Though it's the second Duane Reade to open in the neighborhood, the new Bedford Avenue Duane Reade store is causing a bit of a shitstorm in Williamsburg, and that controversy has now made it all the way to the New York Times. The paper's Charles Bagli talks about the residents' reluctance to accept the inevitable chainification of the Burg's retail scene. Well, not everyone is reluctant. Meet Shari Lind, the only person in Williamsburg blissfully unaware of Internet commenters:
Shari Lind, who maneuvered a baby stroller occupied by her son Sawyer out the doors of Duane Reade, said she was elated by the chain’s presence. “Please, can you bring in Dunkin’ Donuts too,” she said. “I also want a Bank of America.” A newcomer to Williamsburg from Manhattan, Ms. Lind said she found the neighborhood to be very inconvenient. Many of the chic stores refuse to take credit cards. And, she said, the quaint gourmet coffee shops charge too much. She said she sent an e-mail to Food Emporium imploring the company to open a supermarket in Williamsburg. “For some reason,” she said of her neighbors, “they don’t want corporate stores. They don’t want convenience.”By the time you read this, Shari Lind will have been placed in protective custody.
· As Neighborhood Shifts, Chain Stores Follow [NYT]
· Bedford Avenue Pharmacy War Puts Condoms in the Crosshairs [Curbed]
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