Given the native love for the Bartell Medicine chain, the editorial board requested you, our readers, to share favourite recollections or what you’ll miss now that the chain has change into a part of CVS. Listed here are a few of your solutions.
Batteries, too
Bartell’s, the one positioned on Queen Anne Avenue on the prime of Queen Anne Hill, was our go-to retailer for thus many issues past prescriptions and cough syrup.
When my daughter moved to Virginia, she proudly remained a loyal Seahawks fan. Bartell’s all the time carried Seahawks merchandise. I might discover an merchandise, say, a Seahawks scarf, then go to the stationery part for a padded mailing envelope. After paying, subsequent was the No. 13 Metro bus cease in entrance of Bartell’s to go to the Mercer Road cease and the quick stroll to the publish workplace.
Earlier than COVID-19, I took my son to fulfill his cousins in Norway. For presents, I shopped at Bartell’s, the place I bought Blue Diamond almonds and Almond Roca sweet. Our cousins genuinely appreciated the objects.
Bartell’s produced a month-to-month booklet with particular provides and descriptions of merchandise. I used to leaf by means of the booklet whereas having fun with espresso on the close by espresso store.
Each June I might purchase substitute batteries for our smoke alarms from the wonderful number of batteries on the Queen Anne Bartell’s.
The decline in Bartell’s over the past two years has been unhappy to observe. Empty cabinets, plus a steady changeover in personnel as expert staff moved to raised alternatives.
In abstract, I shall miss Bartell’s.
— Steve Ordal, Seattle
Like a small city
I appreciated the Magnolia Bartell’s due to the wide array and the good women with purple hair and eccentric make-up who knew me, my aunt, my sister, my children, and my nieces and nephews. I suppose the identical factor may occur with a CVS or different chain, however they made you are feeling such as you had been in a small city. And my son David nonetheless asks to go in each Bartell’s he sees to “purchase a Blue Angel toy” — up to now it’s the one place I’ve seen one.
— Jessica M. Clawson, Seattle
Constructing Bartell
I used to be a younger architect with an workplace at Third Avenue and Stewart Road within the early ‘80s. The Bittman Sanders agency had a protracted relationship with George Bartell Sr. and George Bartell II for a lot of many years. At the moment, Bartell owned many of the shops and places of work on Boren Avenue.
When a challenge got here up, Mr. Bartell II would name and ask to talk to me, and for some cause, he appeared to love me. He would ask, “Are you clear?” and naturally I used to be. He then would stroll, all the time stroll, from Boren and Stewart to the Securities Constructing and we’d speak about a retailer rework, or no matter else.
I liked the man. He was quick and to the purpose and appreciated the recommendation, however then he would whittle the architectural design options down so what was left was just about plain and utilitarian. He was desirous about substance, not look.
— Daniel B. Taylor, Seattle
Pleasant purchasing expertise
The most effective pharmacist my dad and mom ever had was Sy at Bartell within the Alderwood mall. He was personable, skilled, pleasant and somebody you could possibly belief with all your prescription wants. It was simply the saddest of days when the shop closed. No pharmacist has ever had the identical private curiosity that Sy had for his prospects.
Bartell in Lynnwood was my retailer, proper subsequent to QFC, which can also be gone. One vacation season I gained the present prize and obtained the presents I had chosen from the advert present insert. What enjoyable was that. My Bartell additionally developed the Fuji disposable digicam’s pictures when nobody else did. That was my digicam for years. The opposite Bartell shops I frequented had been the Seattle retailer, close to Macy’s, after I labored in Seattle, the Swedish Hospital retailer and the Shoreline retailer, which I frequented after I went to Sky Nursery.
Bartell had the very best vacation lowered costs and I all the time shopped the advert. There was one thing for everybody. The shop was arrange for simple purchasing and I liked the lengthy center aisle with the meals objects in our Lynnwood retailer.
So lengthy to a pleasant purchasing expertise. One other loss.
— Georgene Ranney, Lynnwood
Like household
I labored on the Snohomish Bartell’s for 10 years within the pharmacy till I retired. We had the very best folks working there throughout that point. What I miss most is being proud to be a Bartell worker and most of all not seeing my prospects anymore. They had been as very like household because the people who labored there.
— Dian Warman, Lake Stevens
Catered to neighborhood wants
Over time, I’ve change into carefully acquainted with seven Bartell’s shops. 5 of them are actually closed. They had been all a special dimension and never solely carried customary merchandise however catered to the person wants of the neighborhood.
On the triangular retailer it was canned espresso and lunches; College District it was college provides; College Village was high-end presents; Fifth Avenue and Olive Means was normal family wants; Greenwood specialised in movie processing and cameras; Northeast a hundred and twenty fifth Road and Lake Metropolis Means Northeast was books and an enormous assortment of small particular person snacks.
Most not too long ago I frequented the Roosevelt retailer on the roof at Roosevelt Means Northeast and Northeast sixty fifth Road. This was the very best place on the town to purchase a bathe curtain. In addition they offered assorted presents, canned mushrooms and smoked salmon within the collector wood field with the Northwest Native design painted on the lid, which made nice presents for hard-to-buy-for people.
Ten or extra years in the past I couldn’t resist shopping for a key chain on the Roosevelt Bartell’s. It was a small metallic teddy bear about 1 1/2-inches lengthy with movable legs and arms. Over time whereas it has been a buddy to my keys it has misplaced each legs and has change into an growing older paraplegic bear with swinging arms. I really like this bear. He’s a buddy.
In the summertime after purchasing at Bartell’s I’d go subsequent door to Starbucks, purchase a venti latte and a scone, and sit within the solar. It made the day full.
— Beverly H. Perry, Seattle
Recollections of ‘our’ Bartell’s
For many years, the Bartell’s location at Third Avenue and Union Road in downtown Seattle was our drugstore of selection. We lived simply two blocks away, so I might drop by after working errands, as a rule after I didn’t even want something.
The number of merchandise, particularly regionally produced objects, was astounding: Fran’s Sweets, Aplets & Cotlets, Chukar Cherries. Asian and Italian specialty meals and vegetarian choices had been outstanding on the cabinets, as had been seasonal and vacation objects. The weekly newspaper round supplied killer offers and there have been even low cost days for seniors.
We particularly appreciated the pharmacy supervisor at “our” Bartell’s. Alfred was a dashing younger man who managed our prescriptions with professional care. After chatting with him throughout quite a few prescription pickups and vaccination appointments, we realized that he was from Hong Kong, the place he traveled periodically to go to his household and revel in his mom’s residence cooking.
When he bought engaged, he proudly shared the joyful information. After he moved to a different retailer, we befriended his substitute who delighted in sharing pictures of her younger youngsters.
Bartell’s was a spot the place we chatted with the longtime staff, a spot we bumped into our neighbors, a spot the place I purchased milk-chocolate, salmon and Seattle-centric Christmas decorations.
The CVS in Goal, the place our prescriptions had been in the end transferred, couldn’t start to match.
For some cause, I’ve by no means deleted Alfred’s contact info from my telephone. Maybe as a result of, each time I run throughout it, I’ve joyful recollections of “our” Bartell’s.
— Braiden Rex-Johnson, Seattle
A household place
My life relied on Bartell’s.
As World Warfare II was winding down and after D-Day, I used to be born.
My beginning father, Winston, was profession Navy and a part of the Pacific marketing campaign. He was one of many Biggest Era.
My beginning mom, Vanda, and Bob, my adoptive father, each labored for Bartell’s on the Second Avenue and Pine Road retailer. My Dad was the pharmacist, and my beginning mother labored on the lunch counter.
When she turned pregnant, she requested my adoptive father and mom if they’d elevate me as she knew my people already had an adopted daughter from 1939. My sister labored for some time at Bartell’s in the course of the mid-Fifties.
As a small little one, I keep in mind assembly “outdated man Bartell,” as my Dad would say, most likely to distinguish from George Jr. My dad was the pharmacist at different Bartell places, just like the triangle retailer and the Bartell’s close to the northeast nook of North eighty fifth Road and Greenwood Avenue North.
After I was 16, my mother, Florence, gave me the title of my beginning mom.
By the point I reached my early 30s, each adoptive dad and mom had been deceased. Because of the efforts of WARM — Washington Adoption Reunion Motion — I looked for, discovered and reunited with my birthparents.
After I was 50, Vanda and Winston turned widowed from their respective marriages. After a few years of long-distance relationship, my birthparents reunited and had been collectively for 15 years. They died in 2009 (Winston) and in 2015 (Vanda).
What a blessing — all my dad and mom.
Bartell’s was, and till the ultimate closing, a household place.
— Pam Queen, Shoreline
Bartell Medicine’ reference to Star Market
Seattle newspaper subscribers have seen a photograph of our early household enterprise many instances through the years. Nevertheless, when you had a contest to establish the enterprise, I’m guessing nobody would know who or what it was. Its biggest declare to fame is the truth that it’s immortalized ceaselessly within the iconic picture of the primary Bartell Drugstore.
Within the earliest picture of the primary Bartell Drugstore (underneath an indication that also says Lake Washington Pharmacy) you will note George Bartell and others posed in entrance of the shop on Jackson Road. Sharing a wall with that retailer is a meat market, Star Market. In that picture, Harry Muhl (my great-grandfather) and his brother John are of their butcher aprons close to the horse drawn supply carriage, additionally on Jackson Road. As everybody is aware of, Bartell Medicine was very happy with its lengthy heritage with Seattle and, on many events, would have a good time milestones utilizing promoting flyers within the native newspapers. This unique picture was nearly all the time a part of the promoting.
Star Market was a small operation and stayed in the identical location lengthy after George Bartell moved his enterprise downtown and past.
— Kathi Ciskowski, Eastsound
