So, we’ve already established that Williamsburgers hate chain stores, particularly the new Duane Reade on their beloved Bedford Avenue, which is locked in a deathmatch with a mom-and-pop pharmacy across the street. We have also established that The New York Times is somehow ignorant of Brooklyn, the most populous borough in its own backyard, a place where many of its reporters now live, no less.
Today, it only got worse. Granted this story appeared in Business Day and is ostensibly about “a larger effort by Duane Reade to recognize — and capitalize — on the fierce identity and local needs of many New York City neighborhoods.” Still, here is the lede:
When Duane Reade opened a new store a few months ago in Brooklyn, it faced opposition from residents loyal to a local pharmacy. So it decided to include something in the store that the neighborhood did not have: a bar that specializes in beer.
Um, what?
Please consider this list of beer-obsessed bars within a mile of the Duane Reade, one of which, Barcade, was among the pioneers of the city’s current craft-brew boom.
- Berry Park
- Brooklyn Ale House
- Bruar Falls
- The Commodore
- The Counting Room
- d.b.a
- Daddy’s
- Diamond
- Enid’s
- Huckleberry Bar
- Iona
- K&M Bar
- Larry Lawrence
- Loraley
- Lucky Dog
- Macri Park
- Matchless
- Mugs Alehouse
- Ontario
- Pete’s Candy Store
- Radegast Beer Hall
- Soft Spot
- South 4th Bar and Cafe
- Spike Hill
- Spuyten Duyvil
- Trophy Bar
- The Woods
- Zabloski’s
- That nameless bar on Nassau
- And, of course, Barcade
Yet so long as the Duane Reade is stocking those speciality Burg smokes, it’s sure to remain popular.
Meanwhile, a real Brooklyn newspaper is reporting today that none other than the Brooklyn Brewery, the city’s oldest microbrewer, is expanding. The Observer can’t help but wonder: Do they specialize in beer?
