49 Brattle St, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
### Welcome to Walgreens Somerville: More Than Just a Pharmacy
For residents of Somerville, Massachusetts, having a reliable and comprehensive drugstore nearby is a cornerstone of daily life. Walgreens at 16 Beacon Street stands as a well-known establishment aiming to meet a wide array of community needs, from essential pharmacy services to everyday household items and specialized offerings like passport photos. While every visit to a busy pharmacy can have its unique moments, this Walgreens location strives to be a convenient and helpful resource for its patrons.
Walgreens is a national chain renowned for its accessibility and broad product selection. The Somerville branch on Beacon Street embodies this, providing crucial health services alongside a wide variety of retail goods. Whether you're picking up a prescription, grabbing last-minute essentials, or needing a specific service like getting a government-compliant photo, this drugstore endeavors to be a go-to spot. This article will explore what makes this Walgreens location suitable for Massachusetts locals, delving into its strategic placement, the diverse services it offers, key features, and how it aims to serve the community effectively.
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### Location and Accessibility
Walgreens in Somerville is conveniently located at a prominent address, ensuring good accessibility for residents throughout the area. You can find the store at:
16 Beacon St, Somerville, MA 02143, USA
Situated on Beacon Street, a significant thoroughfare in Somerville, the store benefits from high visibility and straightforward access. Its position makes it easy to reach for those living in surrounding neighborhoods, whether by car, public transport, or on foot. Beacon Street connects various parts of Somerville and provides links to neighboring Cambridge, making it a central point for many daily errands. Walgreens locations typically offer parking, which is a key factor for accessibility in urban and suburban settings, allowing customers to quickly pop in for their needs. For those approaching from different directions, specific routes are provided for convenience:
- From the North: Take I-93 S and continue onto MA-28 S/Mystic Ave. Turn left onto Beacon St, and the pharmacy will be on your right.
- From the South: Head north on I-93 and take exit 29 for MA-28 toward Somerville/Medford. Merge onto Fellsway W/MA-28 and continue onto Mystic Ave. Turn right onto Beacon St, and the pharmacy will be on your right.
- From the East: Take MA-38 N to Beacon St, and the pharmacy will be on your left.
- From the West: Take MA-2 E and keep left to continue onto 16N.
The accessible location helps ensure that residents can easily incorporate a stop at Walgreens into their daily routines.
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### Services Offered
Walgreens at 16 Beacon Street in Somerville provides a comprehensive suite of services, typical of a major drugstore chain, designed to cater to the diverse health, wellness, and convenience needs of the local community. These services go beyond just dispensing medication:
- Full-Service Pharmacy: This is a core offering, including medication dispensing, prescription refills (with online refill options available), and medication synchronization for easier management of multiple prescriptions.
- Immunizations: The pharmacy offers a variety of immunizations, including flu shots, COVID-19 vaccines, and potentially others like shingles or pneumonia, administered by trained pharmacists.
- Medication Counseling: Dedicated pharmacists are available to offer personalized medication counseling, answer questions about prescriptions, and provide guidance on maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
- Over-the-Counter Medications: A wide selection of non-prescription drugs for common ailments, pain relief, allergies, and digestive health.
- Health and Wellness Products: An extensive range of vitamins, supplements, first aid supplies, personal care items, and health monitoring devices.
- Photo Services: The store offers comprehensive photo services, including digital prints, personalized photo gifts, and notably, passport photos and visa photos. This service is highlighted by a positive customer review.
- Passport Photos: Specifically, they offer professional, government-compliant 2x2 passport photos, taken by trained associates, with a guarantee to meet U.S. Department of State specifications. A digital copy can also be sent via email.
- Everyday Essentials & Convenience Items: Beyond health products, the store stocks a variety of household goods, snacks, beverages, beauty products, and general merchandise, making it a convenient stop for quick errands.
- FedEx Services: The location offers FedEx drop-off and pickup services for pre-labeled packages, and they can even print FedEx shipping or return labels from a QR code, adding a layer of logistical convenience.
- WIC Accepted: This location accepts WIC benefits, providing accessibility for families participating in this nutrition program.
- myWalgreens® Program: Customers can sign up for the free myWalgreens loyalty program to earn Walgreens Cash rewards on purchases and access personalized deals.
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### Features / Highlights
The Walgreens in Somerville, while a standard chain, possesses several features and highlights that make it a notable establishment for local residents, even amidst some common challenges in the pharmacy sector:
- Convenient & Broad Product Selection: The store is lauded for its "wide range of pharmaceutical services" and a variety of over-the-counter medications and health products. Beyond this, its extensive general merchandise, from snacks to household items, makes it a true one-stop shop for many daily needs.
- Professional Passport Photo Service: A standout highlight, as evidenced by a positive customer review, is their efficient and helpful passport photo service. The reviewer specifically praised a "very sweet lady" who "helped us immediately" and even assisted with re-takes without additional charge when initial photos were deemed "too far" by the USPS. This demonstrates a commitment to customer satisfaction and compliance with strict photo requirements.
- Friendly Customer Service (in non-pharmacy areas): While the pharmacy department has received critical feedback, the positive review for the photo service indicates that other areas of the store maintain a high level of "super nice" and helpful staff. This can significantly improve the overall customer experience for non-prescription needs.
- Accessibility: The store is "Handicapped Accessible," ensuring that it can serve all members of the community.
- Extended Store Hours: The main store and photo department are typically open from 7 AM to 11 PM every day, providing a wide window for shopping convenience outside of standard business hours.
- FedEx Drop-off/Pickup with Label Printing: This service adds considerable convenience, allowing customers to handle package returns or shipments directly at the drugstore, saving a trip to a dedicated shipping center.
- WIC Acceptance: The acceptance of WIC benefits is a crucial feature that supports local families and promotes access to essential nutrition.
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### Promotions or Special Offers
Walgreens is well-known for its consistent promotions and special offers, both in-store and through its digital platforms, providing numerous opportunities for Somerville residents to save on health, wellness, and everyday essentials. The primary way to access these savings is through the myWalgreens® loyalty program and their weekly ad.
- myWalgreens® Rewards Program: This free loyalty program allows members to earn Walgreens Cash rewards on eligible purchases. These rewards can then be redeemed on future transactions, acting as a direct discount. Members also receive personalized deals and promotions tailored to their shopping habits.
- Weekly Ad and Digital Coupons: Walgreens publishes a weekly ad (available in print and online) that highlights current sales on a wide range of products, from health and beauty to groceries and household items. They also offer a vast selection of digital coupons that can be "clipped" to a myWalgreens account via their website or app, and automatically applied at checkout when the member's phone number is entered. Examples include "Buy 1 Get 1 50% Off" on various categories (e.g., pet supplies, deodorant, sun care, vitamins), "Buy 1 Get 2 FREE" on certain items (e.g., food storage bags), and specific dollar-off or percentage discounts on brands.
- Seasonal and Themed Promotions: Walgreens frequently runs special promotions aligned with seasons (e.g., "Up to 25% off Summer Essentials"), holidays (e.g., Father's Day deals), or specific product categories (e.g., "Extra 15% off $40+ select beauty & personal care").
- Photo Deals: The photo department often features promotions, such as "50% off Everything Photo," which can be a great value for prints, personalized gifts, and indeed, passport photos, although passport photos are typically a fixed price.
- Prescription Savings: While not always "promotions" in the retail sense, Walgreens offers various programs and affiliations to help manage prescription costs, including accepting most insurance plans and potentially offering discount programs through myWalgreens.
- Online Exclusive Offers: Their website frequently features exclusive coupon codes (e.g., "JUNE15" for 15% off $35+ sitewide, or "JUNE20" for 20% off $50+). These are often combined with free shipping offers for online orders over a certain amount.
For Somerville locals, regularly checking the Walgreens website, downloading the Walgreens app, and signing up for myWalgreens emails are the best ways to stay informed about the latest deals and maximize savings on their everyday needs.
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### Contact Information
For any inquiries, prescription refills, or specific service questions, you can contact the Walgreens in Somerville directly:
Address: 16 Beacon St, Somerville, MA 02143, USA
Phone: (617) 497-5763
Mobile Phone: +1 617-497-5763
Store Hours: Walgreens at this location maintains extensive hours for its retail store and photo department, providing significant convenience. However, the pharmacy has different operating hours.
- Store & Photo: Typically open every day from 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM.
- Pharmacy:
- Monday - Friday: 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM (with a meal break from 1:30 PM - 2:00 PM)
- Saturday: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM (with a meal break from 1:30 PM - 2:00 PM)
- Sunday: Closed
It's always recommended to call ahead or check the official Walgreens website for the most current and precise operating hours, especially for the pharmacy or during holidays, to ensure uninterrupted service.
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### Conclusion: Why Walgreens Somerville is Suitable for Locals
Walgreens at 16 Beacon Street in Somerville, Massachusetts, despite occasional operational challenges in its pharmacy, remains a fundamentally suitable and important resource for local residents. Its value to the community stems from its comprehensive range of services, strategic location, and commitment to overall customer convenience.
The core strength of this Walgreens lies in its dual role as both a full-service pharmacy and a well-stocked general merchandise store. For the busy individuals and families of Somerville, the ability to pick up prescriptions, grab essential over-the-counter medications, stock up on household items, and even get specific services like passport photos all in one accessible location is invaluable. This "one-stop shop" convenience significantly streamlines errands and saves time, which is a precious commodity in urban areas.
Furthermore, the positive experiences shared by customers regarding the passport photo service highlight a commitment to helpfulness and problem-solving in specific areas of the store. The staff's willingness to assist and even re-take photos at no extra charge, as described by a satisfied customer, demonstrates a strong dedication to ensuring customer needs are met, especially for time-sensitive or particular requirements. The store's extended general operating hours and accessibility features like being "Handicapped Accessible" further underscore its utility to a broad segment of the population.
While the critical feedback regarding pharmacy prescription accuracy is a point for the store to continually address and improve upon, the broader convenience, range of products, and the generally helpful demeanor of non-pharmacy staff still position this Walgreens as a beneficial local establishment. Its robust loyalty program and frequent promotions also ensure that Somerville residents can find good value on their purchases, helping them manage household budgets. For everyday needs, health essentials, and convenient services, Walgreens on Beacon Street remains a highly utilized and generally suitable resource for Massachusetts locals.