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I Wish This Was is a series of badly Photoshopped images that transform ignored, vacant lots and properties in Orlando into something the City Beautiful can be proud of. 

The Thornton Park Laundry is a staple of the local neighborhood [GMap].  Renters from all over Thornton Park use the laundromat as a weekly excuse to have a pitcher at nearby bars and restaurants. In between cycles, visitors often end up down the street at Wildside BBQ or Burton’s, but a number of customers try to find something to keep them occupied at the laundromat for the hour and a half it takes to wash their clothes.

We’d love to use this week’s wish to activate the laundromat into a one-stop shop for local laundry-doers. The “Lost Sock” as we’re calling it, could have a library in the back, a little cafe/bar setup to sell drinks to customers, and some quiet spaces off to the side with some WiFi to keep people busy. Make the machines eco-friendly and we’d love it even more.

The vacant lot next door would make a great adjoining community garden space too. So great in fact, we made it a past I Wish This Was feature HERE.

Other examples laundromat hybrid spaces include:

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The Laundromat Cafe in Reykjavik, Iceland. Photo via trover.com

SPINCAFE

Spin Laundry Lounge in Portland, Oregon. Photo via shopkeep.com

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Wasbar in Gent, Belgium. Photo via popupcity.net

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Cafe Laundromat in Oslo, Norway. Photo via nordicdesign.ca

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Tumbleweed Laundry in Marfa, Texas. Photo via

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Brainwash Laundromat in San Francisco, California. Photo via southofmarketblog.wordpress.com

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Gore Street Cafe in Sault Ste Marie, Ontario, Canada. They have concerts and art shows here.

Brendan O'Connor

Editor in Chief of Bungalower.com

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