3 ms·

These are quite common in college towns.

wallflower 17y ago
What is the experience like? I'd like to not marry a dive bar with a from-the-70s laundromat. Maybe something like a velvetty wine bar with little coasters that blipped out which cycle your wash was in. When your wash was done, you'd go through the airlock into the space-age laundromat (think sushi bar with automated conveyer belts that would help you move your wet clothes to an open dryer).
- msluyter 17y ago
  There was one near my school. I went there a few times, it was fairly grungy, with cheap decor, beer signs, etc... Laundry room was divided from bar (with plexiglass windows so you could monitor your clothes) and they also had like cheap nachos and other snacks. I think there were TVs with sports. It was ok, but never felt like a place I wanted to spend more time in than I had to. One serious donwnside (for poor college students like me), iirc, was that the machines were more expensive than at regular laundrymats.
- stcredzero 17y ago
  First off, I'd invest in combined washer/dryer machines. This would eliminate the need for you to move clothes from one machine to another. http://amzn.com/B000QFGY7C http://amzn.com/B000QFGY7C Add a bunch of other automated conveniences, which replicate aspects of a Cafe, gym, bookstore, co-working office, copy center, post office, etc. But have superior design and decor, with attendants onsite to ensure the place stays clean and comfortable. Your "airlock" might be key. Concentrate resources to keep a "core" area with optimum presentation and maximally clean and comfortable. Have these areas separated from the other "utility" areas. Basically, you'd be pooling infrastructure expenses for various conveniences with other users. This sort of thing has happened before. In the old days it was called a "city block." Unfortunately, such infrastructure leaves something to be desired in terms of design. The result is less than optimally clean and convenient. I wonder if there's an opportunity for a new kind of "co-working mall" as infrastructure? Have private-enterprise services compete to provide services, all within a few minutes walk, inside an optimally designed environment? (Perhaps these could start inside Hotels and Airports?)
- joe_bleau 17y ago
  No idea on the experience (never been in a bar, and college was a long time ago). Judging by outside appearances of the ones I've seen, I'd say that your dive bar + 70s laundromat isn't far off.

What is the experience like? I'd like to not marry a dive bar with a from-the-70s laundromat. Maybe something like a velvetty wine bar with little coasters that blipped out which cycle your wash was in. When your wash was done, you'd go through the airlock into the space-age laundromat (think sushi bar with automated conveyer belts that would help you move your wet clothes to an open dryer).

msluyter 17y ago
There was one near my school. I went there a few times, it was fairly grungy, with cheap decor, beer signs, etc... Laundry room was divided from bar (with plexiglass windows so you could monitor your clothes) and they also had like cheap nachos and other snacks. I think there were TVs with sports. It was ok, but never felt like a place I wanted to spend more time in than I had to. One serious donwnside (for poor college students like me), iirc, was that the machines were more expensive than at regular laundrymats.
stcredzero 17y ago
First off, I'd invest in combined washer/dryer machines. This would eliminate the need for you to move clothes from one machine to another. http://amzn.com/B000QFGY7C http://amzn.com/B000QFGY7C Add a bunch of other automated conveniences, which replicate aspects of a Cafe, gym, bookstore, co-working office, copy center, post office, etc. But have superior design and decor, with attendants onsite to ensure the place stays clean and comfortable. Your "airlock" might be key. Concentrate resources to keep a "core" area with optimum presentation and maximally clean and comfortable. Have these areas separated from the other "utility" areas. Basically, you'd be pooling infrastructure expenses for various conveniences with other users. This sort of thing has happened before. In the old days it was called a "city block." Unfortunately, such infrastructure leaves something to be desired in terms of design. The result is less than optimally clean and convenient. I wonder if there's an opportunity for a new kind of "co-working mall" as infrastructure? Have private-enterprise services compete to provide services, all within a few minutes walk, inside an optimally designed environment? (Perhaps these could start inside Hotels and Airports?)
joe_bleau 17y ago
No idea on the experience (never been in a bar, and college was a long time ago). Judging by outside appearances of the ones I've seen, I'd say that your dive bar + 70s laundromat isn't far off.