• UPPER EAST SIDE

• Milton Cleaners

  1287 Madison Ave.; 212-289-9874

  Fine dry cleaning, without attitude. Locals like actress-turned-boutiquier Phoebe Cates trust Milton with fragile silks and cashmere.

• UPPER WEST SIDE

• La Mode Cleaners & Tailors

  106 W. 71st St.; 212-874-4217

  The owner, Mr. Kim, is a little gruff, but he’s got good hands and has been known to accommodate odd requests like, say, installing decorative eyelets on a sport coat. He’s no less meticulous when it comes to dry cleaning, specializing in tricky blend fabrics.

• MIDTOWN EAST

• Methinks Cleaners

  333 Lexington Ave., Ste.; 1 212-685-4124

  They take rush orders, and customers report impeccable behavior when they’ve left valuables in the laundry.

• WEST VILLAGE

• Acme Cleaners

  508 Hudson St.; 212-255-4702

  Where the local boutiques direct customers to bring their Phillip Lim. Expert work, reliable.

• LOWER EAST SIDE

• Special Touch Valet Cleaners

  405 and 559 Grand St.; 212-475-9161

  Close to Co-op Village, and open till seven (especially useful if, like most residents in the neighborhood, you don’t have a doorman for deliveries).

• FINANCIAL DISTRICT

• Four Seasons Dry Cleaners

  21 South End Ave.; 212-786-4543

  No, it’s not affiliated with the hotel chain—but they do share a commitment to careful service.

• BOERUM HILL/COBBLE HILL/CARROLL GARDENS

• Trusting Dry Cleaners

  232 Court St.; 718-643-9354

  The prices are competitive, the turnaround quick, and the couple in charge friendly.

  Complete List of Local Winners

From the 2007 Best of New York issue of New York Magazine