About Us

Our Location

Come pay us a visit! We’re located in the heart of the culturally rich Upper West Side, steps from the American Museum of Natural History, Central Park, and more iconic landmarks.

383 Amsterdam Ave,
Between 78th and 79th streets
New York, NY 10024
212.787.7182

Hours

Monday 8 AM - 4 PM
Tuesday 8 AM - 4 PM
Wednesday 8 AM - 4 PM
Thursday 8 AM - 4 PM
Friday 8 AM - 4 PM
Saturday 9 AM - 3 PM
Sunday Closed

A stalwart of the Upper West Side, we’re proud to be part of the rich fabric that makes this community so special.

Apthorp Cleaners has a reputation for excellence — and after over 40 years in business, we’ve earned it. Founded by Debra and Joel Kravet, Apthorp Cleaners has spent decades cementing ourselves as the westsider’s dry cleaner. We tackle it all: From routine maintenance of your more delicate items, to a deep clean of that custom gown that’s been in your family for generations. Our customers know that if they have a beloved but damaged item, bringing it to Apthorp is its best chance at restoration.

It’s been our honor over the years to ensure that our customers’ clothes last longer, look better, and help them feel their best during some of the most important moments of their lives. Our services are so unique we even have customers who FedEx their clothes and specialty items to us. That’s how much they trust and value the cleaning services we provide.

Some have called us “lifesavers.” Others use the word “miracle workers.” While we can’t promise miracles, we can guarantee that every item that passes through our doors is properly handled and receives a full treatment assessment. Every detail is checked, rechecked, and checked again. That’s the way we’ve done business since 1982.

We offer traditional dry cleaning, organic dry cleaning, professional wet cleaning, hand cleaning and various stain treatments, restoration, and specialty services. While most cleaners send your clothing to an outside third party for bulk cleaning, Apthorp does things differently. We designed and built our very own state-of-the-art facility where we handle only our customers’ garments.

The Beginning

Like any small business, Apthorp Cleaners had to start somewhere. And believe it or not, our dream of owning and operating a dry cleaning business first came alive at a racetrack.

The year was 1982. The early 1980s recession still lingered and we were at a crossroads. Our backgrounds were in interior design and the luxury textile industries, and we were open to new opportunities. Based in North Carolina at the time, we took a trip to New York to visit some family. While at the racetrack, a chance encounter with a friend set us in a completely new direction and on the course we remain today.

Our friend, the second-generation owner of a family cleaning business, suggested we check out a cleaners’ storefront that was for sale in the historic Apthorp Building. Instantly, we knew this was the new opportunity we’d been looking for. In fact, we never went back to that North Carolina apartment.

We changed the name to Apthorp Cleaners, capitalizing on the heritage of the legendary apartment building. When the building was sold 26 years later, we moved to our current location at 383 Amsterdam Avenue. We retained the Apthorp Cleaners name, along with our reputation as the westside’s cleaner.

So much has changed in the years since fate brought us to New York City, but one thing remains the same: Apthorp Cleaners is still very much a family business with strong ties to our neighborhood.

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