A drugstore empties out, and town is a little poorer without it

It's where you'd go to grab a last-minute birthday card.

- BY JAMES RAINEY

JAMES RAINEY L.A. Times SOME locals were less wistful about the closure.

Or buy your tweezers, vitamins or a cheap and tasty ice cream cone. When your kid had a school project, you could count on finding a poster board and coloring pens.

Now our local Rite Aid in South Pasadena, like many across California, is going away. And most people in our town say they're a little sad about it.

It’s not the death of just one store, but another marker on what seems like the slow, inexorable demise of many drugstores and all sorts of retail outlets. The local mall remains open but stands in an eerie quiet, even on weekends. The only department store nearby seems to have less on its shelves every month.

None of us want to live in an Amazon-only world. But it feels like we're headed in that direction. Do we really have to order our razor blades from one of those broish mail-order clubs"? "shaving In the spirit of keeping neighborhood-friendly commerce, Essential California is asking for your nominations: What's the beloved local shop or store your town can't live without? What makes it special? Email EssentialCalifornia@latimes.​com and we may write about your favorites.