One of the main reasons my Mom was excited about moving into our apartment on Bronx Park East in the '50s was that the basement had a washer and dryer. It also had an extractor which I don't think any longer exists. It was a machine that extracted some of the water before you put it in the dryer. It was noisy and shook and kind of scary. Actually, the whole process of washing clothes and drying your clothes in the Bronx was scary. You had to go down under our apartment building into the dark, smelly, creepy basement. That's where you found the washing machine and dryer and extractor. I hated to go down there and came up with any excuse to not help my mother with the laundry but to know avail. I was not very helpful in the house and this was the one task I could do and my Mom made sure I did it!
I had heard that monsters lived in the back of the basement where the bicycles and carriages were stored. I never had the nerves to go back there by myself. Always about halfway there, I would hear something or see something and freak out and run back to the washing machine. It didn't help that on the way to the back of the basement you passed the furnace room. What could be more scary than seeing huge lumps of coal burning and a furnace in the dark. I was waiting for a ghost or monster to jump out at any second. I was happy when I got older and the laundry tasks went to my younger brother and I did not have to go down into that nasty, creepy, ugly dark basement. I swore then that someday I would have my own washing machine. I would not have to go anywhere outside my home
That worked until last month when my Sears washing machine broke down. I'm still working on getting a new one, but in the meantime I found a laundromat on Summit avenue pretty close to my house. What a trip it was to go inside a laundromat. I don't think I had been in one since college
Refuel Wash-n-go Laundromat is conveniently located on Summit avenue by 29. It is also attached to a gas station and convenience store which made waiting on the wash to finish easy. I filled my car with gas and got myself a diet Coke and before I knew it the washing cycle had ended. The place was pretty clean. Looks like it is attended by the same staff that takes care of the convenience store. I must send out Kudos to one of the women who work there. When I approached her to help me with the washing machine, She was incredibly helpful showing me where to put the coins, where to put the detergent, etc. I really appreciated that!
The washing cycle for the pretty large load was around $5. Not cheap but not expensive. What surprised me is how quickly it washes your clothes. My cycle at home takes an hour over; here it was 20 minutes ! The laundromat was well stocked with baskets with wheels and countertops. I wish they had some place to sit. Those of us that were washing clothes had to sit on the curb outside. Before I knew it, the clothes were clean, I threw them in a big garbage bag and went home to put them in the dryer. Great to know that this place is down the street when needed. And for those of you who rely on an outside source to get your clothes washed, this place looked pretty good to me. And like I said, you could throw your clothes in and then get some gas and get yourself a snack and time will pass pretty quickly
I may miss my Mom and my friends on Bronx Park East. I may miss singing in the chorus of PS96. I may miss the botanical gardens and the Bronx Zoo. But I will never miss that creepy, dark basement at 2526 Bronx Park East and that scary experience of having to wash and dry our clothes down there.
I'm so glad I have the Refuel Wash-n-Go laundromat as an alternative! read more