Duane Reade

I actually dont mind this place at all! The recently (are in the process of still) remodeling. The aisles are a lot tighter now, but that also seems to mean there is a larger variety of products. DR feels to be a bit pricey for me (online shopping can be soooo easy), but I get our odds and ends here and always have enjoyed the team at the check out counter.

1 star because you can’t give none. The pharmacy staff lacks common sense and I have experienced this on multiple occasions. I always go to the Newport one but went here inspite of a prior bad experience as I was returning home from that direction. I was collecting prescribed cough medicine for my 1 year old. They gave me 1 oz in. 3oz bottle which makes it impossible to get the medicine out using a dropper after 5 2ml doses. Common sense is not so common. I had got the same medicine from Newport and they gave a full bottle of 3oz as they were out of the 1oz bottles.
They never have similac ready to feed bottles which any pharmacy always has some stock of.
On another previous occasion I dropped of a prescription and told them I’ll wait to collect. The pharmacist said he will call for me when done. Waited 30 mins before checking and he promptly got it and it seemed like it had been filled up almost as soon as I dropped it off. I was standing within his sight all the time but he I guess forgot about calling out for me after filling it.
Never ever going here again. ive been with Duane Reade for the last 12 years for my prescriptions majority in Manhattan and never had any complaints. The Newport is extremely efficient as well. Maybe these guys should send their pharmacy staff to other locations for training.
Horrible experience!!!

They’re redoing the store which is great but it’s a little confusing at first. I’m sure once the remodel is done everything will make sense and flow better. Until then everyone needs to be patience.

The people here work so hard and are always neighborly to me. On the other hand all of the people who moved into the surrounding neighborhoods in the downtown neighborhood are the real a-​holes. How about leaving your sense of entitlement and privilege out of the reviews and respect the people of the store for their contribution of accessible commence to the downtown Jersey City community. The community and its commerce effort was fine before you all moved in and gentrified the neighborhood deciding that your standards for neighborly customer service superseded established standards of respect for what a real customer service relationship in business requires: both a respect for the worker as well as the customer. Keep up the good work Duane Reade Newark Avenue Jersey City, NJ. Some of us see through the arrogance of some people’s right to freedom of speech in these meaningless Unilocal reviews. The folks at Duane Reade are hard workers, helpful, and always go out of their ways to accommodate. The stupid things people complain about in these reviews are meaningless compared to the aggressive retail environment the store is challenged with overcoming on a day to day basis in meeting the majority of the unrealistic customer service goals and expectations of the arrogant and ungrateful downtown Jersey City NJ community they serve.

I really don’t like giving bad reviews so i edited this one. I didn’t have a great experience in the pharmacy and wrote the review while i was upset. I live at the condo
right next to the store and i can’t say the same about the store staff most especially Nancy, the female manager. She was so helpful and approachable. I love the store! As for the pharmacy, i now go to the one in the path station.

Conveniently located at grove street path station… They often run out of milk. Need to check when they restore their inventory and come accordingly !

The people in the pharmacy are a-​holes and don’t give a crap. Worst customer service EVER.

It’s a Duane Reade. I get my drugs and personal care products there. It’s a little bit of a mess but, again, it has was I need.
Except for Cadbury Mini Eggs. They never have Cadbury Mini Eggs.

I live like couple blocks away from this store. I’ve been around for over 3 yers now and always used this pharmacy as an emergency grocery store and sometime if needed for vitamins and prescriptions.
I have no idea what others have gone through as you cant satisfy everyone, but I always received a great treatment and the service here was exelent. For the last year though I mentioned that the discount were less and less out there. Is that may be because of a crowd here? Who knows. But I hope they will work on that.

Every year, I hold out the smallest of hopes that this Duane Reade can keep Cadbury Mini Eggs in stock for more than 15 minutes. Every year, I learn a tough life lesson about hope and it’s fleeting nature.
Sure, I know the stupid things are available with ease at every corner in NYC but, damn it, we citizens of Jersey City deserve better than this. Pull it together, Duane Reade.

Overly priced + slow, cranky reps working at the pharmacy who get frustrated when running insurance. Don’t text the prescription is ready and later when it’s being picked up, another 20 minute wait because they messed up on the pill count.

If you are picking up a perscription be prepared for at least a 30 minute way. Glacially slow service. If you are buying other stuff the cashiers tend to be slow as well since chatting with each other. Duane Reade probably pays crap so you get crap service.

The good, the bad and the ugly, yes Duane Reade you have it all.
Let’s start with the good. Obviously prime real estate, located just steps away from the PATH in the heart of downtown Jersey City you can’t beat that. They have a full service pharmacy that does vaccines and all that which is convenient, also it’s good to note pharmacy hours because the side door is open whenever the pharmacy is open and locked when it’s not. There are also two Chase ATMs, one located at the front of the store and another that is located near the pharmacy — withdraws only no depositing.
The bad. Although this DR has pretty much everything you need in a pinch it can often times be a headache to find and navigate throughout the store. There are always crates and boxes of unpacked merchandise stacking up the aisle ways making it hard not to bump into other or the aisles. To accommodate for this there are random displays with items scattered about the store sometimes making it a scavenger hunt to find your items.
The ugly. It seems to always be busy with long lines that curve and cluster down the aisle and causing even more congestion then necessary. And after shopping here for so long I finally know why — it’s the service. There are always at least 4 cash registers opened so you would think that things would be flowing along much quicker. wrong! The cashiers are always gossiping to one another, chit chatting about God knows what WHILE they are ringing you up. They continue to carry about personal conversations and chatter while looking straight at you. I don’t care if so and so is always taking breaks and not doing her work and gets away with it, I just want to pay for my stuff and go home.
DR is great to have at your disposal but sometimes the hassle of actually purchasing your stuff just isn’t worth it.

No complaints I came here for the chicken pox vaccination. The pharmacist was knowledgable and friendly. The wait was short. This was a good experience.

It’s your friendly neighborhood Duane Reade. Like all other DR locations, prices are high, it seems like you can find anything, and the lines at peak hours are almost abysmally slow (why can’t they have those self check-​out consoles?). It’s conveniently located — right outside of the PATH station.
This location is a little bit small and pretty cramped. Also, when the lines are long, they tend to end up in the aisles… which can be a little bit annoying, but oh well.

This is the Duane Reade right off the Grove Street Path train. It is kind of depressing and not some place I would frequent. The aisles are really small and the lighting seems dim.
Duane Reade got bought out by Walgreens so all the price signage is typical Walgreens.

The Duane Reade on Grove Street is convenient if you need to stop by and get something on your way home if you take the PATH and get off at this stop. Usually go here to get small items like greeting cards, candy, toothpaste, etc. Don’t expect to get some killer sales here, compared to Shop Rite but if you’re in a bind and need to get something right away go here.
There are 2 sets of cash registers in this store (the ones at the pharmacy in the back of the store and the ones directly to your left as you enter the main entrance). This sounds like a good thing, but what I don’t get is how INCONSISTENT they are with allowing or not allowing customers to pay for non Pharmacy related items at the back of the store some days, while not all other times. Please get your policy straight or just put a sign back there, I always see customers confused over this.
What’s keeping me from giving this place one less star is that there’s 2 CHASE ATMs in the store (one at each entry/​exit) so that’s helpful and saves you a block of walking if you normally would go to the one in the first floor of 50 Columbus.

I cannot stand this duane reade. the pharmacy is painfully slow and the pharmacist constantly makes mistakes. the cashiers act like they are too good to be there. if it wasn’t for the convenience based on location, i would never shop here.

Where are you, CVS? This drugstore doesn’t even hold a candle to you!
I’m not trying to hate. Duane Reade isn’t a horrible convenience store, even though they are the more expensive option out of Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid, etc. However, as far as this location goes, there’s not much going for it besides being right outside of the Grove Street PATH station.
This store is really small and it is kind of hard to find what you are looking for. This store, since its in a prime location, often has long lines. Because the shelves are so close to the register, lines disappear right into the tall aisles. It makes it that much harder to navigate and find what you need.
You can’t get cash back on your purchases at checkout, but there are two Chase ATMs at the main entrance and the pharmacy entrance if you need cash for the many festivals and events that happen in the square outside.
I truthfully wouldn’t come here if there was another drugstore option nearby my apartment but it’ll have to do. Until then, I’ll keep pining for CVS to take over this space!

This Duane Reade is so friggin’ convenient. You step out of the Grove St. Path train and boom — IN YO’ FACE!!! It’s awesome. I do feel that Duane Reades are the more expensive of the chain pharmacies. There never seems to be that great deal I have found in CVS and Walgreen but, both those chains are no where near me.
This store has a CHASE ATM: score (they all might have an ATM at this point) and this store has 2 cash out areas — the pharmacy area and the frontal area. There is a nice little refrigerated food section where they have a pretty decent selection of dairy and frozen food products. Again, I try not to shop here too much as this place ain’t no bargain but, for a last minute beauty supply or a pack of gum, love that this go-​to spot is right next to my train.