Photo: QueensPost
Jan. 3, 2013 Staff Report
An independent pharmacy is opening at 43-20 43rd Avenue (between 43rd and 44th Street).
The pharmacy takes over the space that was once a 99 cent store– and was at one point going to be a performing arts studio.
The performing arts studio was unable to open due to arcane zoning rules.
Rockway Pharmacy is expected to open at the end of the month.
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@sue. Dr Zuckman is a great general practitioner. Even has great reviews on Yelp. He,
Is located at 45 St. Good luck.
Opening a business and running it successfully for year after year isn’t easy. First of all, WE prefer them to be open all of the time and for them to offer everything, really cheaply. The less thinking and human interaction, the better.
What sort of businesses do we want? Which ones will survive? Are we making it too difficult, too easy? Are the landlords compliant, or shady? There are people who have this information; sadly, most of it is being ignored here.
@ Sue – try Dr. Michael Zuckman at 718-361-5261 or Dr. Hermann Escobar at 347-832-0192. They are both good doctors and they are both very nice.
Sunnyside has become the land of pharmacies and banks! lol…Citibank, Capital One Bank, TD Bank, two (2) Chase Banks, Bank of America and Dime Savings Bank. Have I missed any? Somebody else can list all the pharmacies. 🙂
43rd Avenue around the higher numbers (47th up) is not too nice. Also, stores don’t last very long although there is a great haircutter on 43rd Avenue neaer 49th Street.
and I don’t mean it’s happened just once!
The site censors me too … anytime I try to bring up a certain person and/or her boyfriend.
I only meant that censoring people is a slippery slope and once a moderator starts censoring people , they start letting the power corrupt. Then they start censoring more and more people and soon a site that’s meant to cover news turns into a slanted biased agenda ridden site.
Whether you like what some people say or not the point is that you are in a society and have to learn to DEAL with others.
except squirts the shitter, that dude gots to GO.
Can anyone recommend a good primary care doctor in the area? (I know the thread is about pharmacies, but I don’t have much to say about the subject. I’ve just wanted a medical-related post to ask this.)
I think parts of 43rd Ave. are still perfectly nice (I’m obviously biased), but it depends on which parts.
On a side note, the real question is: Are these businesses legitimate or just covers for some other sort of business.
What confuses me the most is the party planning store on 48th Ave. & 46th St. Are you seriously telling me the neighborhood can support a tiny mom & pop party planning store…with minimal stock…way far away from Queens Blvd., with no foot traffic…
Anyone know if it’s still around or what’s going on there?
@therealruben definitely threatened the Post lol, “I believe this site has censored me. I don’t think they want to do that, to limit freedom of speech…is dangerous for a site”
What do you mean by “dangerous”?
43rd Avenue – which has some nice buildings – is turning into a dump.
I find it ridiculous that with all the RACISTS, HOMOPHOBES and SEXIST people that post on this forum the site moderator decides I”M THE ONE TO TARGET,
Go read the comments and look at who the real problem makers are you goober.
I am TheRealRubin. My brilliant thoughts must not be Censored!
Maybe more competition is better for us.. plus maybe more services than what we have all ready… and maybe better service as well..let s see what happens when they open up….. plus at least the store is not empty anymore…..
Signage is the most UNREGULATED and UNENFORCED thing in this city. That owner or contractor did not obtain a sign permit, which is required by NYC Zoning Resolution. I am a former code consultant, and I recall reading an article 10 yrs ago that said if the Mayor of NY wanted to solve a fiscal crisis, all he would have to do is force all signs to be permitted. Many of them on sides of buildings (such as along the BQE or Bruckner) were erected without permits. The author did note though that there are just so many, millions of them, that it would require an initial investment by the city – to form a team that would enforce regulations and permits or issue fines to landlords / property owners until they demolish or remove the incompliant signage.
Is Rockway a mistranslation of Rockaway, a suggestion of crack rock or an allusion to a business getting by the hard way?
How about having better stores? ex: Austin Street in Forest Hills. Great shops!
Hey, I know tht G-D awningg work anywherers!!! Cuban Eddie will putt up any awniing you need for only 35 bucks!! Man, he get the job done fo you an looking sharp. Back in ’76 Cuban Eddie did some work fo me when I wanted to open up a new proteen shake business called “Giblets Ina Glass” usin leftover scraps from the chickken place on 188th street. Only lasted a week, but thats why I hired Cuban Eddie! His prices is right on the G-D moneeee!!!
DAMN STRAIGHT!!!
GS
look at that awning, would you get your prescription filled there?
As I was saying before this site tried to Censor me, These places are drug fronts or Terrorist sleeper cells. one or the other.
I believe this site has censored me. I don’t think they want to do that, to limit freedom of speech…is dangerous for a site
Pharmacies make a lot of money without needing a lot of shelf space. Small rent bill and big income means profit.
It seems that 43rd Avenue is doomed to have only cheap, shabby shops with tacky storefronts. Same goes for Greenpoint Avenue. FYI, Tapenade restaurant on Queens Boulevard has closed.
I like Bliss Pharmacy also. Good service. Duane Reade drives me crazy.
The Rite Aid Pharm. on 51st has come through for me. Even when they have an electronic call to remind me my meds are available. The green ones make me stop screaming.
I switched from Duane Reade on 48th and QB to Bliss Drugs (half a block away) because at Duane Reade I experienced all of the following: shorted amounts on prescriptions (which they admitted to and corrected but that’s not the point); refills not processed; inappropriate advice from the pharmacist (“why don’t you just take X instead of Y, because I don’t feel like ordering Y, even though you and your doctor prefer it?”)
At the Rite Aid on 51st, it seemed they closed at random times. The Rite Aid on Greenpoint often had very long waits and a hostile pharmacist who berated customers. Maybe I just had the bad luck to see too many mistakes and poor behavior in too short of a time, but I’ve experienced none of that with Bliss Drugs.
I didn’t understand why there are so many pharmacies, pizza joints, .99 stores until I served on my co-op board and realized that it is better to allow smaller businesses that are higher risk for failing vs. more commercial businesses that have teams of lawyers, etc. landlord’s have the ability to deliver premises to a renter that a big company would never accept. So you have poor space, poor terms , expensive rental rates. The only way things could change is if there was community approval for types of businesses. I am not sure of the legality though. It would be great to limit the types of specific businesses. For instance pharmacies, there shouldn’t be approval for more than 10 in Sunnyside; same with pizza, .99 stores etc.
On a side note, the real question is: Are these businesses legitimate or just covers for some other sort of business.
get used to seeing more pharmacies. with all the pill heads out there, there’s lots of opportunity
Webley – I’d guess that there are a lot of elderly people, particularly immigrants, in the area. And they probably prefer the more local feel. My grandmother never shopped in big stores, she always did her shopping in mom and pop places.
I wouldn’t mind there being rules about signage in the neighborhood though. Some are just….. ugh.
we need another independent pharmacy like we need another rite aid, pizza joint, or 99c store…
@Webley
Their customers are obviously attracted to the tasteful signage.
Can someone help me understand why there are so many pharmacies in the area, and how do they survive? The only thing I can guess is that they are actually owned by the doctors or the brothers and sisters and cousins of the doctors who send prescriptions to those stores or write their own prescriptions via these stores. I really don’t understand. When there is a place like Rite Aid, Duane Reade, etc.. why would anyone buy from these pharmacies? Don’t tell me “personal service” “mom and pop store” or anything like that.. Non of these last more than few years. Does anyone remember Ararat? I wonder why they closed, the guy was helpful most of the time and he had been there for maaaaany years. If he cannot survive and close shop, how do these new ones pop all around?
The drug store’s telephone number should be SUicide 123-JUMP. Their competition will kill them within months.
Perhaps Sunnyside Post can hold a contest for the tackiest store signage and awnings. The competition will be fierce.
Well at least it’s not another pet store. With the yellow sign and red lettering I was hoping a Peruvian chicken place was moving in.
How is it that the Thalia Theatre can have dancing on stage in a store front property (not to mention plays and other performing arts), but a dance studio for kids is not allowed in another similar store front property in the same neighborhood?
Thanks a lot bureaucrats. Always tripping up the achievers and producers whenever possible.