Laverie — Local services in New York

I have been a loyal customer to this laundromat on my street for a few years now and have always had a pleasant experience until today. I was denied the ability to do my laundry within the rules listed on the door. The sign on the door says “Last Wash at 5:30pm.”

In effort to honor the signage, I walked in the laundromat promptly at 5:30pm on the dot (literally) to do my laundry. Upon arriving today at 5:30pm sharp, I placed my laundry bag down to begin loading a washing machine and was quickly stopped by a woman (who I’ve noticed is newer to the laundromat in the recent months, and her arrival seems to correlate with this new signage). She seems to be involved in some level of management, based on the way she interacts with staff and customers. This woman is shown in the photo I took today, wearing the apron and Nikes. She told me I could not do my laundry and that I would have to leave because she needed to prep all the washing machines for the next day.

She stated that my arrival was in violation of the policy on the door and told me clients must arrive “before” 5:30pm. I pointed to the door and told her the sign says the last wash “at” 5:30pm. She disagreed with this and said it was management’s sign and that it was incorrect. If their sign is incorrect, wouldn’t they have taken it down or changed it? It’s just a printed piece of paper. It’s not hard to change.

I inquired that if I had arrived at “5:29pm” (which is when I was crossing the street), would I have then been allowed to do my laundry? She said no. She said I would have been allowed to do my laundry if I arrived “by 5:25pm or 5:26pm.” This is absolutely absurd and insulting to me as a paying and loyal customer. I have always been kind to the staff, and quietly went about doing my laundry. This woman was making up an arbitrary rule on the spot, to fit her narrative. It was clear she just wanted to kick me out for her own convenience and did not care about doing right by the customer or even basic civility. She spoke to me in a very aggressive, unprofessional tone. And based on what she told me, the sign should have said “Last wash before 5:27pm.” (Which we all know is ridiculous.)

To be treated like this is unacceptable. It is rather unfortunate for me, as I live on this street and I cannot morally or ethically justify ever returning here to do business. Sadly, there are not many laundromats in the area, which means increased walking distance for me to bring my business elsewhere (which is indeed worth the extra walk, in my opinion). I hope the above issue and behavior is addressed and handled appropriately so that no other customers are...

Updated Review on October 24th

Despite my previous encounters with Cornerstone Laundromat, they have processed a remove my credit from their app. However, their insistence on handling the refund in person instead of crediting it back to my card has been inconvenient and unsettling.

Cornerstone’s management maintains that they can't refund directly to my card. Yet, it’s disappointing that alternative satisfactory solutions were not explored, especially considering the earlier negative interactions and feelings of discomfort associated with visiting the establishment in person again.

I appreciate that a refund has been arranged, but the process has not been as accommodating or as customer-friendly as one would hope, especially after a disturbing experience. Future customers should be aware of these potential challenges in resolving issues with the management.

October 21 update: Please read owners response where treats are made. Did I grab my bag? Yes. It has a red tag. Did I give him the receipt? Yes. and they is where management (they fails to disclose name) this is where he charged at me and I responded with the same attitude as his body language and tone of voice were treading. I showed him the text with the same attitude he requested, which he ignored.

Blaming race in this neighborhood, as I am also a minority its sad to justify his anger problem. It’s human interaction, customer service, and safety at this business. Which starts from the owners.

Future clients: if you have a problem with his business, they will even try to go after your claimed employment if managmenet wakes up on the wrong side of bed.

Original comment: Exercise caution if considering Cornerstone Laundromat. Despite prior warnings about the owners’ behavior, my experience confirmed their aggressiveness. Chris or Steven displayed alarming conduct, compromising my sense of safety during a visit.

Efforts to address the issue were met with hostility and challenging communication, and I was later told that my patronage was no longer welcome. Additionally, there is an unresolved matter regarding a $200 credit refund on their app, casting further doubt on their professionalism.

On a positive note, the neighborhood offers alternative options. There’s another laundry mat, Sullivan Cleaners across the street offering similar services like drop-off, pick-up, dry-cleaning, and tailoring, providing a less treading environment where you don’t have to fear for your safety when greeted by the owners.

I advise considering alternatives to Cornerstone Laundromat due to the unfortunate encounter with the owners, Chris or...

I'm used to doing my own laundry - that was before I moved to NYC and into a building without a laundry room. Lately I've been using drop off service but I needed something to be washed immediately so I went to do it myself. When I got to Cornerstone Laundromat, it was like I completely forgot how to do my own chores.

I had to ask where to put the detergent. Then I realized, I didn't bring enough of my own so I had to buy more. I didn't know where to put my coins or how to get them out when they jammed, because I was inserting them too fast. I didn't know what size washer I needed.

I was feeling insecure and wanted to tell everyone there: "I swear I've done this before - I know how to do my own laundry!" I was a mess. Luckily the staff is friendly, helpful and super chill.

I finally got my wash going in a medium size machine ($10 - takes about 20 minutes). Drying was about $3 for 40 minutes. I like that the dryer has a cool down period so that when you take your clothes out, your hands don't get scalded by hot clothing.

If you need detergent they sell pods for $1 each.

If you need change, you can Venmo them and they'll give you cash to use their change machine.

They have baskets and roll-y carts you can borrow to fold up your laundry. It's a pretty tight squeeze in there and you have to share space with their staff who is working on laundry for those who did drop off.

Nearby, there are a lot of delicious places to hangout...