RE: Record Stores, Venues, and Places of interest in New York City

This is my first post on Ilxor. I'm visiting New York City in a week or so and I am compiling a list of record stores, venues, and places of interest. So far, I am going to visit Jazz Record Center, Academy Records, and maybe The Thing if I can make it to Brooklyn. For venues, I am looking at Le Poisson Rouge, Town Hall, Zinc Bar, and Barbes. For places of interest I have everything from a semi-secretive book salon to the Neue Galerie to il laboratorio del gelato. And places of interest would refer to bookstores, cafes, museums, galleries, or anything that you think is interesting and worth visiting.

I know there have been other threads on this forum about good record stores in New York City, but the threads are quite old and I remember how many record stores closed in the interim between my last visit to New York City and my present visit e.g. Jammyland and Hospital Productions.

I appreciate any recommendations!

I did some record shopping in NYC last summer. There's a shop not far from Academy Records in Manhattan called Good Records that I liked. I also really liked Human Head and Heaven Street in Brooklyn.

Rough Trade in Brooklyn is always a good shop. Downtown Music Gallery is still kicking around (I think it's in Chinatown now). Bleecker Street Records is no longer on Bleecker Street (it's on 4th) but has a still has a decent vinyl selection.

And I haven't been yet, but a friend opened a place called Topos Bookstore Cafe in Ridgewood that looks pretty cool.

the raymond pettibon exhibit at the new museum is fantastic.

To your list of venues I would add Mezzrow, admission to which will also get you into Smalls across the street and, if you find it easy to get to Queens, Terraza 7.

I was in NYC for an extremely brief trip and looked for record stores close to where I was staying. Academy was cool although much smaller than I had imagined. I also went to Village Music World, which I literally backed out of- perhaps the worst record store I've ever been to. there was another one nearby - Generation Records maybe, which was not bad- mostly new releases.

The catch is that there are 3 Academy locations.

-The uptown one features classical music and DVDs (while also having everything else)

-The downtown one is primarily used and new vinyl

-The Brooklyn "Anex" in Greenpoint is the largest space. It has new and used vinyl as well as some CDs in the back. Definitely the biggest selection there.

2 Bridges Music Arts is a new place in Chinatown w/ incredible records & books

2bridgesnyc.net

I'm pretty sure Bleecker St Records (on 4th) closed recently

If dance music (and related genres like soul and jazz) is of interest, A-1 Records is a must IMO.

Agree that you should definitely try to get to Smalls (with Mezzrow as a sideline, not the other way around). The Cornelia Street Cafe usually has good music, too.