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Independent Pharmacy Relocates to 43rd Avenue

Photo: QueensPost

Feb. 17, 2013 By Christian Murray

Laven Pharmacy, an independent drug store that has been operating out of 41-31 Queens Blvd, has moved location.

The pharmacy reopened this week at 43-20 43rd Avenue, after spending several years on Queens Blvd.

The new location was once the space occupied by a 99 cents store—and was going to be a performing arts studio, until it was blocked by zoning rules. The performing arts studio eventually found space above Key Food on Queens Blvd (46th Street).

The previous location of Laven Pharmacy remains empty and there is no word of a new tenant moving into the location.  The owner of E-Bike, which is located next door, has no intention of taking the space—despite having several bikes parked out front of the empty store.

File photo (Photo: SunnysidePost)

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35 Comments

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Ogeebee

This activity is going to be reported for the open motor oil bottles on a public thoroughfare.

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Simon

I’m glad to see someone else is as passionate about getting these ebikes off the sidewalks.

I’ve stood in their way many times forcing them off the sidewalks when I do see them zipping down, and I’ll continue to do this until they respect every one of us who is a potential target as we walk down the sidewalks.

This was an issue that I alerted the Sunnyside Post to over a year ago. http://sunnysidepost.com/2011/12/26/deliverymen-ride-scooters-on-sidewalks/

It’s gotten better but there are still those top offenders as Rick mentioned. Yes Golden Wok…especially the girl in the pink hat!

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Mr. Murphy

Just last week, a delivery guy on a moped on the sidewalk, came very close to hitting an elderly man walking with a cane. We should lodge more complaints to Van Bramer and make a mention at the next community board meeting.

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nope

The delivery guys went from cycling to e-bikes? Their bosses bought the bikes and told them to use them. It’s faster delivery. Why blame them? Blame the restaurant owners.

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ferdia

Ridiculous. I remember a few years back… wow a lot actually, a fellow was killed by a cyclist. There was talk of banning bikes. It was the first time a pedestrian had been killed by a cyclist in 25 years and clearly that meant things were out of control at the time we were averaging a pedestrian a day killed by cars. Now we should be targeting specific groups of cyclists for not following vehicle laws? To wit, the pedestrian most likely at risk from a wrong way cyclist is breaking the law themselves.
I’m sure the numbers have changed but I doubt we should be dedicating more energy to policing bikes.
And, btw, bike lanes suck. The old rules were better for cyclists but poorly enforced.

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SuperWittySmitty

The blue awning they left behind looks filthy. Presumably, there are laws already on the books that govern so much of the behavior we’re all speaking of, and no one wants to add more laws. all we can do it turn to our politicians and keep the pressure on.

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Jay

Good luck trying to get delivery guys to obey the rules. They are mostly from third world countries where anything goes in the traffic rules department. There is no reason they will act any differently here without proper enforcement. Enforcement will happen for about 5 minutes and then be forgotten about in typical NYC fashion.

The real issue here is the ugly awning that most businesses in Sunnyside have installed. Nothing makes this look like a cheap ghetto hood more than the brightly colored plastic crap hanging over all the stores.

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SunnysidePostHatesMe

There goes the lame admin deleting my comments again , I hope one day Squirts spits on you. An angel will get his wings on that day.

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Local Hamburgler

Anyone have more info on the Asian pharmacy or holisic health center on 43rd ave next to Rite Aid? I saw a legitimate opiate junkie stroll out of there with a bag of pill bottles.

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Rick Duro

Nah, I’m not into uniforms and guns. Having driven mopeds, mini bikes & motorcycles, I can recognize what 20mph is. There is no defense for driving a motorized vehicle on a sideWALK. The only people who should be on wheels on a city sidewalk are children on their bikes, or someone in a wheelchair.

Doing so is reckless, ignorant and greedy.

The legislation proposed by the city council would help. Fine the restaurants a few hundred $ a pop and see them change their ways.

Feel free to drive them all over the city. Just stay in the street and drive in the right direction. Use the bike lanes. If you fear getting smoked by a car, then that line of work may not be for you. We have laws for vehicles. Follow them.

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SuperWittySmitty

From what I can see, the majority of e-bikers, along with the majority of bicyclists going the wrong way on our streets, are delivering food for some local restaurant. Although we shouldn’t have to look both ways when crossing a one-way street, many of us have learned to do otherwise, since these vehicles are very quiet. The folks that are using these delivery methods need to get the message.

The authorities need to send a strong warning to businesses that use these guys to deliver their products; here and throughout the city- traffic laws are there to protect the population and ignoring these regulations is putting pedestrians in danger. The laws needed to be enforced, and there shouldn’t be any ignorance of what is and is not acceptable. Instead of ticket-blitzing and unfairly targeting bike-commuters, we need to target the delivery men, or the companies they work for.

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Rick Duro

Yes, bikes are GREAT for the environment. I think I can recognize what 20+ mph looks like.

Keep off the damn sidewalks. It’s not too much to ask…got that Golden Wok?!

RD

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ferdia

@ Rick. The sidewalk issues notwithstanding, federal law protects them and state law does as well though to a lesser extent. But federal law wins. If you were a human radar gun your argument might hold up in court but until you develop superpowers we’ll have to go with the specs.
Having said that, the laws themselves are stupid, the people that are expected to enforce them I’ll trained to the point of ignorance, and those who prosecute are wary of pushing the issue. So who could blame the cops for not knowing how to handle them?

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Guttersnipe

Stop that E-bike guy from taking over that sidewalk. Stop him from fixing the bikes on the sidewalk, leaving oil, grease, parts everywhere and choking off the walking area for people on Qns Blvd. Stop the dog people from letting their dogs urinate and deficate on our sidewalks. Just stop it, stop it, STOP THE INSANITY!!!! Let’s take back our streets!!!

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Rick Duro

He’s already been alerted to ebike on the sidewalk complaints and has stepped up:

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/queens/putting-brakes-e-bikes-article-1.1113338

I am all for e-bikes, great alternative to the car, for people who don’t have the stamina to ride a regular bike, take up less parking spaces, etc etc.

The only issue I have is that they regularly drive on the sidewalks, sometimes @ excessive speeds. Notice the word ‘walk’ is in that word, not ‘drive’ or ‘ride’. Interesting, they wear helmets, do pedestrians now need to mull over that option to avoid being injured by these reckless idiots?

Stay off the sidewalks, ride in the bike lane. If there is a car parked in the bike lane, ride around it. Hopefully the car gets a ticket for blocking your lane.

RD

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angela

why doesn’t everyone that has a complaint on here about these bikes being all over the sidewalk go to your congressman (Jimmy) and see what he can do —

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southie

I’m with THEMAN-
Guilia’s was THE BEST! I miss those days. We seem to have so many passionate Sunnysiders on this blog, but businesses continue to fail. A majority of Sunnysiders TALK a good game about supporting the neighborhood, supporting local businesses, but the fact is the local community isn’t supporting them enough.
EVERYONE-put your money where your mouth is and STEP UP! Stop treating this neighborhood like a place to rest your head in between trips to Manhattan and Brooklyn. The only way Sunnyside will survive is if people invest locally. ANyone can make a “night” out of Sunnyside-between all the restaurant choices, there’s no need to go further than this neighborhood for a great night out. But it just doesn’t seem to happen, and then people moan when another business fails?

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Rick Duro

Also, it definitely isn’t legal to use a city sidewalk to do daily mechanical work on one of these e-bikes, which is what that ‘shop’ is doing.

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Rick Duro

e bikes are indeed illegal to drive in NYC-from the NYS Department of Transportation: electric bicycles are illegal, because they cannot be registered with the state Department of Motor Vehicles.

Also, driving them on the SIDEWALK is incredibly dangerous (as well as just plain stupid). Eventually, someone is going to get seriously hurt.

I have seen them easily exceeding 20mph on the sidewalks, bullying people to move over for them. Golden Wok is the biggest offender in the ‘hood. A true menace to society.

If they are operated on the streets, 20mph or less, in one of the many bike lanes we have created, hey, I’m all for it. But, stay off the damn sidewalk.

RD

Reply
86Mets

@ice nine

An awning cleaner would be good too. Even some of the nicer canopies are dirty and could use a wash.

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Bernie

Nice to see a real pharmacy open up nearby — we have enough of those big chain stores like Rite Aid that sell everything else but real medical stuff. I’m with the other two responder before me, why hasn’t the city closed down the illegal e-bike mess, at least fine the crap out of them…someone must be protecting it.

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SunnysidePostHatesMe

not to mention Squirts the Channnnnge bum now stands in front of here. All you need is a pimp slapping his hoe and you got ol’ school times square.

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Rick Duro

The guy next door, who fixes and sells illegal e-bikes, has since taken over that area of sidewalk. He fixes the bikes ON the sidewalk, leaving oil, grease, parts everywhere and choking off the walking area for people on Qns Blvd.

Reply

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