BEST PHARMACY 2004 | Midtown | Best Restaurants, Bars, Clubs, Music and Stores in Miami | Miami New Times
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Robert Novigrod is nothing less than a hero. America's most grotesque social failure is its healthcare system, among the worst in the industrialized world, especially for those suffering chronic pain. The federal government, with its "war on drugs," has created a nation of spineless physicians and impotent pharmacists terrified to provide effective, safe controlled substances subject to abuse. Not the friendly folks at one of the few "mom-and-pop" drugstores left. While the chains might be fine for those who need to choose from eight different types of nail clippers, Novigrod and his smiling staff deliver what equally courageous doctors prescribe, including strong medicine needed by victims of severe pain. A family business passed along to the incredibly gracious and skilled Novigrod, Midtown deserves more than awards or accolades. It deserves your business.

Robert Novigrod is nothing less than a hero. America's most grotesque social failure is its healthcare system, among the worst in the industrialized world, especially for those suffering chronic pain. The federal government, with its "war on drugs," has created a nation of spineless physicians and impotent pharmacists terrified to provide effective, safe controlled substances subject to abuse. Not the friendly folks at one of the few "mom-and-pop" drugstores left. While the chains might be fine for those who need to choose from eight different types of nail clippers, Novigrod and his smiling staff deliver what equally courageous doctors prescribe, including strong medicine needed by victims of severe pain. A family business passed along to the incredibly gracious and skilled Novigrod, Midtown deserves more than awards or accolades. It deserves your business.

A stroll through the packed aisles of Uncle Sam's used-CD bins gives weight to that old adage of one man's trash being another man's treasure. Surely that stack of Steely Dan titles wasn't sold off by the same person who divested himself of a half-dozen Tupac Shakur CDs? No matter. Don't waste time pondering the sociology behind the Beach's musical tribes as their respective tastes flow back and forth at $7.99 a pop -- just get a' hunting. There's something here for everyone, from the latest hip-hop releases to the freshest trance straight off the boat from Europe to old-fashioned rock and roll, complete with big hair. And best of all -- in a marked departure from most area music shops -- every CD can be previewed to your heart's content. But please remember as you strap on a pair of headphones: Leave the singing along for your home shower routine. The staff at Uncle Sam's may be friendly and helpful, but they still have limits.

A stroll through the packed aisles of Uncle Sam's used-CD bins gives weight to that old adage of one man's trash being another man's treasure. Surely that stack of Steely Dan titles wasn't sold off by the same person who divested himself of a half-dozen Tupac Shakur CDs? No matter. Don't waste time pondering the sociology behind the Beach's musical tribes as their respective tastes flow back and forth at $7.99 a pop -- just get a' hunting. There's something here for everyone, from the latest hip-hop releases to the freshest trance straight off the boat from Europe to old-fashioned rock and roll, complete with big hair. And best of all -- in a marked departure from most area music shops -- every CD can be previewed to your heart's content. But please remember as you strap on a pair of headphones: Leave the singing along for your home shower routine. The staff at Uncle Sam's may be friendly and helpful, but they still have limits.

Designed like a shoe store, the Barn features unvarnished wood shelves lining every available inch of wall space, stocked end-to-end with more books than some libraries. Simple ceiling-high shelves also divide the store into aisles for Detective (purchase: the unintentionally funny The Corpse Had a Familiar Face by Edna Buchanan), Novels (purchase: two brand-new reprints of The Catcher in the Rye), Science Fiction (purchase: a short-story collection by overlooked genius Alfred Bester called Starburst), Gothic, Children, Biography, Education, Historical Romance, and many others, including the unusual Math Crafts section. There's other stuff: wishing stones, page marks, bookbags. You trade even -- say three of your books for three of theirs -- then pay a 25 percent charge on the value of the barter. A couple decades old and blessed with young, smart, polite clerks, the Barn doesn't need computers or any of that newfangled junk. Just an adding machine and a kazillion words published in book form, then offered to the world.

Designed like a shoe store, the Barn features unvarnished wood shelves lining every available inch of wall space, stocked end-to-end with more books than some libraries. Simple ceiling-high shelves also divide the store into aisles for Detective (purchase: the unintentionally funny The Corpse Had a Familiar Face by Edna Buchanan), Novels (purchase: two brand-new reprints of The Catcher in the Rye), Science Fiction (purchase: a short-story collection by overlooked genius Alfred Bester called Starburst), Gothic, Children, Biography, Education, Historical Romance, and many others, including the unusual Math Crafts section. There's other stuff: wishing stones, page marks, bookbags. You trade even -- say three of your books for three of theirs -- then pay a 25 percent charge on the value of the barter. A couple decades old and blessed with young, smart, polite clerks, the Barn doesn't need computers or any of that newfangled junk. Just an adding machine and a kazillion words published in book form, then offered to the world.

You are a spastic animal. You must bang on surfaces at all times. You drive your co-workers batty. You make people sweat by your demeanor. Like it or not, you are a drummer, and it sounds like you need something to bang. At Resurrection, located next to that temple of all things Miami, Bird Bowl, you'll find snares, bongos, congas, timbales, cow bells, and just about anything else to satiate your inner beat beast. Resurrection is well connected, so if you don't see the djembe drum of your dreams they can get it to you in a jiffy. What's more, they offer lessons and workshops for you to express yourself and make Art Blakey proud.

You are a spastic animal. You must bang on surfaces at all times. You drive your co-workers batty. You make people sweat by your demeanor. Like it or not, you are a drummer, and it sounds like you need something to bang. At Resurrection, located next to that temple of all things Miami, Bird Bowl, you'll find snares, bongos, congas, timbales, cow bells, and just about anything else to satiate your inner beat beast. Resurrection is well connected, so if you don't see the djembe drum of your dreams they can get it to you in a jiffy. What's more, they offer lessons and workshops for you to express yourself and make Art Blakey proud.

Bright blue or yellow leather purses, slim brown leather wallets, cavernous leather luggage, silver-tipped leather belts, and leathery ostrich-skin ashtrays: These and more can be purchased at Leather World. The colors and sleek shapes attract the eye first, but the divine smell draws you farther into the store. A cool professional sales staff and leathers from all over the world and prices that make you ask: Why are the insides of cattle so cheap and their outsides so expensive?

Bright blue or yellow leather purses, slim brown leather wallets, cavernous leather luggage, silver-tipped leather belts, and leathery ostrich-skin ashtrays: These and more can be purchased at Leather World. The colors and sleek shapes attract the eye first, but the divine smell draws you farther into the store. A cool professional sales staff and leathers from all over the world and prices that make you ask: Why are the insides of cattle so cheap and their outsides so expensive?

Best Of Miami®

Best Of Miami®