Brooklyn is the borough that helps us relive the history of musical scenes and live music and is the home of plenty of record stores and shops.
They give us the vinyl record players and the casual music experience.
If having the best music collection at the comfort of your home is your dream, then visit Brooklyn.
Some shops focus on a specific genre, while others have a variety that is more than just records.
Here, I will share a couple of shops that you can visit to get the best of Brooklyn’s musical records.
Best Record Stores In Brooklyn
1. Superior elevation records
Location: 100 White St, Brooklyn, NY 11206, United States
Contact:+1 415-624-6905
Tom Noble founded the record shop after he and his brother decided to part ways.
They had a record shop in Minnesota, but that didn’t stop him from realizing his dream of a record store.
He and his wife moved to Brooklyn to open Superior elevation records because the gigs they had previously assured them that the store would flourish.
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Superior Elevation records specialize in house, disco, and soul vinyl. Its focus is the common records that are cheaper than the rare records; hence it is easy to get buyers and sellers.
If you are looking for a store that hosts local and international DJs on weekends, this is the place to be. Its beautiful loose space has given it the upper hand.
2. Record Grouch
Location: 986 Manhattan Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11222, United States
Contact:718-389-0122
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Record grouch is unique because of its record selection that is considered deep, unfamiliar, and intriguing.
Therefore, it’s not something that you will come across in every other shop.
Its left wall is characterized by new arrivals that will draw your attention and take much lower steps as you walk between the shelves.
If you pick a record from there, you will keep coming for more.
The new arrivals consist of The cowboy, folk, and jazz records. In addition, there you can find punk, goth, new wave and rock on the right side of the shop.
It has also made your selection easier by arranging the records in alphabetical order.
What makes it again more unique from its competitors is that it can acquire certain artists’ discography.
For example, the stranglers, the Fleshtones, and the pere ubu.
All those have been stamped and have a date mark of when they were placed on the shelves.
In addition, when other shops give offers of buying more for a discount, record grouch does the opposite.
It may be a little bit more expensive, but you will get free CDs, magazines, music-related books and cassettes which most of us are interested in.
Record grouch may not have the perfect display at the entrance, but its unique and distinct effort has been put into the shelves by ensuring that you get value for your visit there and money.
3. Halsey and lewis
Location: 476 Lewis Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11233, United States
Contact: info@halseylewisbk.com
Martin Brewer, the owner, has carefully integrated his knowledge and skills to capitalize on his business ideas and ensure that he draws a huge crowd into the record shop.
He sells not only records but also books, sundry gifts, and home goods.
When you walk into the shop, you will come across antique lamps, retro glassware, prairie boots from the 19th century.
All these are made to interest the record buyers and give the shop vintage and ancient atmosphere.
Many records and bookstores are closing down due to digitalization, but the store has been up and running due to the funk, soul, jazz, hip hop records from the ’70s and ’80s with paperbacks and hardcovers that draw the crowds to just hang out and talk.
4. Thing record store
Location:1001 Manhattan Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11222, United States
Contact:+1 718-349-8234
Well, the record store is often referred to as the place where records go to die. But technically, that is not what it means.
That is because once you are in its basement, your search for the best new york vinyl records comes to an end.
Thing Record Store is one of the spots in your new york where you find over one million secret digs and gems.
The store buys private press records and sells them at a higher price to keep the place running.
The store has an enormous volume of records which is why you need to be strong-willed in finding whatever records you want.
Unfortunately, the place is a bit dusty, and you could end up with a scratchy throat.
It is also considered a treasure due to antique furniture, clothing, books, and other items.
It acquires its stocks every week from the nearby estates, ex Dj collections, and auctions.
Its records collection includes bad club records, 90’s hip hop, and dancehall, old Chicago house, salsa, disco, Brazilian, and many other genres from all over the world.
Getting all these records requires patience and adequate time for search. But the time spent there is worthwhile.
5. Black gold records
Location:461 Court St, Brooklyn, NY 11231, United States
Contact:+1 347-227-8227
It is one of the record shops that has struggled to stay put while others were shutting down in Brooklyn.
To keep running, the shop has been selling coffee, T-shirts, and most importantly, their records to the customers to keep the place running.
The shop deals with hip hop, jazz, metal, dance, pop, blues, funk, classical, disco, and many others. Some are second hand while others are new and still sealed.
What is distinctive about the shop is that it makes deliveries to its customers.
All you have to do is visit their website and place an order.
Sometimes the shop hosts big sale weekends, and still, the sales are crazy.
The shop does not have a restriction on its sales. So if you are a dealer, collector, or hoarder, you are still welcome.
Black Gold Records has its online station where it plays the records, drawing a crowd, unlike many other stores that host live record events.
Both can reach their audience but use different channels.
If you want a variety of records at the comfort of your home, then black gold records should be at the topmost on your list.
6. The Bed-Stuy record store
Location:1273 Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY 11216, United States
Contact:(718) 783-2542
Rawlston Charles, an immigrant from Trinidad and Tobago, introduced a record shop that came about with the emergence of the Calypso type of music.
He established a Bed Stuy record store in between a Macdonald’s shop and a sprint store.
It later became the heart of Brooklyn’s music scene.
Like many record stores, Bed Stuy has been affected by the evolution of technology worldwide, where one can stream or download music from anywhere.
That has, of course, affected record sales at the shop.
What inspired the establishment of Bed- Stuy record store was that Charles could find the Calypso type of music records in New York, which was the genre he was used to growing up in his motherland.
He liaised with the Caribbean artists and New York musicians to bring the Calypso music to one of the cities with a deep sense of music and the rest of the world.
As a result, the Bed Stuy record store is not only a unique shop in its genre, but it was also a game-changer and influential.
But today, the shop not only sells Calypso genre records, but it has also collaborated with hip hop and RnB artists for diversification. Of course, there are dance and afro-beat records as well.
7. Brooklyn record exchange
Location: 599 Johnson Avenue. Bushwick
Contact:646-969-2030
Co-op 87 records and New York City record label owners teamed up to establish Brooklyn Record exchange in Elsewhere near a Chinese Food Restaurant. The store has records for buyers and full-time Djs at the shop.
The shop’s records are not characterized by unique scene, genre, or niche. If you want to listen to records, play as you enjoy a Chinese dinner, that’s the place to be.
However, if you are a consistent buyer or a Dj, you will find the records you need there.
The shop’s interior factors a sleek wooden interior with natural lighting conducive to a long day record search.
The perfect artwork on its walls of colorful record sleeves with plant therapy from the plants in the pots helps reduce the feeling of suffocation in an enclosed room.
The shop is an updated version of Co-op 87 records, but it is more inclusive.
It provides the platform for anyone interested in trading, selling, talking about records, and showing appreciation for the records music life.
8. Northern lights records
Location:21 Lawton St, Brooklyn, NY 11221, United States
Contact:(718) 443-3200
It is not a popular or well-known record shop in Brooklyn because it is not an old establishment, but it is a unique and worth visiting joint for vinyl records. It is located in the heart of Bushwick but rare with a free box outside it.
The shop shelves offer a wide range of record genres ranging from boogie, disco, house, soul, jazz, doo-wop, and techno. All are mixed but arranged alphabetically.
So what you have to be aware of is the name of the record you are searching for.
The search through its racks feels like an entire day house searching activity.
You should be ready mentally and physically for the cumbersome task ahead of you.
That is because there are plenty of records on the shelves and not arranged as you would have wanted.
9. Almost ready records
Location:135 Huntington St, Brooklyn, NY 11231, United States
Contact:+ 1 718-852-7746
It is a traditional street-side record shop located in Brooklyn that offers various record labels like almost ready records, last laugh, and mighty mouth music.
It is a store open all day for seven days a week to sell, purchase, and trade records.
Originally, the shop was operated from small street shops, but due to record demand, the owner finally leased a permanent structure to enable stability and growth of the shop.
Customer loyalty has also been established.
This store has been applauded for its great selection in records such that you won’t go in to buy a record and leave without any due to poor variety availability.
It is also stocked regularly to avoid stock-outs which could be a disappointment to the customers.
The record’s genre ranges from reggae, punk, 90’s hip hop to folk, which accounts for its more than five thousand titles on the shelves. There are also cassettes if you need any.
Its location on a busy street favors it because of the half a million people that pass by daily.
With that kind of population, you can be sure that it is one of the busiest in New york.
What attracts people more to the outlets is the hand-painted signage, the room’s natural lighting.
It is also well-arranged so that it is easy to navigate between the shelves when undertaking a search for a vinyl record.
10. Human head records
Location: 289 Meserole St, Brooklyn, NY 11206, United States
Contact:+ 1 347-987-3362
Located at Johnson Avenue and Graham Avenue, Human head records is a new establishment with just the right records for you and offers them at friendly prices.
What you find in the shop’s outlets is worth the visit.
The shop was opened by Travis Klein, who has always had a passion for record collection.
It is put up in Bushwick, Brooklyn, where people are enthusiastic and are eager for great records.
The shop offers treasure records of classic rock, indie, jazz, soul, and many more.
However, classical records from popular bands are what has them separate from others. Bands like the Beatles, the doors, and the stones.
It offers all its records at pocket-friendly prices ranging from one dollar to three dollars each.
Moreover, the arrangement in the shop is easy and perfect, which makes your search a lot much easier.
The arrangement is based on genre and its price tag. The boxes of records aligned on the wall offer a variety and adequate stock for its records.
But what is more brilliant about the store is that its owners are more open to what its customers want and hope for better service delivery.
11. Academy records annex
Location: 85 Oak St, Brooklyn, NY 11222, United State
Contact:+1 718-218-8200
Academy Records is one of the best record stores in New York, as once voted by Rolling Stone. It is known for trading, purchase, and sale of records.
It buys any old record for popular music that you have, ranging from rock, soul, classics, disco, folk, and many more to keep as its stock.
Visiting Academy Records Annex is one of the must-do things in Green Point.
The record also pays an extra dollar for unique and exquisite records from collectors.
So if you are a seller, you should check academy records to earn some extra coins.
Academy records also support local music and onboards local artists to help them release their music on vinyl.
So if you run a local label or have a band with music on vinyl, academy records help you grow.
Academy records also buy soundtracks, but it is not involved in big band LPs, opera, and classical and show albums.
12. The mixtape records
Location:1129 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11216, United States
Contact:+1 347-529-0222
It is one of the new records in Brooklyn where you can play records and interact with users and the community. At first, it was started as an online shop but later became a physical establishment.
What inspired the physical outlet establishment was the owners’ ability to interact with customers where they get feedback and enhance its service delivery.
The record is unique because it specializes in dance records like a house, disco, and techno music. But it is still open to other music records like soul, jazz, funk, and Brazilian originals.
To make the experience for its walk-ins better, it also hosts live DJs, music performances, food, and art events which is part of their brand.
13. Halcyon records
Location:53 Broadway, Brooklyn, NY 11249, United States
Contact:+1 201-503-6205
It is one of the records that has constantly been on the move by changing its locations.
But it recently shut down and has reopened a new outlet at a nightclub. The record focuses on dance music. Its major influence is the club.
Electro music genre and live Djs culture have been on the increase over the years, and that has a great influence on the choice Halcyon records makes concerning its genre focus.
The shop aims to show Brooklyn’s dance music scene to the world though it stocks records from both local and international labels.
Local disc jockeys are also its major focus for spinning on the Funktion One sound system used in the nightclub.
What attracts the crowd is the comfortable atmosphere where you can enjoy music as you have pizza and have some drinks from the cafe.
It is the perfect place for both vinyl fans and a newcomer to Brooklyn city.
Conclusion
New York is one of the diverse and exotic cities when it comes to music. The presence of many music records in Brooklyn is a high indication of the impact all the music genres have on its population.
The records are found both on the streets and the basements, where it’s even harder to locate them. But the adequate stocks on every record’s shelves are worth every visit to the store.
Over time, there has been an evolutionary change in technology worldwide which has seen many people migrate to streaming and downloading sites rather than buying the records.
So some have shut down while others have been able to keep up with the emerging technology.
But most importantly, records have been kept alive due to their impact on our souls and spirits whenever listened to.
