I randomly bought one C.O. Bigelow soap from a Bath & Body Works store a long time ago, not knowing anything about the company and the history behind it. It all came together once I visited the original store. Located in the West Village (414 Sixt Ave. between 8th and 9th streets), this place has everything you are looking for if you are a fan of pharmacies/neccessity shops in Europe. Once inside it looks like the magic shops found in the Harry Potter movies. Supposedly this original store dates back to 1800s, making it the oldest pharmacy shop in America. It is still run by the same Ginsberg family with the cabinets inside dating back to 1902 and has Mark Twain and Thomas Edison among its list of customers. The store has everything from soaps to medicine with numerous varieties, but I recommend trying Bigelow’s own products.
