EAST VILLAGE
Finyl Vinyl
208 E. 6th Street
212.533.8007
Sadly, Finyl Vinyl closed at the end of June last year. .... A venerable institution for a core group of regulars, try not o be put off by all the clutter and seeming dysfunction, there are some real treasures floating around, not the least of which is the owner, Robert.
Gimme Gimme Records
325 East 5th Street
212.475.2955
www.gimmerecords.comDan always stocks some good stuff – Rock, Soul, Blues, Jazz, 12”-ers, Hip Hop, New Wave, plus several other smaller sections. Low key and completely unpretentious; almost always some good titles in excellent condition at more than fair prices, what more do you want? Open only on (sometimes Thursday night), Friday, Saturday and Sunday 'til around 10PM.
Good Records NYC
179 East 3rd St.
New York, NY 10009
212.529.2081
www.goodrecordsnyc.comA small and tidy shop that opened a few years ago across from Mama's Restaurant, I've only been here once but found them to have a concentrated collection of nice records at fair prices. Worth checking out if you are nearby.
Tropicalia In Furs
304 East 5th St
New York, NY 10079
(212) 982-3251
Relative newcomer with a well curated Brazilian section, general bind for Rock, Soul and Jazz. Its one of the few stores I've seen that features rare picture sleeve 45's as well.
Academy Records
415 E. 12 ST. (Between 1st Ave and Ave A)
NEW YORK, NY 10009
212.780.9166
www.academy-records.comAcademy moved a few months ago further into the East Village. I miss the central location near Astor Place.
It's a good shop with nice people, lots of turnover on inventory and a broad scope of music. Multiple foci on jazz, rare groove, rock and roll, 45’s and now a big selection of reissues. Most people elbow in on the freshly stocked ‘new arrivals.’ Williamsburgers can check out the 'Annex'
Turntable Lab
120 East 7th Street (btw 1st and A)
212.677.0675
www.turntablelab.comA good, no-hassle place to buy gear, needles, bags and more at prices lower than the big guitar stores. Check out the website for a well organized list of inventory with prices and reviews.
Big City Records
521 East 12th Street
NY, NY 10009
212.539.0208
A while ago ‘Sound Library’ closed shop and one of the previous owners opened up “Big City’ around the corner. Still a DJ and producer shop, there were some nice soul LP’s in the bins, prices high but inline with condition and rarity.
A-1 Records
439 E. 6th Street (btw. 1st Ave and A)
212.473.2871
Crate-diggers paradise, large inventory geared towards Hip Hop DJ’s but good things can be found. Be wary of highly priced LP’s in so-so condition. A great place for DJ’s but sometimes too much trouble for snooty collectors. Most of the time I do better buying the stuff the DJ's aren't into.
Other Music
14 East 4th Street (btw Broadway and Lafayette)
212.477.8150
www.othermusic.comA fixture in the downtown indie-rock scene, Other Music concentrates on new and experimental music and dabbles in used LP’s. Heavily prejudiced towards the weird and arty but at least they are trying to be open minded. They also sell new releases on vinyl, CD's and tickets to local shows.
Rockit Scientist Records
33 St. Marks Pl.
212.242.0066
Rockit Scientist is one of the remaining semi-cranky East Village fixtures. It's about as much record store as you can cram into a basement level nook on St. Marks place. Records bust outta the bins and climb up the wall onto the ceiling, don’t lose your balance. Lots of out-of-print UK soul and blues comps and the occasional original treasure.
WEST VILLAGE
Mercer Street Books & Records
206 Mercer St. (above Houston)
212.505.8615
A second hand book store with some records, mostly Rock and Jazz. A worthwhile place to flip through, you probably won’t find anything that out of the ordinary, but for the most part the vinyl is clean and priced on the lower end. Good stuff may turn up at random and you will probably be able to pick up some cheap staples.
Generation Records
210 Thompson Street
212.254.1100
Primarily a CD store known for its selection of hardcore, punk and metal. Down in the basement level is a moderate selection of used vinyl, plus a large bin of new pressings. This is another good place to pick around for the random record. There were some interesting records displayed on the wall (Jazz, Soul and Psych, British Invasion, etc.) at fair prices.
Bleeker St .Records
239 Bleeker St.
NY, NY 10014
212.255.7899
On the top floor eagle-eyed collectors crane their necks to scan the ridiculously high record display that sometimes has some good stuff, usually priced on the high side. Little dayglo obsessively handwritten signs explain the provenance of each piece. Downstairs is kinda junky, although sometimes original sealed LP's get mixed in with contemporary reissues. I've snagged original LP's by Dobie Gray and the Godz this way.
Bleeker Bob’s
239 Bleeker St.
(212) 255-7899
Legendary or infamous depending on who you talk to, this shop of 20 years gets written off quickly as a tourist trap. From personal experience, I believe the place has more to offer. A boggling array of categories and sub categories makes it a bit difficult to flip through, but it tells me that the store is held together by musical knowledge and not just shlockery. Good place for 45s, they got boxes of every conceivable genre, just ask at the counter.
Strider Records
24 Jones St.
212.675.3046
One of the dying breed of old-school record shops, Bob Noguera has been running this place for almost 30 years, the pricing hasn’t kept up with current trends but I don’t think he means anything shifty by it. Worth a peek inside, if you can fit.
Housing Works Used Book Cafe
126 Crosby Street
212.334.3324
www.housingworks.org/usedbookcafe/This is a great organization that sells used books, cd's and records, profits going 100% to AIDS and HIV programs. They have small, tidy used LP section in a beautiful space in Soho, I was surprised to find some nice records in the bins. Worth stopping in for the random records, the atmosphere and the cause. Donate your stuff here, they’ll make sure its put to good use.
BROOKLYN
My apologies as the Brooklyn section is seriously under-represented, I've been hearing about some great places but I haven't had a chance to explore yet.
here are a few places to get you started:
Academy Annex
96 N. 6TH ST. (Between Berry & Wythe)
BROOKLYN, NY 11211
718.218.8200
Sunday through Thursday 12:00 AM to 8:00 PM
FRIDAY and SATURDAY 12:00 AM to 10:00 PM
Similar approach to the original Academy in the city with frequently refreshed new arrivals and broad inventory, reasonably priced.
Halcyon
57 Pearl St. at the corner of Water & Pearl Sts. in Dumbo, Brooklyn
www.halcyonline.comTypically not much for the collector, but a good resource for the DJ. I do miss the old spot on Smith st. that was a cafe, used furniture shop and great hangout.
Earwax Records
218 Bedford Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11211-3234
718-486-3771
Sound Fix Records
110 Bedford Avenue
Brooklyn, NY, 11211
(718) 388-8090
www.soundfixrecrods.comThe Thing
1001 Manhattan Ave
Brooklyn, NY 1122
plus.... a good mini-guide from gridskipper
