While taking a stroll to Häagen-Dazs, I saw that there was great activity in the City Chemist shop on the corner of Henry and Montague. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity for a sneak peek, so I dropped Homer Fink’s name and was promptly led inside.
City Chemist was nothing like I’d imagined; it was bright, welcoming and cheery, with TV monitors, makeup, a candy corner … and that was before I got close to the pharmacy. This place was almost like the Oz of pharmacies. It reminded me a bit of Boots which they have in the U.K. and which I longed for back here. CVS may have self-serve kiosks now, but I still feel like I’m gearing up for battle when I walk in. Photos after the jump, including one of the workers waiting to hear Lebron’s decision. Oh, and the soft opening is at noon with Marty Markowitz.
From Racked (And by Town & Country they mean Town & Country Apothecary, which also owns Bridge Apothecary in Dumbo):
WWD reports that the pharmacy plans to carry fancy brands like Paula Dorf, Smashbox, Perricone MD, Claudalie, Bumble & Bumble, Bond No. 9 and Anthony Logistics for Men. The owner of Town & Country, the delightfully named Diana Ross, is known for incorporating community-based events into her stores and plans to bring the successful model to Brooklyn Heights. Some ideas on deck include: monthly visits from brow-shaping expert Ramy and a makeup event with Paula Dorf. Judging from Town & Country’s Facebook page, they are quite active in their New Jersey neighborhood, recently working with ex-Real Housewives of New Jersey vet Dina Manzo on a beauty event before her Project Ladybug charity blowout.
only in brooklyn heights. first the children’s spa, now this. i can’t believe people actually buy into things like this.
Just what we need. Yet another pharmacy. This street is so useless it’s mind-boggling. Markowitz is gonna be there? At a pharmacy opening? Really? Is there anything that dancing monkey won’t do?
I too wish there were a Boots here. There is one product I’ve bought there that’s not available here, and the British Airways surcharge to buy it isn’t worth the cost.
Ironically, I was in a Boots and bought a bottle of St. Ives shampoo, exactly the same as I buy here in BH, when I realized how small the world is getting to be. The same products now sold multiple places around the world!
andrew -
you can buy boots at target.
Agree with C.
I will take the pharmacy upgrade…CVS and the others are in need of a refresh. However, Montague is so geared towards the lunch crowd (nails, pharma, eyeglasses, makeup, etc.) that I doubt a bar or fish store will ever open. Maybe the park will change who the merchants are targeting?
“…the soft opening is at noon with Marty Markowitz.” Double entendre abound in this statement.
I’ll probably make it a triple at some point today.
What are the prices like? I suppose I could check online, but I get the feeling it’s kind of upscale. Isn’t that what did Korres in? Still waiting for an Italian bakery/coffee shop!
you call that a candy counter?
I think there would be a market for a Bigelow kinda shop, but this place looks completely generic to me. I took one look at that dropped ceiling and crap shelving and — eh..
Do we really need another pharmacy in the neighborhood? An overpriced one at that? I am not going to pay double or triple the price to buy some fancy smancy brand of shampoo or soap!
I join the chorus for a fish market. Or a new restaurant.
Good Lord everyone is so cranky today. I couldn’t take pics of all the candy, ABC, because they were still setting up. But I’m sure you will all change your tune when you hear that Dina Manzo from Real Housewives of NJ is also supposed to drop by at some point today.
I’m going to open a shop on Montague…all it will sell are sour grapes and bitter pills.
Dina Manzo? How about the Real Housewives of BH?
She’s bff with the store’s pr person who’s named Diana Ross. This makes City Chemist #1.
Sorry Heather, I think I have my typical cranky reaction to a typical BHB post. YOu really think this is the “Oz of pharmacies”? It really reminds you of Boots? I don’t know.
I have only seen it from the outside so I’ll take your word for it.
If the real Diana Ross was stopping by, well, then I might want to take a look.
Nabeguy,
So you watch Real Houswives of NJ also? These chicks are nuts. Danielle is one disturbed woman. Which McMansion do you like the best?
Ben
I’m pretty psyched about the candy corner….
Put it another way, it’s more Boots than CVS.
Sorry Ben, but I don’t need to watch that show…I get sufficient enough reality from my own housewife.
It’s a little Sephora, a little Dylan’s candy and a whole lot of nice people..which is more than I can say for everyone who works in CVS that needs an attitude adjustment.
CVS needs ore than an attitude adjustment — they should lose their pharmacy license.
Speaking of bad attitudes (excluding mine) — I am not surprised Nine West closed. The people who worked there literally make ME sell myself a pair of shoes. They employees didn’t do anything in the store. Just stand around.
I am looking forward to checking out City Chemist
Love this store…just what the neighborhood needed! They have everything from unique beauty brands to over the counter must haves. The children’s and candy dept is awesome…can’t wait to go back!
Ugghhh! City Chemist is the smaller, retarded, WAYYYYyyyyy overpriced cousin of Rite Aid. Any association with Jersey Housewives makes me cringe. You want the US version of Boots you wont find it here. Not the time nor the place to open up an overpriced overrated shop like this. Give me Ricky’s over this place any day of the week thank you very much!!
They sell Papyrus cards! SUCH an improvement over all the other card options in the neighborhood, and now I don’t have to drag myself to Target every time I want cute gift wrapping.
We will be moving all of our prescriptions over here as soon as the pharmacy opens next week. I met the pharmacist today (yes – everyone was so friendly – like 10 people offered me cupcakes and bagels) and they compound medicine here which we used to have to go to Neergaard in Park Slope for b/c the only place around here who does it is Heights Apothocary on Hicks and they are really mean. So if you have small children who need medication – this will be your best bet.
happy to see piggy paint there.
I was in today, and the best thing was the really cold A/C. However, the place is not disabled friendly—there’s a step up to the rear of the store, which means people in wheelchairs can’t go to the pharmacy.
A belated comment to whoever “BOOTS” is: Boots in the UK is a chain of pharmacies. It has nothing to do with shoe wear.
I think it looks horrible- garrish and loud. How many versions of a drug store does a neighborhood need. And the new Iris nail place going in next door to Dashing Diva’s is ridiculous. This is a place of buisiness but also a residental neightborhood. And to the posters who want decent cards-patronize Overture on Hicks- that kind of a neighborhood store is more of what we need.
I welcome the opportunity to go to a new pharmacy in the neighborhood. The people who work at both CVS and Duane Reade in Brooklyn Heights are so thoroughly miserable, it’s always depressing.
Still: Montague Street has a long way to go in terms of decent retail shops.
Chic, costly, over-staffed? Oh yes. All three. However, it just might be getting a block ahead (as it were) on CVS. I’m afraid that “C” is getting a bit too cramped. More aisles, though all too many shelves remain unstocked, and still far too few employees to guide us about. It’s hard in CVS to bend over, even as a thin man, to reach something on the bottom shelf without bumping into the rack on the opposite side–or a hefty nanny out there ‘a lookin’ but not ‘a shopping!
This is exactly what we need!!! So excited to see some of my favorite brands that I usually trek to Manhattan for. Staff couldn’t be nicer and very helpful. Loved the candy land too…great store for young families. Found our pharmacy accepts most plans and does homeopathic and nutritional consulting…CVS no more..I am hooked!
The pharmacy staff at CVS is topnotch — fast, informed, responsive, friendly. I cannot imagine putting them in the same category as Rite Aid for a second.