Iris Records

Awesome, cozy little hole in the wall record store. The space has this sweet old, dingy apothecary vibe. I found a great quality 45 of The Tighten up by Archie Bell and the Drells, and there are definitely more treasures to be found.

Great spot that has an old school charm and a great selection. A nice balance between new offerings, classics and obscure gems. The $ 1 bins held a lot of hidden scores and the staff was chill and knowledgeable. Housed in a former pharmacy, the shop exudes a cool worn in feel sans the pretentious vibe often ubiquitous with independent record spots.

Open for 20 years! Awesome spot with great choice of records and friendly staff. Great to walk to on a Sunday morning.

A record shop in an old pharmacy! While some may find old pharmacies great places to be depressed, I found it a wonderful place to find all sorts of records. They had everything from Alisha to Fitz and the Tantrums to The Galleria, plus tons of 12″ records. New and old! Our crazy friend Steve, the owner, is knowledgable and fair. He’s so approachable and makes running a record shop seem easy, but I know nothing of his work — I’m sure it isn’t easy at all managing and organizing this much wax (and to assume otherwise would mean his whole fallacy is wrong). Steve #2 runs the dance music section and definitely knows his stuff. I found a copy of Gino Soccio’s «So Lonely» there for cheap and it made me happy (and very, very lonely!) If this place is a «pukepile» (to quote another reviewer) it’s a pukepile made of M&Ms and Wheat Chex and rainbows, vomited by an adorable hipster unicorn with a killer set of glowing Ikea Expidits filled with incredible vinyl. I love this place. Vive l’Iris

Really wanted to 3 star this place and support independent record stores — I’ve given this place several chances over the years and only pop in when I’m in the area, hoping for the best. In four visits I’ve never walked away with a purchase, the bins are pretty ugly with basic VG+ rock and jazz staples but nothing special. Their reissue game is on point so if you’re looking for new pressings, support this Jersey City merchant. The breaking point for me was checking out their new arrivals the other day and finding an og Cluster & Eno priced at $ 50. Now, I’m sure there is a Popsike listing out there justifying this nonsense, but I got my NM og Sky copy at Academy for $ 12 just a few years ago. I realize there are only so many greying ex-Maxwell’s habitues to hoover in sick indie collections off of, but a move like that smacks of a record store with little turnover and no killer incoming stock. It’s cool they branched out into running the Record Riots, but if you’re thinking of taking a PATH train all the way from NYC and then hoofing it over to check out this pukepile, don’t say you weren’t warned.

Iris rules. It’s great to have a local record store that knows what they are doing. Always plenty of gems to find but more importantly the staff is knowledgeable and friendly. I am a little disappointed with record store day and how marked up from the MSRP some releases were. I also called ahead of time to see if they would have a certain release but they couldn’t tell me yes or no which was odd. Overall I really like this store but I hope next year record store day will be a little but more organized.

Wow… I want to love this place but compared to other places this is a cluttered confusing mess. It’s quaint, it’s cute… but navigating through this mess is the challenge. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to their organization of genres. Very limited «new» selections but what they do have good luck finding it… there are several new bins in various locations with vague genre’s written on the bins to better assist (i.e. confuse) you? I asked for two different groups and neither were recognized by the clerk (Fitz and the Tantrums and Alt-​J). I suppose I get it… it’s not like I’m asking for The Rolling Stones… but if you work in a music shop you should have a pulse on all genre’s to better serve your clients.

I lived down the street from this place for years without ever realizing it. I found out about it after I moved and really wish I new about it sooner. They have a great selection of old and new records. They aren’t open all of the time so make sure you check the hours of operation before you go. Every time I go I spend over an hour lost in a sea of vinyl. I find prices to be about average. Seems like over the past 3 – 4 years prices of new records has gone up quite a bit; and this place seems par for the course. The dude that works there is cool too.

In trying to help my mother deal with her large collection of vinyl, I called this store. I had a great experience with the owner on the phone. He educated me on the value of different types of records, offered me a few suggestions and was generally helpful and kind. I look forward to checking out this store in person one day!

Visited the store for the first time today. Really cool shop. Lot of vinyl to dig through. The guy working the counter was very nice and attentive. They had a DJ spinning tunes. Great experience. Will definitely be visiting again.

I’m so glad I check my ‘Nearby Feed’, which was the reason I found out this place exist. I just bookmarked it to pass by one day. But then the wife wanted to enjoy the nice weather today and that was enough of an excuse to make a pit stop here.
Got lucky finding street parking nearby as it’s usually not an easy task in the area.
Iris has a hefty selection of $ 1-​$ 5 records, which is awesome. I mostly looked through their $ 1 Soul and Latin section. They also have a $ 1 rock section, which I must return for.
Found a few gems for $ 1 and $ 5. Especially happy with one Latin record of a composer from my parents hometown in Dominican Republic. It’s a Merengue and Bolero album from the 50’s. It’s priceless to me. But glad I only paid $ 5.
Love that they have a 20% off Unilocal coupon for ‘Checking In’. I bought 8 records (2 at $ 5 each and 6 at $ 1 each). After my 20% paid only $ 12. That’s $ 1.50 a record. Can’t beat that.
Can’t wait to return.

I’ve been in this store 2 or 3 times. It’s a gem. For the tiny space it occupies, this place is packed with crates of records. It’s actually pretty well-​organized too. All of the records are split into sections according to genre, then alphabetical. There are tons of $ 1 records that line the perimeter on the floor that are far less organized. There’s a significant amount of digging to be done here.
Their selection of new records is smaller, but growing quickly. Many of the new releases are a bit pricy compared to what you’d get them for directly from the label. I don’t mind paying an extra few dollars for a record; it keeps the local shop alive. But the prices here keep me to a 1-​record-​max instead of my usual 2 – 3 per trip.
The shop is a bit far off the beaten path for people who aren’t locals to find. From the outside it’s a bit unassuming, too. I think these guys would benefit from some more community engagement and marketing. Record sales have skyrocketed over the past few years, and Iris has the potential to be a landmark shop destination. I’d love to see them reach that potential.

Hidden treasure in downtown JC. I’m also glad to see them open on Thursday’s now. I’ve just recently been discovered this place and have been coming here sporadically. In a short time i’ve found some really cool gems.
My only selfish wish is that the Metal section was expanded upon just a bit as well as the 70’s rock/​psychedelic section. Besides that its always a good vibe when entering, helpful guys behind the counter, good tunes on the record player, and I never seem to leave here empty handed.

I love this store. I just started buying records after my boyfriend got me a turntable and have been to a few different music stores that sell them. Most stores look at me when I walk in and just don’t bother.
This store is small enough that so far every time I have come in there was no one else shopping so the salesperson is always attentive and helping me find anything new. They have also been great with recommending me some older jazz and classical music since I don’t know much about it and wanted to get into it more.
I would give them an extra star because they helped me find an edith piaf record that I looked for at 5 or more stores. They offered to put my name down if something showed up and I actually got a call back. It was super exciting to play that record at my place for the first time.
I can’t wait to come back and find some more great records.

What a gem. This store is the type of small, unique shop record hunters always appreciate. The crates are filled with well priced and well selected records. The store itself used to be a pharmacy, that’s been transformed into a cozy music haven. They have little stools to sit on if you want to go digging through the bargain crates on the floor. The lady working today was warm and friendly, even after my 11month old son started making a fuss. Come support this great find.

I’m into classic jazz and 60 – 70’s rock. This gem of a store has a fairly well organized selection of these genres. I spent 90 minutes and got through most of their offerings. The prices are reasonable. I say it’s worth the trip. (I came 30 minutes from Bergen county). Enjoy!

Hidden in a sleepy, unsuspecting corner of Downtown JC, you’ll find Iris Records. Go on a Sunday after brunch and you’ll find yourself back in time, listening to some great old records with other music lovers, young and old, covered in tattoos and piercings or dresses with hearts and rainbows, and looking for punk rock to classical. And everyone in between!
We’ve found every kind of record in here and the stuff they play is so good that I have never failed to take a peek at what record is playing when I’m in there.
Packed to the gills with carefully curated selections at a steal.
You’ll feel like it’s the 90s again. And who doesn’t want to relive the good old days?

You’re not going to score some mega rare obscurity but you will find a small store packed with reasonably priced records. As a matter of fact the $ 2 bins take up at least 50% of the store space. The selection is decently curated and the owner is responsible for putting on the record riot events which come to JC once or twice a year. It’s obvious that this is someone who cares about music as more than just a commodity. Whether you consider yourself a record collector or not I think it’s important to support places like this which attempt to return some sanity to record buying. So instead of lamenting the loss of another decent record store come down and support one!
Please note, hours are erratic.

Iris Records has been Jersey City’s best kept secret since the late 90’s, and it has survived trying times, threatening to close its doors multiple times in the last few years. Iris Records is the stuff of legend. Do some research into their connections into old school hip hop and sampling loops in the 90’s, and you’ll see why its presence in the neighborhood was one of the first things that drew my roommates and I to the neighborhood originally… even if it is never open.
Recent rehab of their 1930’s pharmacy storefront and an increased presence at the PATH station’s Creative Grove Friday afternoons have saved the store from extinction, and that is a very good thing. They’ve helped raise the stakes at Jersey City’s Record Riots in a big way.
Iris Records boasts an updated selection, listening booths, and the most eclectic, well-​stocked vintage and unique vinyl I have found anywhere in NJ. They have strange store hours, which has always thrown me, but if you remember to stop by while they’re open, you’ll be in for a treat.
With their recent store renovation, its easier than ever to navigate crates after crate and find the most amazing albums ever for just a few bucks. Whether you are picking classics for your next gig or are a total vinyl newbie, you will find something worth the trip, even if just to frame on the wall.

Cool, little used record store in Downtown Jersey City. I heard of this place via word-​of-​mouth and found little info online but when I stumbled in, I was able to score some really cool $ 2 used vinyl to add to my collection. Can’t wait to check it out again and I hope you get a chance to as well!