With the opening of the new CVS at 3925 Walnut St., beer pong just got a little more convenient.
The new location under the Radian - which opened yesterday - is one of the only CVS branches in the area to stock ping pong balls, along with the 25,000 other items usually found in the convenience stores, manager Jim Esmond said.
Students had quick praise for the store and its location on the west end of campus near the high rises and off-campus housing.
"It's a convenience store that is finally convenient," said David Stark, a sophomore in Wharton and the College.
According to Ed Datz, the executive director of real estate for Penn, focus group studies were conducted last year with undergraduate and graduate students on and off campus.
Along with area residents, students showed a "general interest" in bringing a CVS back to the location. Before construction began on the Radian, a CVS used to stand at 39th and Walnut streets.
Caroline Stern, a College sophomore who lives on Beige Block, is thrilled that there is "finally" a CVS nearby.
"It is phenomenal," agreed College sophomore Rachel Cohen, her housemate.
When faced with the option of going to the other on-campus CVS at 34th and Walnut streets, many students look forward to simply crossing the street.
College senior David Ashkenazi said the most exciting aspect of the opening was the accessibility to his house on 39th and Spruce streets.
In addition to location, CVS also took its client base into consideration. Esmond said the new store's clientele is expected to be split evenly between Penn students and members of the West Philadelphia community.
The store has a larger stationary and school supplies section than other locations, Esmond said. The grocery section - stocking milk and cereal - is also bigger than other CVS stores in the area.
Employees are West Philadelphia natives and college students alike. While no Penn students applied for a position, said Esmond, there are five Drexel students on staff as well as a number of local residents.
The new facility is bigger than the one that stands on the corner of 34th and Walnut streets. Compared to that CVS, the 39th and Walnut locale is "wider, brighter . and easier to navigate," said College junior Liora Pollick.
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