March 10, 2008
Walgreens Drug Store Now Open in D.C.
In other large chain retail outlet opening news, there's now a Walgreens drug store in the District. Our own Fredo Alvarez snapped this photo of the new store while out and about today, the first of its kind in D.C., at 22nd and M Streets NW. For those of you unfamiliar with the Chicago-based drug chain, it's been the dominant drug store in pretty much every other part of the country for a long time now, and in my experience, provides above-average service at most of their stores. It couldn't possibly be worse than what we get at our local Rite-Aid or CVS stores, in any event.
The Post reported on the opening, and notes that there is a CVS right across the street. According to the company's press release, the new Walgreens will be open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and boasts additional services such as coffee and fountain drinks, printer cartridge refills and DHL shipping services.
Walgreens plans to open another store in the space where the famous Yenching Palace used to be on Connecticut Ave.
Photo by Fredo Alvarez
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As a long-time resident of the District, I have been accustomed to bitter, unfriendly, unhelpful staff at chains such as CVS.
When I went to Walgreen's the other day, the kindness and the helpfulness of staff really confused and astounded me.
THREE, yes, THREE separate employees asked me whether they could help me find something, as I wandered through the aisles.
But, what really took the cake is when an employee offered to give me an alternative for a brand I could not find, at the same price.
No one has ever treated me so nicely at a DC-area pharmacy--I was too stunned to accept her offer, and nearly stumbled out the store, disorientated, dazed and confused.
It's been open for a while. I bought a toothbrush there four weeks ago.
Duane Reed does not approve.....
CVS is ripe for overthrow. Their stores in DC are often filthy. And apparently CVS 'customer service' is where employees even the DC government wouldn't hire go.
good to hear...hopefully this trend will continue when harris teeter opens up its two stores in town. we need the crappy level of service at the grocery stores to change too.
I love Walgreens! Back home in Kentucky "Walgreens" is nearly synonymous with "pharmacy," and their customer service is indeed wonderful. It's a few blocks out of my way, but I'll definitely be making stops here from now on.
I wish a Walgreens would open up in Columbia Heights. Maybe then CVS would stop keeping essential items like deodorant under lock and key, forcing customers to find a usually nonexistent staff person.
I am from Florida and grew up with Walgreens. The store is awesome. Mush better than CVS.
As a Chicagoan, I grew up with Walgreen's (although, I am from a small enough town that we thought Walgreen's was down market and preferred our local pharmacist). And spent many high school weekend nights at Wag's, Walgreen's 24-hour freestanding diners (long since gone).
They have a 100+ year presence in California, and I can't be sure, but they at least out there did a much better job at tailoring product mix for the neighborhood. (In the Castro, they must offer 30 different kinds of lube, for instance. And in my old neighborhood in Oakland, they were sort of like a general store but they were competing against Long's in the East Bay, which really WAS like a general store.)
Anyway, I think this is a good thing. I was excited to see the sign the other day. I don't mind CVS, but I try to stick to the one's the suburbs if I can which are a lot less iffy.
we got one in old town a couple of months ago. i too am a kentuckian and used to seeing a Walgreens on every street corner. so i'm pretty stoked, except they don't have the make-up selection i'm used to. is that an issue in DC? i should just go to target...
Wow, 10 posts and I'm surprised that a bitter yokel still hasn't chimed in, still lamenting the demise of People's Drug.
CVS is disgusting. I've never experienced such an incompetent drug store. The pharmacist at CVS on Columbia gave me THE WRONG PRESCRIPTION! And in my stupid naivety, I assumed the pharmacist would have given me the correct one, so I did not double check. I ended up four months overseas with the WRONG prescription. Luckily, it was not life threatening, but often prescriptions are a matter of life and death. I was able to take the prescription they gave me as a substitute, although it did not work as well. My four month stint overseas cooled my desire to file a formal complaint, but I do not patronize CVS (unless absolutely necessary) and I always check prescriptions extra carefully before leaving any drugstore.
Maybe there is new hope in Walgreens?
Spookiness, don't forget Dart Drug....I'm 27 and vaguely remember heading to dart drug as a kid.
Forget Walgreens. A hundred eighty dollars for a cremation receptacle? Goddammit, is there a Ralph's around here?
Wow, 10 posts and I'm surprised that a bitter yokel still hasn't chimed in, still lamenting the demise of People's Drug.
Because People's Drug only sucked slightely less than CVS. It's like saying bone cancer is "better" than lymphatic cancer.
Still, at least a People's pharmacist is less likely screw up your prescription and give you a month's supply of arsenic suppositories for your scalp condition. True story.
I don't know about People's Drug, but when CVS acquired Revco, they sure screwed up those stores.
death to cvs.
Rodman's Drug is the only drugstore in DC worth going to. The definition of "drugstore" excluding Ray-Ray and Antwayne on the corner of 7th and O.
Yeah, Peoples and Dart Drug sucked. Although at least they were our sucky chains. And at Dart, you could usually count on a Crown Books being right next door (same wacky family owned both) so you could do your book and drug shopping all in one stop.
Still, overall not much for us yokels to be bitter about on this one.
Did they have to get rid of Lulu's for ANOTHER Starbucks (Illy café is on the next corner) and ANOTHER 24 hour pharmacy? Not saying that Lulu's was the best place but it had its uses.
Does anyone know when the Walgreen's is going to move into the old Yenching Palace space? Also, I've heard a rumor that the CVS in Cleveland Park is going to turn their expansion into some sort of mini-clinic. Can someone confirm or deny?
The only good thing about Lulu's was the endless supply of temporarily wild women willing to proffer boobs for beads on Mardi Gras...
They're popping up like weeds all over Alexandria extended..most right across the street from Rite Aids and CVSs.
Like Mellbell, I also lived near a Walgreens back in Kentucky--right down the block from me. It was great. It'd get mobbed Christmas day since it was the only thing besides the movie theaters open in my crappy little city.
I too join the chorus of CVS haters. Long lines and non-existent service suck.
I grew up with Walgreens. I'm glad to see them in DC!
DCTattoo,
I live in the building next door to Yenching. They are keeping us aware of all movements and as of yet we have not gotten a date on construction. They have a lot of work to do with D.C. and preserving the face of the building. CVS I have heard is going to go 24 hours to compete but thats against Cleveland Park zoning I hear. I am no lawyer and have no inside info but that is word on the street in regards to CVS. Walgreens has gone out of their way to make sure we are comfortable and thats speaks volumes and shows way more consideration than CVS. I am switching pharmacies ASAP, although I will miss Nasty Nate and CVS's inate ability to make you feel less than welcome.