Bartell Drugs Queen Anne

Bartell Drugs
Categories: Drugstores, Photography Stores & Services
Neighborhood: Queen Anne
Update - 11/3/2010
Some of the nicest people work at this Bartell Drugs location.

In fact, the store has the feel of an old-fashioned drugstore in some ways. Unlike the Rite-Aid on 15th Ave. E. (North Capitol Hill), which replaced a City People's Mercantile some years ago, this store does not diminish the neighborhood it located in.

The busy pharmacy is staffed with people whose names I have gotten to know: Tyler, Cameron, Jason, Regina, Cindy, Doug, Jacob. They're all friendly and helpful.

And the rest of the people in the non-pharmacy go out of their way to help you find things. The very pleasant store manager Marcie goes out of her way to help customers, looking in her inventory and that of other stores, if something is not on the shelves. She has even saved things for me to pick up later.

Small kindnesses are not easily forgotten.

There's only an occasional person that looks like they're just "doing a job" (I think they get "rotated" through different stores).
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5/22/2008
One more chain-store on the top of Queen Anne hill, but more modestly scaled, in a brick four-story mixed retail-residential building, in place of what used to be a gas station.

Unlike the one-size-fits-all Rite-Aid, which replaced the wonderful City People's Mercantile on 15th Ave. E. in the North Capitol neighborhood, this one is not as big a shock.

The people who work in the pharmacy are very friendly and helpful, as is the general staff.

There is sometimes clutter (unopened boxes) in the aisles, and product stands that sometimes block partially them as well.

The only drawback with this store is that the pharmacy is closed from 1:30 to 2:00 daily. It would be nice if while the pharmacist was on lunch break, an assistant would be available for those who just want to pick up a phoned-in refill.

So, all in all, a drugstore with a strong "neighborhood feel."

The bus stop is right in front, with loads of often rowdy teen-agers (or are they elementary school kids?), some of whom are probably part of a busing program and, hence, neither part of the neighborhood nor particularly respectful of it, yelling (just "hanging out") waiting for the #13.

The sidewalk outside is black with soda-pop- or gum-encased mounds, the rosemary, nandina, etc. in the planters boxes have been partially pulled out...