13 February 2007

CVS Wins


Not sure when this happened, but the Pricewise Discount pharmacy that operated out of a subterranean space on Bleecker Street near Thompson seems to have closed for good. The signage proclaims a North Fork Bank branch is coming soon.

Pricewise was a peculiar, tumble-down drug store with friendly help and a riot of goods spread over two unruly rooms. It had true Village character. It fought a fierce fight when CVS opened up directly next door some years ago, but the endless proliferation of corporate chains appears to have done it in once and for all. CVS remains standing. Hurrah for free enterprise.

2 comments:

Jamie said...

My friend's Dad owns/owned many Pricewise stores over the years. I sent her your post because when I read it I was sad thinking for sure that they had all closed. I moved to LA a few months ago but for years I had loved shopping in the Upper West Side location on Broadway and 82nd street. My friend responded with some good news:

"It absolutely still is open on the UWS. The downtown store was the only one that my father did not share with his partner Zvi. After several mishaps (fires, etc.) Zvi just had to close its doors."

Anonymous said...

I used worked there by the eighties.It was my first job in US.It was sad to know they closed for good.It bring me a lots of memory and I missed it.I wonder what happened with Edison Lim, the guy who run that place.