Reader Query: Where is the Best Tailor
Colleen, a (fairly) new resident to Harlem writes:
My husband & I moved into Central Harlem (W 137th between Frederick Douglass & Adam Clayton Powell) this past July and I am wondering if you know if there is an excellent tailor in the neighborhood. I know there’s B. Oyama right around the corner from us, for custom tailoring suits and shirts, etc., but we’re looking for more like an everyday tailor, to do repairs and the like. I looked around on the blog, but didn’t see any kind of index about area services. Any help you could offer will be greatly appreciated. In fact, it would be really helpful to know where folks think the best dry cleaner is in Central Harlem, laundromat, etc.
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Anon, B. Oyama comes highly recommended — he has articles posted in his window from various local papers (Times, Post, etc.) and from what I can tell from what’s in the window, he does beautiful work on suits, shirts, etc. But I don’t think he alters other peoples’ suits — I think you go to him if you want him to make you a suit. I could be wrong, but it seems like if you want a suit custom made, that’s where you go.
Hey Colleen – Garden Cleaners on 148th and Adam Clayton is decent but I use them mainly for dry cleaning. Had a couple things altered that turned out fine but not enough experience over the last year to give them a full recommendation. But I’d recommend them over Aphrodite. Further south was a place called Marcel Cleaners (115th and 118th and FDB) – they did a decent job on a few alterations also.
Is B. Oyama good at custom tailoring?…..because I’m new to the area as well and am in search of a very good tailor to make some alterations to some suits.
To Colleen
Welcome to the neighborhood.
You may want to try a cleaners on the downtown side of 8th ave near 135th st.