Pretty much everything is 50% off until it's gone.
Biomed was one of a dying breed of surgical supply shops, the place to go if you needed a bedpan or a sling or some rubber catheter tubing, a knee brace, a sitz bath, crutches, or a wheelchair.
They still have an impressive selection of podiatry products, including bunion regulators and hammer toe cushions.
I always enjoyed walking past their "Ben & Jerry's" "Bed Bug Spray" signs in the window, a coupling that never failed to amuse. Sometimes I'd go in to buy regular stuff--Tums, Advil, a bottle of soda--and marvel at the vast and somewhat horrifying array of wounds and woes one could treat from their copious shelves.
I also liked to think about what used to be in this spot--the wondrous Sig Klein's Fat Men's Shop. (Seriously, you'll want to read all about it here.)
As for what's to come, the cashier thinks: a chain, a restaurant, or a bar--they're the only ones that can afford the rent.
keep us posted. yogart? cell phone? yogart? too small for a duane reades? my bet is on frozen yogart or 7/11. place your bets now. if you need a cane, thats just too bad. NY has no room for old or sick.
ReplyDeleteI like looking in surgical supply stores too - fascinating in a slightly creepy way. Prosaic reminders of mortality. Neergaard on 5th in Brooklyn, with its beautiful neon sign, has been around since the 1880s, and is always a good alternative to the RiteAids and CVSes nearby. Have bought crutches and a second hand wheelchair at Neergaard, but not (thank God) for myself (yet!).
ReplyDeletethis was where taylor mead bought his cane. he's gone too, pushed out by landlord for higher rent.
ReplyDeleteI discovered this kind of store when my old father lived with us after my mother's death. They're like hardware stores: oh, there's a thing for that? Who knew "that" even existed? But when you do need a "that," thank god for these stores. So, where are people supposed to go now? Online?
ReplyDeletePraise the Lord and Hallelujah! New York will be getting another ubiquitous 711, Duane Reade's, Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid, and/or Bank of America instead of a sorely needed indie hardware store, pharmacy, art store, clothing shop, thrift store, or fruit market that specifically caters to the community! I'm so stoked about this, I'm fingering my Rite Aid rewards card as we speak and drooling in anticipation of indulging in the Slurpees that defined my childhood growing up in Dullsville, USA. Good times!
ReplyDelete