So I'm in New York this week

[flyingdutchman]

And went to J&R Music World.  Must say, I'm not too impressed.  Their rooms were smaller than I expected, their selection not really stellar, and the overall place didn't shout out as a quality cd shop.  Didn't buy anything.

[bhodges]

I haven't been there in awhile (it's not that convenient to where I live or work), but I'd heard that with the demise of Tower, HMV and Virgin, they had increased their stock of recordings.  Sounds like that's not the case. 

If you haven't tried Academy, it's on West 18th Street (south side) between 5th and 6th Avenues.  It's not so good if you are looking to get a particular recording immediately, but excellent for browsing.

--Bruce

[Coopmv]

I have not shopped at J&R for CD's in almost 10 years.  I just do not like its layout anymore compared to what it used to be like in the 90's and earlier ...

[SonicMan46]

Jo Jo - there so much more to NYC than trying to find CD deals - better online options! 

How much time do you have & what other attractions there might interest you - Bruce can certainly provide plenty of attractions etc. and I've been there dozens of times.

So why 'waste' your effort on lookin' for CDs in the Big Apple when so much else is of interest?   

[MishaK]

Another vote for Academy Records. You can always find classical OOP gems there that you didn't know existed and for little money. I never leave that place empty-handed.

[Coopmv]

I haven't been there in awhile (it's not that convenient to where I live or work), but I'd heard that with the demise of Tower, HMV and Virgin, they had increased their stock of recordings.  Sounds like that's not the case. 

If you haven't tried Academy, it's on West 18th Street (south side) between 5th and 6th Avenues.  It's not so good if you are looking to get a particular recording immediately, but excellent for browsing.

--Bruce

How long has Academy been around?  I used to know NY reasonably well years ago (back in the 80's) but never knew this store existed ...

[bhodges]

How long has Academy been around?  I used to know NY reasonably well years ago (back in the 80's) but never knew this store existed ...

I'm not exactly sure.  I've been in NYC since the early 1980s and it's been there as long as I can recall.  In the days of Tower and HMV, etc. the store may have had a lower profile, but it seems to have increased in the last decade or so.  Also, they now have a website, here, which gives them an extra presence--even if the site has mostly examples of their "high-end" items for collectors.  But in the physical store, many of the discs are $6 or $5, or even less.

--Bruce

[Coopmv]

I'm not exactly sure.  I've been in NYC since the early 1980s and it's been there as long as I can recall.  In the days of Tower and HMV, etc. the store may have had a lower profile, but it seems to have increased in the last decade or so.  Also, they now have a website, here, which gives them an extra presence--even if the site has mostly examples of their "high-end" items for collectors.  But in the physical store, many of the discs are $6 or $5, or even less.

--Bruce

My sister and her husband live in the Village but I really have not been in that neighborhood in years even though I work in Manhattan.  George probably knows the store well as I believe he mentioned it a few times. 

[canninator]

I lived in NYC on the Upper East side from 1995-2000 so for me the best store was the HMV on the corner of (if I remember correctly) 3rd and 86th. It had a huge classical selection and I actually had significant disposable income. Happy days!

[MishaK]

I lived in NYC on the Upper East side from 1995-2000 so for me the best store was the HMV on the corner of (if I remember correctly) 3rd and 86th. It had a huge classical selection and I actually had significant disposable income. Happy days!

That one's long gone.

[Coopmv]

I lived in NYC on the Upper East side from 1995-2000 so for me the best store was the HMV on the corner of (if I remember correctly) 3rd and 86th. It had a huge classical selection and I actually had significant disposable income. Happy days!

I enjoyed living on the Upper East side while growing up.  It was a bit more fun when it was formerly known as the German Town, which was lined by German restaurants and shops.  Back in the mid to late 70's, there used to be a store named the Bremen House, which sold all kinds of classical labels from West Germany ...