99 Cent Store

Not air conditioned. Sells cheap stuff (prices and quality). Okay if you find just what you need and if you’re nearby for another reason.

99 for 99
This 99 cents store has saved my rear many times; water, toothpaste, chapstick, mints, all those things you can expect to find for under a buck (and some not so obvious items such as a hairbrush) Owned by a Burmese family, they are conveniently located outside the subway station and it’s the fastest way to shop for those who are broke, bums, vagrants, starving artists, and commoners who just want to swing by a thrift store for a quick fix.
The interesting thing is that they have a wide array of pirated movies, but the good quality kind; I found myself a 99 cent «Penny Serenade» with Cary Grant, as well as the rarest brand of mints «Olite» cherry flavored, straight from Turkey.
So if in Astoria, broke, and with 99 cents in your pocket, you know whereto4 to go Joe.