Pasadena Weekly turned in a review of the historic Fair Oaks Pharmacy in South Pasadena, Calif.
If you haven’t been there, this excerpt gives you an idea what it’s like, and why it’s so treasured:
The Pharmacy looks so old-fashioned it’s hard to believe it’s real. When I walk in, my thoughts are inevitably drawn to memories of Disneyland’s Main Street, Solvang, Williamsburg. On the corner of Fair Oaks and Mission, just down from the (sigh … defunct) Rialto, it’s a part-restoration, part-fabrication that fits right into its locale.
According to a prior menu, the “Fair Oaks Pharmacy has been South Pasadena’s friendly corner drugstore since 1915.” I don’t understand how anybody can vouch for its century-old demeanor, but I can attest to its pleasantness during a lunch in 2009. […]
Artifacts were purchased from an ancient pharmacy in Joplin, Mo., and transported to South Pasadena. These treasures included a complete set of pharmacy fixtures, an original soda fountain, stained-glass cabinetry, marble-topped counters, heavy chrome barstools and original Hamilton Beach malt mixers.
They added other authentic soda fountain and apothecary memorabilia to this collection along with an array of unique gifts, greeting cards, toys and decorative accessories reflecting the era of the original store plus various classic collections of vintage film and television.
Needless to say, it’s a positive review.