Professional Services in Santa Monica

Milt Chortkoff takes laundry seriously. For more than seven decades, he's had his hand in dry-cleaning and laundry businesses in the area. The culmination of that experience is Milt & Edie's Drycleaners & Tailoring Center, which provides 24 hour service 7 days a week with seven tailors on hand each day, as well as mobile tailoring to create a well-rounded laundry experience. Because they don't skimp on what they wash, from clothes and drapes to superhero capes, and they even do shoe repair, the washhouse's services hit every aspect of the home. Clients can chow down on complimentary popcorn and refreshments while they wait. Milt & Edie's lives by a 10-point policy, which involves replacing missing buttons, sewing seams, and always keeping pant cuffs opened, brushed, and retacked. Going one step further, the launderer offers free pickup and delivery within five miles.

The crew at Sunset Hills Cleaners ousted grime from its first garment in 1968. Today, a litany of services pampers soiled textiles. Odorless dry cleaning purifies sensitive fabrics, letting the gentle rustle and hush of textiles fill the shop as staff hand finishes and presses threads. Javier, the on-staff stain expert, draws upon 22 years of experience in unsullying clothing to extricate evidence of overzealous meals and secret alliances with the Blue Man Group from apparel. A nine-point inspection ensures each garment returns to near factory-issue form, and laundry, alterations, and other services ready even suede, leather, and silk items for rides in the company’s chartreuse delivery vans.

In 1996, Food on Foot set up on the steps of the Hollywood Post Office, delivering its first chicken dinner out of the trunk of a car to neighbors experiencing homelessness. The organization quickly expanded and began serving meals every Sunday to increase food security among underserved residents. Today, Food on Foot serves that same meal of chicken, rice, and tortillas every week, as well as a variety of healthy snacks including granola bars, baby carrots, fresh fruit, and bottled water. It also distributes gently used clothing, shoes, and sleeping bags and business clothes for clients who have secured job interviews.

In 1999, Food on Foot began its Work for Food program, wherein volunteers pick up trash in the Hollywood area. Each volunteer fills two garbage bags and receives a $10 grocery-store gift card, healthy snacks, and a chicken dinner in return. After participating in the program for two months, volunteers are placed on a daily route to pick up trash while the program staff works to help them acquire a full-time job. Once participants find a job, Food on Foot funds an apartment, utilities, and transportation for three months while they become established in their new position. During this time, workers continue their daily trash route and turn in their paychecks to Food on Foot. At the end of the three-month period, they receive the uncashed checks to open a savings account.

Known for being quick and convenient, The UPS Store is a three-headed office chimera belching forth shipping, printing, and office necessities. Packaging experts take the hassle out of delivering gifts to far-off third cousins twice removed by using top-notch packaging materials and geometrical know-how. Once bundles are packed and ready to go, staffers cast them off in the customer’s desired route, from next-day air to standard ground shipping. Online tracking services and the insurance included in the UPS Pack & Ship Promise let senders rest easy knowing that each carefully packaged missive will arrive safely to the waiting hands of loved ones or wolves disguising their paws with rubber gloves. Aside from shipping parcels to faraway lands, The UPS Store also stocks an array of printing services, allowing customers to print, copy, bind, and laminate documents hassle-free.

Romeo and Kimberly Rider, the husband-and-wife team behind Skyrider Photography, shoot the vast majority of their photos using natural light. Whether outdoors or in their studio, the duo harnesses the sun's natural power to create images for everything from advertisements to vintage art. But with the rise of social media and the decreasing popularity of sculpted busts, much of the Riders' work now centers on headshot photography. They work with clients to select wardrobe pieces that blend color and texture, crafting images that will showcase personality to casting agents, bolster a website's "about me" section, or delight estranged third-grade classmates on Facebook.