Urban laundromats: Real urbanists stand up...

[trailerkid]

OK...so I'm taking the plunge and moving into a place in downtown Lawrence. I currently live a few blocks away in Old West Lawrence, but my new place will be be in downtown proper. Being the unabashed car hater that I am, I am bringing my sometimes militant stance against car slavery with me. But I will admit I am getting freaked out about the laundry situation.

Unfortunately, there is no true laundromat in the downtown area. The closest laundromat to downtown is in my soon-to-be former 'hood of Old West Lawerence. I know I can get beyond my fear of losing this uber-convenience in my dwelling, but it will take time. Are there any other peeps on this board who use laundromats outside their immediate neighborhood without cars? I've never seen someone in L with laundry on the bus-- not really surprising. I guess I could also carry the laundry in a bag on my bike. I'm also contemplating some kind of situation where the laundry is washed by someone else. Does any have any suggestions or ideas from a pragmatic and urbanist perspective?

[Beermo]

OK...so I'm taking the plunge and moving into a place in downtown Lawrence. I currently live a few blocks away in Old West Lawrence, but my new place will be be in downtown proper. Being the unabashed car hater that I am, I am bringing my sometimes militant stance against car slavery with me. But I will admit I am getting freaked out about the laundry situation.

Unfortunately, there is no true laundromat in the downtown area. The closest laundromat to downtown is in my soon-to-be former 'hood of Old West Lawerence. I know I can get beyond my fear of losing this uber-convenience in my dwelling, but it will take time. Are there any other peeps on this board who use laundromats outside their immediate neighborhood without cars? I've never seen someone in L with laundry on the bus-- not really surprising. I guess I could also carry the laundry in a bag on my bike. I'm also contemplating some kind of situation where the laundry is washed by someone else. Does any have any suggestions or ideas from a pragmatic and urbanist perspective?

here's an idea. buy a house and then buy a washer and dryer to put in it.

[LenexatoKCMO]

Does any have any suggestions or ideas from a pragmatic and urbanist perspective?

Woolite in the sink? 

[KC0KEK]

Have you considered buying a portable clothes washer? You can get one (e.g., www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=1795542) for well under $200. Unless you wash a lot of clothes, you probably could hang dry them inside or outdoors.

[KCMax]

When I was in college, I took the bus to do laundry all the time. Its not that big a deal. Just get a large, easy to carry bag. You can only do a load at a time, but if you're a guy, that's probably not that big a deal.

[DaveKCMO]

or pay someone to do it for you, by the pound. outsource!

[staubio]

Just get a cart and walk or use a bike trailer to haul it.  Of course, I carted laundry to a laundromat that was only a few blocks away at my old place.  Now I'm an inefficient rouge with on-site laundry.

I've also seen plenty of people on the bus with laundry.  The 51 seems to be popular for that.  Get a large vertical basket as opposed to a wide one and you should be able to manuever pretty easily.

[trailerkid]

Thanks for the response guys...I was mainly looking for a positive response to not have laundry facilities in my new place and not having a car to get to a nearby one.

Just get a cart and walk or use a bike trailer to haul it.  Of course, I carted laundry to a laundromat that was only a few blocks away at my old place.  Now I'm an inefficient rouge with on-site laundry.

I've also seen plenty of people on the bus with laundry.  The 51 seems to be popular for that.  Get a large vertical basket as opposed to a wide one and you should be able to manuever pretty easily.

Any idea where to buy these? Places like Target or online?

or pay someone to do it for you, by the pound. outsource!

Any idea the price for "outsourcing" laundry? Does anyone on the board do this? I know Hangers even does pickup/delivery which would be ideal, but I'm not sure how economic it would be. It makes me feel bourgie having someone do my laundry. What I think might work well is doing my whites, t-shirts, etc. at the laundromat using the bus or bike and outsourcing some of the other collared shirts and slacks weekly to a cleaner.

Thanks again for the brainstorming and advice... 

[warwickland]

move to kansas city where there are washing machines in the dark basements of the magical collonades.

[moderne]

  That reminds me of my first apartment out of college in an old collonade on Central.  Went to do laundry in the dark dank basement and there was on an eye level ledge a giant cockroach with antannae at least siz inches long.  I could swear it was sizing me up as a meal.  I left my clothes in the washer and never came back for them, paid a kid down the hall to retrieve my laundry.

[Long]

Personally, in this part of the country, I would own an older, cheap yet reliable car and just keep it parked somewhere safe before I would completely give it up.  Just because you own a car doesn't mean you have to be a slave to it.  You can still take the bus and walk 95% of the time, but you aren't forced to jump through hoops if you want to go somewhere not served by the bus.

Also, you could coordinate trips to the laundromat and grocery store with a friend.  When I didn't have a car for a few months in downtown KC, laundry wasn't a problem because I had facilities on site, but I had a rotation of friends that I would ride with to the grocery store or Target.

[voltopt]

no laundrymat in downtown lawrence!  for shame!

i didn't have a car for four years of my experience in manhattan ks, but living on bluemont put me two blocks away from the 24 hour laundrymat on moro.  i would just carry the laundry basket over there when i did laundry - or i'd use this old mail carrier's canvas bag that i had...

nowadays it either the colonnaded basement (i'm on my fourth!) or walking two blocks to the mat on 39th street.

[GuyInLenexa]

My washing machine went out a few months ago, and I used a bundle laundry service at the Lenexa Coin Laundry, on Santa Fe in Old Town Lenexa.
It was sort of pricey (at least I thought) $1.15 a pound with a nine pound minimum ($9.20).  Of course you would still have to get it there and back.  A bicycle is OK if the weather is nice and your are feeling well, I could not imagine transporting more than one or two loads on a bike, especially keeping it unwrinkled on the trek back home.  For me, when I did not have a W/D when I lived in The Plaza, I seemed to procrastinate my laundry until I was wading in it.  When I bought my house in Lenexa, the most excited thing to me was to have a washer and dryer again.
Maybe you could become a nudist. either way, good luck.

[Tosspot]

I throw my laundry in the back of the Focus and drive to KCK to visit my mom and use her facilities.

[nota]

So many college students just take their laundry home for mom to do while she cooks them some nice meals and makes care packages for them to take home.

Seriously, if you want the cart thing-look for one of those basket-like things with wheels that folks who walk to do their grocery shopping use. My son used one of those when he lived in an apartment in Fort Wayne. I used it when I went there too.

Target or Walmart, etc. Shouldnt' be over $20 or so.

I guess you could also put your laundry basket on one of those luggage carts with a bungee cord.

[nota]

Heres a pic although I think you can get it cheaper somewhere else.

You could just get yourself a shopping cart and then you would look like one of the street people. (JOKEJOKEJOKE)

[chrizow]

real urbanists don't wash clothes.  don't you feel like Johnny JoCo standing there with your detergent and fabric softener? 

L-7 weenies, all of you. 

(passes out from body odor vapors)

[Big Red Storm]

L-7 weenies, all of you.

Haha!  Yes 

[KCK]

There is a laundromat a mere 3 blocks from my house. Not that I would walk there because since I hate laundromats with a passion, I go rarely and I take basically 4 or 5 loads, which would be impossible to carry.

[nota]

FWIW-I use a laundromat here in the Northland now and then for large items that won't fit into my own machines. I love the lady that owns/runs it. She does a lot of bundle laundry for people. I consider myself really good at laundry and I watch her doing these folk's clothes with such effort and care. She does a good job. The prices are reasonable for doing laundry. There is a reason for the prices they charge.