City's Supermarkets Pushed to Brink... By Drugstores?

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The map above comes courtesy of the NYT, which today reports on the decline of supermarkets in neighborhoods across the city. By some reports, a mere 550 "decently sized supermarkets" (that is, at least 10,000 square feet) remain. The odd undertone of the article, however, comes from the veiled attacks on one set of supposed villains—pharmacies:

In some cases, the old storefronts have been converted to drug stores that stand to make money coming and going — first selling processed foods and sodas, then selling medicines for illnesses that could have been prevented by a better diet... Jimmy Proscia, the co-manager of a Key Food in Flushing, says the business has gotten a lot harder in the 33 years since he started... "Go to the drug store and they're selling what we have. It's ridiculous."

Mercy, harshly worded bank and drugstore takedowns on the same day? We hardly know our gentrifying city anymore.
· The Lost Supermarket: A Breed in Need of Replinishment [NYTimes]
· No Banks the New Mo' Banks? [Racked]