dry cleaners have not made it out of the COVID-19 crisis.

Best Ave. B Dry Cleaners has closed on Avenue B between 10th Street and 11th Street.

There's a sign on the front door instructing customers to call or text 347-833-3400 to pick up any items inside the shop.

Meanwhile, a for rent sign now hangs in the window of the former AAA Cleaners at 216 Avenue A between 13th Street and 14th Street... they had closed at the outset of the COVID-19 PAUSE...



Exquisite Cleaners on First Avenue at Third Street closed earlier in June.

Updated 5 p.m.



Heads up from a reader... Danny Cleaner's at 159 Second Ave. (on 10th Street) has closed...



...merging their business with Lois Cleaners on the southeast corner of 10th Street and Third Avenue...

Choice Cleaners 7 coming to Avenue A

Updated 1/16 — Choice is now open!

Signage is up now at 24 Avenue A ... where Choice Cleaners 7 is coming soon to this space at Second Street.

This is a move for the current Choice Cleaners 7 at 23 Avenue B between Second Street and Third Street.

The retail space was previously home to the Art on A Gallery & Shop, which closed last summer after seven years.

There are two other empty retail spaces in this corner building, including the former FryGuys storefront on Second Street... which was recently renovated...



The Sabet Group bought 24 Avenue A (aka 150 E. Second St.) for $15.8 million early last year, per public records.

Dry cleaners where Kim's Video got its start on Avenue A is closing

Today is the last day in business for Sammy's Cleaners at 99 Avenue A between Sixth Street and Seventh Street. (Thanks to EVG reader Paul W. for the photo and tip!)

The sign on the door announcing the closure thanks Sammy's customers for their patronage. Not sure why they are shutting down.

The spot was, until late 2016/early 2017, Kim's Cleaners...


[Google Street View]

Owner Yongman Kim launched his (now-departed) Kim's Video empire from here in 1987 ... before eventually moving the video business a few storefronts to the south to 85 Avenue (now Somtum Der), which enjoyed its reign of terror until the summer of 2004.


[Photo from 1997 by Dave Buchwald]

Long-empty storefront starting with a clean slate on 6th Street

And in news about new dry cleaners... there is a dry cleaners (Magnolia!) coming to 514 E. Sixth St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.

As far as I can recall, this space has been empty since Betola Espresso Bar closed in June 2013.

Exclusive 1st look at the new Firbimatic Eco-Green machine at Alice Dry Cleaners

Moving day today at Alice Dry Cleaners on Second Avenue between Fourth Street and Fifth Street ... as the staff replaced its Renzacci Multisorb®, which, at its height, represented very impressive load capacities with button trap drying boosters ...




[NOT LINKNYC]

...and here's Alice's newest model... meet the Firbimatic Eco-Green — aka "The Alternative Solvent Leader."



Sources tell us this Firbimatic features two filtration circuits, a solvent heater and fractional distillation. (I think you're going to notice the difference.)

Photos by EVG Dry-Cleaning Correspondent Derek Berg

Laundromat-replacing laundromat closing on East 10th Street

Closing signs are up now at Le Pressing, the laundromat/dry cleaner at 204 E. 10th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

Le Pressing opened in early 2014 ... taking over the space from Mimi and her son, who operated a laundromat here for many years. They had to close in 2013 after a rent increase.

According to the sign, Le Pressing will close after the business day on March 31.

H/T to Blue Glass for the photo

Dry cleaners: 1 up, 1 down

The laundromat-dry cleaners combo is now open at 200 Second Ave. between between East 12th Street and East 13th Street ... at the site of the former Little Pakistan deli...

And in other dry cleaning news... there has been a "for rent" sign up in recent months at Discount Cleaners at 230 E. 14th St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue... and eventually a moving sign arrived... according to the sign, they are moving into (merging with?) the Metro Cleaners around the corner on Third Avenue between East 15th Street and East 16th Street...



...as of yesterday, the East 14th Street space has been dismantled... with a few items that haven't been claimed left behind for now...