4th & Temple Laundromat

About this location

A few stories people tell about this place

1. One morning, while folding clothes in the early light of dawn, a regular noticed something odd: every Thursday at exactly 8:15 AM, an old-fashioned jukebox would start playing faintly from behind the dryers. No one else seemed to hear it. Curious, the regular asked around, and soon enough everyone knew about the mysterious jukebox. One Thursday, a delivery driver dared himself to listen closely—and heard not just music but also someone humming along. Turns out, it was an elderly gentleman next door who’d forgotten he had his headphones on. The neighborhood now gathers weekly for coffee and stories, grateful for the daily serenade.

2. One day, while sorting socks in the noisy hum of dryers, an old lady asked her neighbor: ‘Do you ever wonder why our quarters always seem to vanish here?’ Her neighbor shrugged and replied with a smile, 'Probably because they’re being used as secret quarters for all the clothes that never come out of these machines!' They both laughed, realizing it was indeed a mystery—until someone found a quarter stuck between two dryer drums.

3. One afternoon, while loading clothes into the machines, a little girl pointed excitedly and whispered, ‘Mommy, look! The washing machine is dancing!’ The mother smiled, leaning in closer to see. Just then, an old lady from across the aisle chimed in, 'Why, that was Mr. Johnson's machine—he always does that when it's his turn!' Everyone laughed, realizing it wasn't magic but just another quirky habit of their neighborhood laundromat.

4. One foggy morning, while folding towels under the soft glow of fluorescent lights, a delivery driver swore he saw a ghostly figure folding shirts just out of reach. The delivery driver mentioned it to his co-workers, and soon everyone in the laundromat was talking about the mysterious folder. One day, an elderly lady approached him with a smile: ‘Don’t worry, honey,’ she said, ‘that’s just old Mrs. Jenkins, our neighborhood historian. She loves to help out here on quiet days.’