Manhattan, NYC, US

asdf
i'll comeback and re-edit later!

feel free to add any store you like!

EDIT: Open stores in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens respectively, listed below.

MANHATTAN
BROOKLYN
QUEENS

A-1 RECORDS
439 E. 6th St., New York, NY, 10009; (212) 473-2870
The crown jewel for hip-hop's best and brightest beat-diggers. There are now four Technics for the discerning audiophile, and trust us - on our first visit we stood at a listening session next to JuJu of the Beatnuts.

ACADEMY
12 W. 18th St., New York, NY, 10011; (212) 242-3000
Perhaps better known as a used-book store, Academy is also a terrific used-record store, selling vinyl and CDs. Particularly strong on classical and avant-garde, they also have a good assortment of jazz, rock, vocal music and soundtracks.

ACADEMY LP'S
415 E 12th St, New York, NY 10009; (212) 780-9166

BIG CITY RECORDS
521 E. 12th St., New York, NY 10009; (212) 539-0208

BLEECKER BOB'S
118 W 3rd St, New York, NY 10012; (212) 475-9677

BLEECKER STREET RECORDS
239 Bleecker Street, New York, NY 10014; (212) 255-7899

CASA LATINA IN EL BARRIO
151 E. 116th St., New York, NY, 10029; (212) 427-6062
Considered a landmark of Spanish Harlem, Casa Latina offers the best in salsa from the 60s and 70s, plus old-school musica Cubana and Latin jazz collections.

COLONY RECORDS
1619 Broadway, New York, NY, 10019; (212) 265-2050
You're not likely to leave Colony with your dignity intact, but Times Square tourist prices aren't why you'd be coming here anyway. Their stockpile of rare rock merchandise - everything from that 13th Floor Elevators poster to the Unforgettable Fire tour book - is stunning.

DISC-O-RAMA MUSIC WORLD
44 W 8th St, New York, NY 10011; (212) 477-9410

DOWNTOWN MUSIC GALLERY
342 Bowery, New York, NY 10012; (800) 622-1387 / (212) 473-0043 The best spot in NYC when looking for Avant-garde, new and Free Jazz, Art-Rock and Pop, Contemporary Classical and more, on new and used CD, LP and DVD? Go!

FAT BEATS
406 Sixth Ave., New York, NY, 10011; (212) 673-3883
This is hip-hop mecca. If you can fight your way past the bridge-and-tunnel mooks and Euro tourists making hajj to the Mobb Deep section, odds are you can find pretty much anything from the East Coast underground.

GENERATION RECORDS
210 Thompson St., New York, NY, 10012; (212) 254-1100
Under the fluorescent lights, you can find an eclectic mix of rock, garage, punk, ska and hardcore, along with an adequate selection of used CDs, vinyl and rocker Ts.

GIMMEE GIMMEE RECORDS
325 E. 5th St., New York, NY, 10003; (212) 475-2955
This little shop is a vinyl-lover's paradise - it deals exclusively in wax. Its sensibly priced jazz, punk and new wave LPs, vast $1 bins and bohemian decor will spin both your turntable and your head.

HOSPITAL PRODUCTIONS
60 E 3rd St, New York, NY 10003
Seriously essential for anyone into noise/power electronics or black metal. Killer selection of everything noise related you could ever want, plus Dom Fernow/Prurient is a super nice guy. It looks like it's since moved out of the basement of Jammyland.

J&R MUSIC AND COMPUTER WORLD
23 Park Row, New York, NY 10038; (212) 238-9000
J&R boasts one of the largest selections of traditional Latin music in the country, as well as CDs by Ricky and Co.

MANHATTAN LATIN MUSIC CENTER
471 W. 42nd St., New York, NY, 10036; (212) 563-4508
From classics like Hector Lavoe and Willie Colon to contemporary favorites, the experts at el centro will help you find your flavor in no time.

MONDO KIM'S http://www.kimsvideo.com
124 1st Ave, New York, NY 10009; (212) 533-7390
The New York Public Library of record stores. Kim's eclectic categorization comes off confusing at first, but proves as efficient as the Dewey decimal system. If you want it, Kim's has it.

NORMAN'S SOUND & VISION
67 Cooper Sq, New York, NY 10003; (212) 473-6599

OTHER MUSIC http://www.othermusic.com
15 E. 4th St., New York, NY, 10003; (212) 477-8150
An exhaustive accumulation of music spanning the indie-electronic-krautrock gamut packs the tiny shop, and the people who work here know the inventory inside and out. Don't hesitate to tug on the sleeve of a staff member and ask what code-wordish categories like Then, Out and In mean. Or discover a new sonic gem while trying to figure them out for yourself.

REBEL REBEL
319 Bleecker St., New York, NY, 10012; (212) 989-0770
If you're a Britpop fan, prepare to get lost here. Strong in records and CDs but home to more memorabilia than you can throw a scone at, Rebel's got your Oasis CD singles, your Smiths live records and your Pet Shop Boys T-shirts - and you don't need to hop the Pond.

RECORD MART
7 Times Square Plaza, New York, NY 10036 (212) 840-0580
Talk about underground.... Specializing in Latin music, from Cuban son to Dominican bachata, with a fair selection of jazz, rock and Broadway show tunes thrown in, this shop will have you hopping all the way uptown.

ROCK AND SOUL
462 Seventh Ave., New York, NY, 10018; (212) 695-3953
Name a percussion-centered genre, and it's represented in the back of Rock and Soul, Midtown's audio equipment clearinghouse. House, R&B, hip-hop and reggae are particularly well-stocked.

ROCKIT SCIENTIST
33 St. Marks Pl, New York, NY 10003; (212) 242-0066
With stacks of CDs by obscure 60s rock groups like United States of America and weathered 45s by the Pretty Things and the Troggs lining the walls, Rockit Scientist appears to cater to your pot-smoking uncle. But the shop also houses a variety of rock, soul, jazz, reggae and blues standards, too.

SECOND HAND ROSE MUSIC
48 E 12th St, New York, NY 10003; (212) 675-3735

SOUND LIBRARY
214 Ave. A, New York, NY, 10009; (212) 598-9302
Where soul, hip-hop, disco and jazz are treated like a science. From Kool and the Gang to Kool Keith, the Sound Library offers a phat assortment of old- and new-school faves. The spare, cleanly designed space gives you plenty of room to roam through rows of vintage vinyl, and two turntables provide sampling pleasure. PAPER spotted Dan the Automator trying out some tracks, so you know this place is pro.

SOUNDS
20 Saint Marks Pl Frnt, New York, NY 10003; (212) 677-3444

TURNTABLE LAB
120 E 7th St, New York, NY 10009; (212) 677-0675
No used records, only new stuff. Great, frequently updated selection of dance, classic disco and funk represses, and Hip Hop, also a pretty decent selection of Electro, Booty Bass, Mash-up crap and all other in-between genres. 2 listening stations and a jaded but knowledgeable and sometimes friendly staff. They also carry Mixers, Turntables, software, Serrato, etc, and some CD's

VILLAGE MUSIC WORLD
197 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10012; (212) 674-5463

Vinyl Market
241 E 10th St, New York, NY 10003; (212) 539-1203
Techno, techno house, minimal techno, schranz techno, funky techno.

***********
CLOSED
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13
13 St. Mark's Pl., New York, NY, 10003; (212) 477-4376
13 inhabits the St. Mark's space Venus left when it closed. Look for discounted used merchandise, box sets and vinyl of all genres in well-organized comfort.

BATE MUSIC
140 Delancey St., New York, NY, 10002; (212) 677-3180
Specializes in Latin oldies, with an emphasis on merengue and bachata.

BEYOND BASS
60 E. 3rd St., New York, NY, 10012; (212) 677-4959
When he isn't traveling around the globe, you can find New York DJ/producer Danny "Buddah" Morales behind the turn- tables at Beyond Bass, a sparse shop with an excellent selection of techno, trance and, of course, house.

BREAKBEAT SCIENCE
181 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002; (212) 995-2592
Where drum 'n' bass, hip-hop, jungle and house meet to congratulate cousin Outkast on an extraordinarily successful year. Listening turntables abound for the hoodie and phat pants–wearing set.

DISC-O-RAMA (only 8th St store now)
186 W. 4TH ST., NEW YORK, NY, 10014; (212) 206-8417
Somehow you can still get new releases here for about 10 bucks. But go downstairs to the vinyl section for all the current R&B, hip-hop and house jammies, many of them cheap advance promos. If you're lucky enough to catch resident music guru Benji, surrender your ears to his exquisite and unconventional taste in house and R&B.

ETHEREA
66 Ave. A, New York, NY, 10009; (212) 358-1126
Bed-headed scenesters sporting Levi's Sta-Prest pants, thrift-store Ts and Adidas sneaks flock to Etherea for extensive in-the-know, very now music from experimental electronic to underground hip-hop and drum 'n' bass.

FINYL VINYL
204 E. 6th St., New York, NY, 10003; (212) 533-8007
This East Village outpost is the single best record shop for rare grooves in the shadow of a Ukranian church, anywhere. Really. Most of the selections can be had for less than $10, and the staff is more than willing to try to satisfy your Yusuf Lateef jones.

FOOTLIGHT RECORDS
113 E. 12th St., New York, NY, 10003; (212) 533-1572
When Mr. Mickey belts out his rendition of "All That Jazz" (of course, he sings "all that jizz"), we run to Footlight to check his sweet tenor against the original - which we know they'll have. One of those classic New York spots that's as much a public service as a store, drop by, sing a bar (or hum if you're bashful) and the encyclopedic staff will direct you to that cast recording, soundtrack or original score. Break a leg!

JAMMYLAND
60 E. 3rd St., New York, NY, 10012; (212) 614-0185
One of the best all-reggae spots in Manhattan. New 7-inches and albums share space with glorified back catalogs from the likes of Trojan and Mango. Look for that old Augustus Pablo jammy, or find Capleton's latest assault. Mi bawl!

MALACHI RECORDS
139 Fulton St. #135, New York, NY 10038; (212) 964-1600

MULTI KULTI
218 Thompson St., New York, NY, 10012; (212) 979-1872
You'll be able to locate hard-to-find favorites and the less commercial sounds of Brazil, Argentina and Mexico in this world music mecca. Be warned: the Latin selection is being phased out to make room for dance and electronic music.

ROCKS IN YOUR HEAD
157 Prince St., New York, NY, 10012; (212) 475-6729
A throwback to pre-mall SoHo, Rocks is one of the few establishments in the 'hood that doesn't serve lattes or sell candles. With a little picking, you'll always find something tasty here, whether it's a dusty Devo record, a weird Stereolab 10-inch or a gem from their $2 sale bucket.

SHRINE MUSIC
441 E. 9th St., New York, NY, 10003; (212) 529-6646
Fantastic selection of rock, punk, pop and new wave vinyl, including a wall-mounted Lester Bangs and the Delinquents' Jook Savages on the Brazos.

I don't 100% know what's closed and what's not, so any update would be nice.

Someone posted this in a Usenet group today. I have no idea as to how true/accurate it is, but maybe an NYC ogger can investigate or :

There's a guy on my block in NYC that sells old vinyl - LPs and 45s. He has a little hole in the wall operation on street level next to the classy cigar store/factory on West 30th Street just east of 8th Avenue. Nothing is really sorted, but many dealers and collectors in NY, NJ, CT, PA, etc. regularly show up and buy large numbers from him for a couple of dollars a piece Some have told me that they have found very valuable records there. He's in most week days between 2PM and 6PM, maybe a little earlier and later depending on the weather. HIs supply never runs out. I think he has several 40 foot containers full of vinyl upstate.

I went by there last week and he's got an rather interesting set up. Basically as pbl3 says, there is a storage space about the size of a walk-in closet stacked to the brim with vinyl. That part is off limits tho due to the fact there's no light. He does have about 300 or so records he puts out on tables outside that he apparently rotates every day. I didn't see much techno or even dance stuff there, save the full length Technotronic-Pump up the Jam lp which made the trip worthwhile. Hours are as stated above.

Liaf
Charlie from Vinyl Mania

http://discogs.versitio.com//vinylmanianyc

Saw your youtube video "the thing". You can dig there for years! Maybe somebody can find out the adress and post it here. Very interesting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnSeGec6jyo

Oh yeah, forgot about that place. It's more like piles and piles of crap records with the occasional ok one in there, plus a very rare gem (rare meaning hours and hours, maybe days of searching til you might find one)
It's on Greenpoint Ave. in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, near India street. Junk shop upstairs, records down in basement.
Amazing and dusty

strictly speaking Brooklyn is far better for record shopping than Manhattan although I highly suggest you check out A1, the TWO Sound Library stores (I'll post the addresses later on), Fat Beats and Rock & Soul. I'll be there in early April.

Frontosa:

Thanks for the tip, guys!

I went to The Thing two days ago, and spent a few hours there, wading through dust, unidentified fungi, and tons and tons of Isley Brothers.

It's totally worth it, because just being there is incredible. So...many...records... I found some good ones, and I'm definitely going there again. What's really good about it is that there's never anyone there, so you have the whole place to yourself. Not that you'll manage to do much in one day, heh.

And, seriously, bring a dust-mask or whatever it's called. And don't wear black.

p.s. to get there you just take the G-train to Greenpoint; the stop is only a few blocks away.

I know this topic is supposed to be only Manhattan, but let's just say all of NYC ok?

(For those of you who don't know New York geography, New York City is made up of 5 boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, and Staten Island. All 5 boroughs are connected by subway, except for staten island, and all are considered New York City. Manhattan is the epicenter of it all, but is actually much smaller in of actual size/land mass than Brooklyn or Queens)

Aanyway, that said, here's another shop to add (a shop in Brooklyn):

Dope Jams
580 Myrtle Ave., Brooklyn

dopejams.net

Went there last week and got some good records. They have lots of new and used house and hip-hop and lots of other shit too. Worth the trip out to this somewhat shady 'hood.

Some short personal reviews for a couple places in Manhattan. Might be helpful, might not.

A-1 RECORDS
439 E 6th St, New York, NY 10079; (212) 473-2870
Pretty much all old school dance music, mainly ranging from disco, house, and techno. JUST MAKE SURE YOU CHECK THE CONDITION OF THE CHEAP VINYL! I’ve accidentally bought terrible quality records before.
HOUSE | DISCO | FUNK | TECHNO | HIP HOP | 2ND HAND
Listening Station(s)? Yes

ACADEMY RECORDS
12 W 18th St, New York, NY 10011; (212) 242-3000
Only classical, jazz, and soundtrack music.
CLASSICAL | JAZZ | SOUNDTRACK | 2ND HAND
Listening Station(s)? No

ACADEMY LP'S
415 E 12th St, New York, NY 10009; (212) 780-9166
Lots of used and new reissues of techno, house, disco, funk, jazz, hip-hop and rock priced reasonably. Cheap bins available. The guys behind the counter are very friendly too.
HOUSE | DISCO | TECHNO | FUNK | JAZZ | REGGAE | HIP HOP | ROCK | 2ND HAND
Listening Station(s)? Yes

BLEECKER BOB'S
118 W 3rd St, New York, NY 10012; (212) 475-9677
They have pretty much every category of music you can think of. Bargain bins outside, but I think 90% of records inside are overpriced, even by discogs standards. Friendly staff.
HOUSE | TECHNO | DISCO | FUNK | ROCK | JAZZ | CLASSICAL | SOUNDTRACK | HIP HOP | SOUL | SYNTH POP | 2ND HAND
Listening Station(s)? No

BLEECKER STREET RECORDS
239 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10014; (212) 255-7899
They've got $1 bins (mostly albums) and under $5 bins too. You'll find lots of used rock, jazz, soundtracks, and funk. But if you get lucky, they'll be plenty of hip-hop, funk, disco, house, and techno in the cheap bins. However they take months to "restock" their cheap bins.
ROCK | JAZZ | SOUNDTRACK | CLASSICAL | FUNK | DISCO | SOUL | SYNTH POP | 2ND HAND
Listening Station(s)? No

DISC-O-RAMA MUSIC WORLD
44 W 8th St, New York, NY 10011; (212) 477-9410
Lots of used/new hip-hop, jazz, funk/soul, house, disco, disco re-edits. KDJ/Carl Craig kinda stuff too. Prices were mainly less than $15, but not many were cheaper than $5. No cheap bins.
HOUSE | DISCO | HIP HOP | JAZZ | SOUL | 2ND HAND | NEW
Listening Station(s)? Yes

GENERATION RECORDS
210 Thompson St, New York, NY 10012; (212) 254-1100
They really only have rock/punk type music. A bit of disco LPs, but you're really better off looking elsewhere because you can definitely find those common LPs cheaper.
ROCK | DISCO | 2ND HAND
Listening Station(s)? No

GIMME GIMME RECORDS
325 E 5th St, New York, NY 10003; (212) 475-2955
All used rock, disco, house, techno, and reggae records. Lots of cheap stuff. You should definitely find a lot, although you may have trouble deciding what to buy because they might actually have more EDM records than any other shop in NYC? Currently have a deal where you can buy 4 $5 or less records and get the cheapest free.
DISCO | HOUSE | TECHNO | ROCK | REGGAE | 2ND HAND
Listening Station(s)? Yes

HOUSE OF OLDIES
35 Carmine St; New York, NY 10014; (212) 243-0500
VERY EXPENSIVE RECORDS. $5 records are the cheapest and $10 records are also considered "bargains". Look somewhere else for records.
ROCK | JAZZ | DISCO | SYNTH POP | 2ND HAND
Listening Station(s)? No

J&R MUSIC AND COMPUTER WORLD
23 Park Row, New York, NY 10038; (212) 238-9000
Crappy selection of $1 vinyl.
Listening Station(s)? No

KIM'S VIDEO
124 1st Ave, New York, NY 10009; (212) 533-7390
Very little vinyl now and only reissues/new releases, with little EDM to speak of.
Listening Station(s)? No

MERCER STREET BOOKS & RECORDS
206 Mercer St, New York, NY 10012; (212) 505-8615
More of a used book store and selling records is not a priority. Therefore, I'm 99% sure they don't stock what you want. It's a waste of time IMO.
Listening Station(s)? No

NORMAN'S SOUND & VISION
67 Cooper Sq, New York, NY 10003; (212) 473-6599
Supposedly have a 50% discount sale on vinyl. Many records have scratches but play fine (well mine did at least), so be careful buying and inspect the records. Records are actually sorted by genre (rock/punk, r&b/disco, jazz, electronica) and alphabetized, so that's a big plus. No cheap bins so to speak.
ROCK | DISCO | JAZZ | 2ND HAND
Listening Station(s)? No

OTHER MUSIC
15 E 4th St, New York, NY 10003; (212) 477-8150
Used/new rock, jazz, electronic records. Almost everything is at least $4. The newer releases are almost all at least $10.
ROCK | JAZZ | INDIE | 2ND HAND | NEW
Listening Station(s)? No

REBEL REBEL RECORDS
319 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10014; (212) 989-0770
Mainly known as a rock/punk store, but they have some "dance" records too. Only the disco section is really old school, but they do stock some techno records and whatnot (although they might have no idea about that?). The store is really cramped and boxes are everywhere, so you might just be bettering looking at the $2 bins outside.
ROCK | HOUSE | DISCO | TECHNO | 2ND HAND
Listening Station(s)? No

ROCKIT SCIENTIST RECORDS
33 St. Marks Pl, New York, NY 10003; (212) 242-0066
Very, very small selection of EDM. Seem to have lots of everything else though, at least it seemed like it since it was a small store. Everything seemed to be at least $5.
ROCK | JAZZ | RAGGAE | DISCO | HIP HOP | CLASSICAL | SOUNDTRACK | 2ND HAND
Listening Station(s)? No

SECOND HAND ROSE MUSIC
48 E 12th St, New York, NY 10003; (212) 675-3735
Lots of classics, but expensive. They have house (no techno if I correctly), jazz, hip-hop (old & new), disco, and funk/soul. Everything inside the shop is at least $10 (may have changed since I have not visited it in months), but if you're willing to pay, you'll find a lot of stuff. I they were rocking Acid Thunder on the loudspeakers. Cheap bins outside are sorta nice.
HOUSE | JAZZ | HIP HOP | DISCO | FUNK | SOUL | 2ND HAND
Listening Station(s)? No

SOUND LIBRARY
165 Orchard St, New York, NY 10009; (212) 460-4800
Seems to be mainly hip-hop, disco, and jazz but also a small selection of house. This must’ve been the new (smaller?) location because I didn’t think it was as good as the previous reviews have deemed it to be. The majority was under $6 and they have large "budget" and $1 sections.
HIP HOP | DISCO | JAZZ | HOUSE | FUNK | 2ND HAND
Listening Station(s)? Yes

SOUNDS
20 Saint Marks Pl, New York, NY 10003; (212) 677-3444
This place has almost zero used records (and their vinyl section is already very small). You'll really only see funk/soul/disco LPs here. They do have a section solely for JB reissues though. Most of their records are priced at $8.99.
DISCO | FUNK | SOUL | 2ND HAND
Listening Station(s)? No

VILLAGE MUSIC WORLD
197 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10012; (212) 674-5463
Small store and I have absolutely no idea what genre they sell. They really don't have anything. You might stop and look at the $2 bins outside if you're around, but that's it.
Listening Station(s)? No

VINYL MARKET
241 E 10th St, New York, NY 10003; (212) 539-1203
Everything was $10, and it was all minimal, tech house, hard techno stuff. Not even the classic kind, just the filler junk imo.
TECHNO | MINIMAL | TECH HOUSE | 2ND HAND | NEW
Listening Station(s)? Yes

In Brooklyn...

ACADEMY
96 N 6th St, Brooklyn, NY 11211; (718) 218-8200
Rumor has it that this place gets dug out early and often. Which makes sense because when I came, I found like everything good was already gone (compared to Academy in Manhattan). So if you want to come often, you'll probably find something. But for the casual digger, you might try the Manhattan store. The Brooklyn store does have a lot more bargain vinyl though.
ROCK | JAZZ | FUNK | DISCO | HOUSE | HIP HOP | 2ND HAND
Listening Station(s)? Yes

DOPE JAMS
580 Myrtle Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11205; (718) 622-7977
They have a really great selection of disco and house (originals and reissues), but you'll have the pay a for them. The cheapest legit pressings are around $8, with most reaching $10+. You can find them cheaper elsewhere, but you might have to dig a lot as opposed to having them neatly sorted here at Dope Jams.
DISCO | HOUSE | 2ND HAND | NEW
Listening Station(s)? Not sure

EARWAX RECORDS
218 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211; (718) 486-3771
Way overpriced and a tiny record shop to boot. While they had a couple good records, they were totally overpriced at $15+. They didn't even have any bargain bins either. I really don't know what the owner/manager is thinking. This place is probably the worst record shop of record shops in NYC. The only places worse for buying records might be those junk stores which often times have nothing.
DISCO | HIP HOP | FUNK | 2ND HAND
Listening Station(s)?: No

HALCYON
57 Pearl St, Brooklyn, NY 11201; (718) 260-9299
Expensive. They had EDM, but it was just too expensive for me after digging in so many other shops in NYC. For older releases, you can probably find what you're looking for elsewhere cheaper.
HOUSE | TECHNO | DISCO | 2ND HAND | NEW
Listening Station(s)? Yes

PERMANENT RECORDS
181 Franklin St, Brooklyn, NY 11222; (718) 383-4083
Very much like Academy. Has a large variety of genres with old, used, and new records. They have a decent selection (for the size of the store) of $1 bargain records. You'll find decent prices for most records here, with some rarities that are priced accordingly as well.
ROCK | DISCO | JAZZ | HIP HOP | FUNK | HOUSE | TECHNO | 2ND HAND
Listening Station(s)? Yes

THE THING
1001 Manhattan Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11222; (718) 349-8234
This is crate digging heaven. The best record store IMO in NYC. There is so much vinyl it would take a lifetime to look through every single 12". Yeah the conditions (vinyl and store) are probably a bit shabby, but you can't really beat $2 a pop (which becomes cheaper the more you buy). And really, what the hell did you expect from a place where the employees can't actively watch the customers and where crates and crates of vinyl are just thrown around because there's not enough space?
HIP HOP | HOUSE | DISCO | SYNTH POP | FUNK | 2ND HAND
Listening Station(s)? Yes

THE VORTEX
222 Montrose Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11206; (718) 609-6066
Like The Thing's little brother. Why? Because I just found out that Larry, the terrible manager at The Thing that everyone hates, actually steals stuff from The Thing and sells it at The Vortex! Went here and it was pretty much like a smaller version of The Thing. They seemed to price about the same, although I'm not quite sure what those "price stickers" on lots of the vinyl mean...
DISCO | FUNK | HOUSE | HIP HOP | 2ND HAND
Listening Station(s)? Yes

In Queens...

BREAKDOWN RECORDS
4809 Bell Blvd, Queens, NY 11364; (718) 279-0040
Not really a "record shop". More of a store with shelves of used records. I don't believe they get used records frequently, so they aren't worth visiting often. All vinyl is $2. This place is pretty far from Manhattan (requires taking the subway AND a MTA bus), so it might not be worth the trek for most people.
ROCK | DISCO | FUNK | HOUSE | HIP HOP | JAZZ | 2ND HAND
Listening Station(s)? No

Where in Manhattan and Brooklyn would you recommend for:

New drum & bass/jungle
and
Used drum & bass/jungle, classic hardcore breakbeat, classic chicago house, and hip hop?

I don't think you will be able to find any d&b in NYC sadly. I believe Breakbeat Science, the only d&b shop, closed. Although Turntable Lab (I have never visited it) might sell some d&b, but they only sell new releases I believe.

UK Hardcore is also hard to find, I would not actively search for it. I have come across a couple throughout the time I was in NYC though, but you will not be able to actively search for any UK Hardcore, because I'm afraid no shops dedicated themselves to the genre in the first place. You're best bet is probably in the used dance record shops for chicago house and hip-hop i'm listing below.

Chicago house is easy: definitely A1, Dope Jams, Disc-O-Rama. After those 3, you might check The Thing, Gimme Gimme, Academy, and Second Hand Rose.

Hip-hop? Depends what kind of hip-hop. I'm assuming 80's style? That would be Disc-O-Rama, Sound Library, and A1. I have heard about Fat Beats as a hip-hop record store mecca, but I've never been. There's also Harmony Records in the Bronx, which I've never been to either. The Thing should have hip-hop. They have everything because they're a junk store though, so it's really one of those stores to go to if a lot of the old school NYC genres interest you (disco, rnb, funk, house, hip-hop).

Harmony records isn't in the thread yet, so here's the info. (I dunno if it's even a good shop though)

HARMONY RECORDS
1625 Unionport Rd, Bronx, NY 10462; (718) 792-4070

I figured D&B and hardcore would be tough to come by, but I figured I'd ask. Thanks for the heads up about house & hip hop. I'll check those places out (or some of them at least), and let you know how I do!

just noticed a lot of posts have disappeared from this thread?! anyway, my recommendations for hip hop in Manhattan (with the current addresses):
A1 (439 E 6th St)
Sound Library (165 Orchard Street)
Big City Records (521 E 12th St.)
Academy (415 E. 12 ST., down the street from Big City)

Haven't been to the other Academy store in Manhattan (12 W. 18th St.)

You can omit Fat Beats basically as they only stock new stuff but while you're in NY I would go there just for the sake of it anyway.

I found way more stuff in Brooklyn though (Academy is your best bet and The Thing).

Yep, the one's stalkism lists are the shops I go to 90% of the time I go shopping

edit: and I forgot that there were a couple stores that stocked breakbeat/trip-hop/jungle/drum&bass/hardcore, although not a lot:

Academy (mainly the Brooklyn one)
Permanent Records
Bleecker Bob's
Rockit Scientist (the UK hardcore bin was the empty the one time I went though)

Hey, thanks for all the info guys. I'm gonna have a poke around when I'm there.

I was wondering if you could clear up the confusion. Breakbeat Science's website is back up & running (with 2009 releases, new updates, etc.). They list two different addresses, though. Could anybody confirm where they are:

181 Orchard St. Manhattan
OR
57 Pearl St. Brooklyn

Any confirmation asap would be great. I'm going soon! Thanks!

They definitely don't exist on Orchard anymore. I've never checked out the Pearl St location, so I'm not sure.

If I get a chance, I'll check it out. But that Pearl St. location is right next to the new Etherea and Halcyon so if you actually want to visit either of those 2, you could check it out.

So, I had a quick peek in Rockit Scientist, Sound Library, and A1. I was only in town for a few days, and I had to fit 'nuff other things into the agenda. I only came out with records at A1. It was late Monday evening, and I chanced upon it after dinner.

I looked through the small "early 90's techno" section and got this:
http://discogs.versitio.com/Terrorize-Its-Just-A-Feeling/release/31283 for $10.

Then I looked through one of the "cheap hip hop" bins and got these:

http://discogs.versitio.com/Masterdon-Committee-Funkbox-Party-Live/release/87113 $2
http://discogs.versitio.com/Doug-E-Fresh-And-The-Get-Fresh-Crew-Doug-E-Fresh-M-C-Ricky-D-The-Show-La-Di-Da-Di/release/1139655 $3
http://discogs.versitio.com/Funky-4-1-Thats-The-t/release/672046 $3
http://discogs.versitio.com/Naughty-By-Nature-Hip-Hop-Hooray-The-Hood-Comes-First/release/168667 $2

Not bad for 20 mins, and $20. I'd definitely like to go back to NYC with more time and just dig.

Good to know you got a couple records at least. A lot of the shops get picked quickly and often to be honest so you can't always find good records. A1 has a huge stash of records in the backroom, so I forgot to mention if you wanted anything, just ask the guys. It might not be in the front. Hope you had fun in NYC! :)

I was in NY last April and went to A1 as well. Nice people there, but the records I bought there were not really great. Probably all the cool stuff was gone.

Last month a friend went to NY and she came back with three records as a present. Those three records were much better than the stuff I bought.
I asked her where she got them from and she said: well, I went to A1 records, listened to one record, which was cool but then I ran out of time and picked two other random records...

She's or very talented, or she was there on the very right moment..

Yep, the people that live in NYC are crazy vinyl freaks. I would suggest going to the stores right when they open (A1 = 1PM, Academy 12 PM). Because these 2 shops are the best and everyone knows that. But even then, you really just need to show up almost daily so that you can get the goodies.

Or go to The Thing, where you can spend 8 hours alone in the basement digging. That place has enough so it doesn't really matter how many people go, although it probably helps if you're a huge disco or early house music fanatic. The Thing and A1 have the same owner btw.

I'll definitely keep that in mind next time I'm there.

I noticed alot of peple saying that they couldn't find much old hardcore at A-1...sorry that was my doing I cleaned them out of all the hardcore at the start of he year (the ones I didn't have) bar one moving shadow promo and that was the only hardcore I could find in NYC, wicked store though!

Forgot to mention Etherea had 5 boxes of random stuff and I found Acen- Trip to the moon pt 2 andI saw some other stuff that looked good, If you can be bothered.

I thought there were listening stations at dopejams the last time I was there.

You could be right. I only went once and never again because the lights sucked and nothing was cheap. I forgot Etherea, I only went once too. I never went again because I thought it was also too pricey and plus they moved to Brooklyn. I saw early 90s Sven Vath, Altern8, and some other popular artists too.

Not a record store, but along 6th Ave near W 4th and Bleecker Street there are a couple guys selling records (along with other things) on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays (when weather permits). Not necessarily good records, but I have seen a couple 12"s there (particularly Sugar Hill records)

I've been to NYC recently - and here are re-checked some of the shops in Brooklyn and Manhattan. I visited green spots - the rest is unconfirmed if it's still open.
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=117908483594913856315.0004371cfc4778cbc34e5&t=h&z=12

Dance Tracks and Big City are definitely closed. Pretty sure Rocks In Your Head is closed too. Sound Library is not on Ave A. It's on Orchard. A-1, Gimme Gimme, and Disc-O-Rama (on 8th) are definitely still open.

As far as I can , my list contains only stores that are open. But interestingly, you've mentioned a couple stores I've never visited/hear of.

How was Record Runner, Rainbow Music, and Westsider?

Record Runner: great selection of rare cd singles & vinyl singles, but prices are usually between 10-20 dollars or higher. Very friendly store owner - ask for wanted stuff, because rare & expensive is not for looking/touching. Many Japan releases also available on request. Big artists have their cd's together and marked with cards.

Rainbow Music: H-U-G-E selection of cheap stuff, albums and singles, cd & vinyl - reminds me of THE THING, but only with music (you can't see "deeper" cd's because there are cd's in front of you. Also has stuff in the back, but not because it's rare, but because it doesn't have space in front. Ask the seller what you want - you can't find much by browsing.

Westsider: has 2 stores, but I only visited smaller. It is in fact specialized in used books, but there are also used classic and pop/rock cd's (reasonable prices, mint condition). Who is looking for classic music records - must check.

I realized there has been no mention of Good Records on 5th. Now I've never visited the shop, but I suppose it's only right to list it here. I believe they specialize in funk, soul, jazz, and that kind of stuff. They're a very specialized record store I believe. Check out the website here.

GOOD RECORDS
218 E 5th St, New York‎
(212) 529-2081

Seems to be a record fair this weekend.

http://wfmu.org/recfair/

Hi all,

I will visit NYC in June and I am looking for update info on record stores.

My main interest is disco/funk/cosmic/space and italo-disco but I expect that the latter is a no-show in NYC.

Thanks !

Was in NYC 2010...
Gimme Gimme is better than A1 with conditions. But A1 has more soul funk to look though, and you can still find some $5 soul albums that are VG+

Both shops overall worth 1 hour in each

Bleeker Bobs in Bleeker st worth a look for 15 mins... sometimes puts out cheap soul funk original vinyl - Lonnie Smith, Hutson Lps NM out for $7

Bleeker records is rubbish - full of re-issues. But have 15 mins on the $1 floor, there is sometimes decent NM soul electro boogie 12"s for $1!

Best
SC

Any idea where to find some industrial techno, hardcore, industrial, power noise etc ?

pbl3 wrote:

Someone posted this in a Usenet group today. I have no idea as to how true/accurate it is, but maybe an NYC ogger can investigate or :

There's a guy on my block in NYC that sells old vinyl - LPs and 45s. He has a little hole in the wall operation on street level next to the classy cigar store/factory on West 30th Street just east of 8th Avenue. Nothing is really sorted, but many dealers and collectors in NY, NJ, CT, PA, etc. regularly show up and buy large numbers from him for a couple of dollars a piece Some have told me that they have found very valuable records there. He's in most week days between 2PM and 6PM, maybe a little earlier and later depending on the weather. HIs supply never runs out. I think he has several 40 foot containers full of vinyl upstate.

yeah...it true
i have seem him, i feel his prices are out of touch

new york was a big town for Italo, at least as far as US cities go. there were lots of imports sold at places like Vinyl Mania and lots of gay clubs played that stuff alongside HiNRG. the records are out there.