Duane Reade

It’s one of the older stores and doesn’t have as much as the megastores, but it’s conveniently located — the only one in this area, so it’s nice. Checkout was fast and easy. Their stuff is pretty cheap actually.
Someone actually came and asked what I was looking for when I wandered around for a minute. I said, a pack of cheap Christmas cards, and she gave me a box that was $ 2.39 for 16 cards. Amazing deal. The negative aspect of this is that now I have glitter all over my desk and keyboard.

I feel like it takes several hours to buy anything at the Duane Reade. The staff is incredibly slow. And it’s pretty creepily laid out. But whatever, dudes — it’s a Duane Reade. Great selection of snacks at this particular branch.

As you continue to benefit from my unfathomable sagacity, I might as well pass along another useful piece of information. Apparently, there has been a recent policy directive from Walgreens (received by Duane Reade day before yesterday, December 18, 2013) that American Express gift cards must be paid for in cash. As such, at least for now, they can no longer accept debit or credit cards for the purchase of gift cards. Since most of the Christmas presents I give consist of gift cards (takes the thinking out of it) and I do not carry around tons of cumbersome cash (nor do I like ATM fees), this was a major inconvenience. A couple of other customers had the same complaint.
This is the closest pharmacy to my apartment, and is generally very convenient and the staff are usually very friendly and helpful. I had one experience when they took so long to fill a prescription that I had to cancel it and get it an another pharmacy, but they were friendly nonetheless.
They also sell organic milk and cage-​free eggs, so they’re convenient when I need to pick something up quick.

Quick update — they were handing out candy at Halloween, and the pharmacy at the back was friendly and happy to serve (took only 10 min to fill a simple script).

You can’t judge a book by its cover, which is good for this Duane Reade otherwise it would never have any business. I’ve only popped in for some water or a quick snack when walking home, but I’ve always been met with smiling, friendly staff. Apparently there is a second floor? Fooled me… I would never make this my everyday DR, but I will definitely frequent it for water!

This review is for the Duane Reade on 76^th and First Ave. They suck. Like many Duane Reades, their prices come up higher at the cash register than on the shelves. Then instead of apologizing they claim it’s the system’s fault. Then they try to make you feel cheap for wanting your money back. This includes the manager. It’s the principle. They also make you wait a long time. Bad customer service. Bad managerial staff. Just bad. I can’t stand the fact that Duane Reade has taken over. I try to shop at local stores but once in a while come to a DR and then remember why I hate them.

Under normal circumstances I would have passed this Duane Reade, which looks unkempt and dilapidated from the outside, without a second glance. However, on this particular day I needed to fill a prescription and it was extremely convenient to drop it off here. Compared to all of the renovated Duane Reade’s that have been popping up everywhere, this one really doesn’t compare. Except that the pharmacy staff here was the nicest and most helpful I have ever met. The head pharmacist, Chester, greeted everyone with «Hello, dahling, how can I help you?,» took the time to explain the medication to me and answer all of my questions … with a SMILE. To be honest, I’d started to lose faith altogether in pharmacists, but after this visit, that faith is at least partly restored.

The pharmacy is very good; as Jenn C. also noted, I’ve always had n very positive interactions. They are quick, attentive and helpful. The store itself is sort of messy and they don’t seem to have the good sale items and stock selection like CVS on 2^nd and 64^th.

This DR is one of the smaller, non-​renovated stores. After being in the brightly-​lit and beauty-​centric store on 57^th and 3^rd, this one feels cramped and dirty (although it’s not dirty, just not well lit). It’s on 2 flights, the cleaning and household stuff is downstairs, the pharmacy and food is upstairs. It’s not as well stocked as some of the other stores, but only because of the size, I think.
I’ve dealt with the pharmacy a lot and have always had a positive interaction with them. I can’t remember the pharmacist’s name that I usually deal with but she’s very helpful.
The staff behind the counter are usually pleasant enough, but I wouldn’t say they’re super helpful or knowledgeable about their items.