The Best Cities to Go Record Hunting…and Actually Get Something Good
People like to say that music is dead. Disco is dead, Punk is dead, Rock ‘ n ‘ Roll is dead, and on and on. They say that the industry has changed so fundamentally in the past ten or fifteen or twenty years that there’s no going back to its former “glory days.”
And that may be partly true – evolution is part of the jam – but that doesn’t mean we lose everything that made experiencing music special. There’s still the electric experience of attending live shows, still the euphoric feeling of belting your favorite melodies in the car with your best friends on your way to who-knows-where. There’s still the armor-like confidence boost of sporting your favorite band tee around town, getting nods from fellow fans, maybe from those who attended that very tour.
There’s still the magic ritual of dropping a needle onto a shiny black disc. Listening to an album front to back is an intentional act. Giving yourself over to the music, giving it the time and space to take you somewhere else for a while, just as the artist intended.
A kind of alchemy happens when we play our records when we listen to vinyl. It turns a passive experience into an intentional one, and there is no denying the profound effect it has had on so many generations of people, young and old.
So, if you’re in the mood to go out and pick up a new (or old) vinyl, here are some places that have what you’re looking for.
The Best Cities for Vinyl Record Shopping
Los Angeles, California
The Home of Amoeba Music
Let’s begin with a heavy hitter: L.A. Though it’s not most known for its music industry, you’d be hard-pressed to find a person who doesn’t remember what Hollywood Tower Records is or even what it looked like. Then there’s the world-famous Amoeba Music, which is what we’re here to discuss.
Amoeba has three locations in California, but the biggest and most famous is the Hollywood branch. Although Covid-19 saw the permanent closure of its iconic Sunset Blvd store, it has relocated to another massive location on Hollywood Blvd. There are literally tens of thousands of CDs, cassettes, DVDs, t-shirts, posters and glorious vinyls. And they’re a buy, sell and trade business, so you can bring in a stack of records off your own shelf and get some cash or store credit to update your collection! Oh, and they host live shows of up-and-coming indie groups as well as some of the biggest names in music.
Seattle, Washington
Grunge Roots and Sonic Boom
If you didn’t already know, Seattle is the birthplace of grunge. Bands from Nirvana to The Maldives found their sound in this rainy Pacific Northwest city, and there is still a considerable music presence here. With live music venues and recording studios scattered all across the city, you’re bound to fall in love with a new band.
But what about where to buy vinyl? Try stopping by Sonic Boom Records on historic Market St.
Started in the late ’90s by two friends with a passion for indie music, Sonic Boom made a name for itself the following year when they hosted a live performance of Death Cab For Cutie’s then-new album Something About Airplanes. The rest, as they say, is history.
Chicago, Illinois
Blues, Jazz and Reckless Records
Music is not necessarily the first thing you think of when you think of Chicago, but it should be. Chicago is home to a massive blues and jazz scene, with artists from Sam Cooke to Jennifer Hudson finding their start here. Along with being home to tons of historic live venues, it’s also home to a trendy record shop chain, Reckless Records.
Reckless Records began across the pond in London but made its way to Chicago in ’89. Today, they have three locations in the Windy City and an amazing reputation for being Grade A sellers (as well as buyers) of great music, especially vinyl.
New York, New York
Digging Deep at A-1 Record Shop
Yes, there are more music shops here than you can count. Yes, many of those are great vinyl record shops. But I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention A-1 Record Shop.
Like many spots in NYC, where you can spot A-1 from the street, you might not think anything of it. Its windows are covered from top to bottom in old band stickers. Old milk crates out front on cheap plastic folding tables aren’t exactly screaming that they’re anything particularly important or unique. Even when you step through the door, the first thing you might feel is claustrophobic – it’s a tight squeeze. Then you dive into the baskets, start hunting and find that incredibly hard-to-find record you’ve always wanted and every other expectation is blown away like dust from the grooves.
Sacramento, California
The West Coast’s Hidden Vinyl Gem
Seeing Sacramento on here could surprise you, but don’t write off the California capital just yet. There are a couple of places here that sell some really good stuff.
Being the middle ground between the Mexican and Canadian borders, and just a short drive from another great music city, San Francisco, a few shops in Sacramento have amassed impressive collections. Take Kicksville Vinyl & Vintage, Rocket Records and Twelves Wax. Each shop has a unique vibe and specializes in slightly different things, from retro old-school classics to punk to hip hop and funk.
Where the Magic is Made: Top Record Pressing Cities
Now let’s get into places that don’t just sell vinyl records; they still press them. These pressing plants are helping to keep the turntables spinning and the music alive.
Nashville, Tennessee
The Vinyl Capital of the U.S.
United Vinyl has been pressing records for 73 years. To give you some perspective, that’s the same year the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Meryl Streep came into existence – hell of a year.
Nashville is not only one of the greatest places in the world to buy and listen to music, but also to make it. And that includes pressing vinyl. In fact, they are the largest vinyl record manufacturer in the US, pressing around 80,000 records a day!
If you’re looking for some great spots where you can buy vinyls to add to your collection, local favorites include Third Man Records (owned by Jack White!) and Grimey’s New and Pre-Loved Music.
Athens, Georgia
Indie Spirit at Kindercore Vinyl
Georgia is home to some incredible music – the B-52s and Gladys Knight are just two of the remarkably diverse artists who hail from this corner of the country. In addition to boasting tons of places to shop for records, it’s also a place that helps stock the vinyl bins across the world. Kindercore Vinyl, in Athens, started in the ’90s when its two founders wanted to document all the musical happenings in Georgia at the time, and they’ve been doing it ever since for artists all over the place.
Burlington, Vermont
Boutique Quality at Burlington Record Plant
The city of Burlington is just a cool place to be, so it’s no surprise that vinyl is a big part of the community. Burlington Record Plant is a record-pressing boutique with small operations and great attention to detail. One of the newer companies on this list, Burlington Record Plant, began in 2014. With its micro team of specialists, it can put tremendous care and attention into every single disk it prints, ensuring the highest quality for each vinyl that leaves its printing plant and makes its way into all corners of the earth.
Alexandria, Virginia
Furnace Record Pressing
Virginia, home of music recording and distribution! Except not really. Virginia is mainly affiliated with either the original thirteen colonies or Jefferson’s infamous plantation. Not quite the heart of music production. But Alexandria’s Furnace Record Pressing is doing great things in this historical state.
Furnace Records Pressing boasts an all-under-one-roof record business. This means they not only press physical vinyls but can also package and ship them! From inserts to jackets to boxsets and slipmats, they do pretty much everything except write and record the music they print. And they do it in quality. Furnace was acquired by Metallica in 2023 to ensure their own vinyl supply. In May 2026, they are hosting the global “Making Vinyl” B2B conference at their facility.