Bleecker Bob’s

Fairly high priced, and the selection could be better. It’s become a tourist trap.

Vinyl selection is comprehensive & interesting but it’s like Kim’s: fun to look at but too expensive to buy from. Also, those tourists hanging around are a real pain in the butt. It would be more interesting if they had cats. CD selection could also be better.

I stopped by because I knew they were closing and who knows when I’ll be back to NYC. It is a typical record store. You can tell there is a lot of history there and the catalog of vinyl is insane. The prices seemed reasonable for what they were offering and the staff were nice. They won me over though when a customer was in there and he had obviously been talking to the staff about his bad day. He then asked if the worker knew of a good coffee shop nearby and the guy said there was a good one that he always goes to around the corner. The worker then took a $ 1.50 out of the register and told the guy he wanted to buy him a coffee as he had too much and he wanted to make his day a little better. It was a nice little gesture that I wasn’t expecting from New York let alone a record shop. It is nice to know the small shop vibe still exists and it was sad to know it is continuing to be pushed out by the bigger guys. If you are in the area and it is still open, definitely pop in and check out the selection.

I came in here after trying to find places to buy music the old fashioned way. I bought one CD. There was one cashier at the register. He was professional, asking if I found what I needed.

Only because I’ve been coming here since I was 15 years old. I didn’t start collecting vinyl until two years ago, but I used to come to Bleecker Bob’s because it had/​has a really good used CD section for a good price.
When I was an NYC high school student back in the late 90s, you either bought your CDs at Sam Goody, Coconuts, Best Buy, Nobody Beats the Wiz, even Tower Records. That all changed when I first entered Bleecker Bob’s. Such a new experience buying good CDs used. My friends and I would stop here first before moving on to St. Mark’s Place to check out the other places.
I came back here a few years back because I got hooked on vinyl. Still takes me back to my high school days.
Hopefully this place hangs on a little longer, but that might be a pipe dream at this point.

never say vinyls
bob’s are a bit expensive
the help is friendly

I was in the store today – yes: he’s still hanging on, although there’s a «For Rent» sign up – and asked the guy working there [I’m told his name is Chris] if he had known Lester Bangs. (For those who haven’t heard of Lester Bangs, he was a rock critic who wrote for the Voice and Rolling Stone and Creem in the 70s and ODed on Darvon™ in 1982. One link to get you acquainted:
)
«Yeah, he was in here all the time,» said Chris.
«I’m reading a collection of his writings right now, and keep reflecting on how stupid it was that he ODed on cough syrup.»
«Yeah, that’s something high school kids do. He never grew up.»
But that’s why I’m upping my rating to five stars; the guy knew Lester Bangs. In fact, the store is redolent of Lester Bangs’ writing and I’m sure it had a profound influence on him – or he on it.

This store has a good LP selection but the prices are OUT OF CONTROL and ABSURD. I will go here to look only, and every time I do I get upset by the ridiculous markup. I’m not quite sure who’s buying (who can afford to buy?) here, maybe international tourists and heads of state? Generally, there are several albums on the walls that I own/​have recently purchased somewhere else. Bob’s price is always 2X what I’ve paid online or at another shop.

Really hip place. Didn’t find what I wanted but found what I needed. really organized and informative.

Not quite a tourist trap. I have a soft spot because they carried records of bands I played in (late 70s early 80s). I was also able to purchase many a record back in the day that became collectors items.
If you’re in the area, worth a walk through

Four stars as a historical landmark.
Probably less, as an actual music store.
Had a bit of time to kill before heading over to Old Rabbit Club (
) across the way, hadn’t been actually inside Bleecker Slob’s in god knows how long, so I thought I’d step in and browse.
It hasn’t changed a bit. I mean, literally. I think they’ve still got the same slabs of vinyl and the same obscure CDs they had on the rack years ago. Walking in there is like walking into the past. I got nostalgic for the days when the west village was jam-​packed with record stores… I always liked Second Coming the best, myself. I used to shop at the one in Boston, and when I moved here, moved my business to the one on Sullivan… sigh. Those were the days (of Sisters of Mercy bootlegs.)
Now, though… I appreciate that Bleecker Bob’s does still carry unusual music and interesting genres. But it’s just not well curated. If you find a record from a band you’ve never heard of here, it’s most likely because they were some local act who never made it, not because they’re some rare gem you overlooked, or a new act you haven’t heard of yet. Oh, and the ‘classic’ vinyl here for collectors is seriously overpriced — only for shoppers who have a serious aversion to flipping through bargain bins elsewhere.
That said, I’d still tell any music fans visiting NYC to poke their heads in here, just to see the place.

Two stars for finding a $ 10 bowlpiece outside this spot from the girl with the table setup on the sidewalk.

This place only avoids 1 star because it is an institution. I suppose that New York’s outrageous rents cause items to be marked up, but that does not excuse selling a visually G graded (G does not mean that the record is in good shape, it means it’s beat to death) later pressing of Led Zeppelin Houses of the Holy, which can be found for 5 dollars or under, at the price of one hundred dollars.
Avoid.

Bleeker Bob’s is a dinosaur. A record store relic that rests on it’s name from a time long past. But rather than being a great little record shop, keeping it relevance with great selections and competitive pricing, the store seems content on tourists and shoppers that don’t know any better.
Bleeker Bob’s is also staffed by some of the unfriendliest, rudest, and seriously nastiest people I have ever met in a record shop.
You don’t have to take my word for it, but if you’re a serious or casual music lover that knows what You want, and wants it at the right price, this isn’t the place for you.
Avoid at all costs.

Another place that’s been around forever. Not for nothing, they were way better back in the 80s/​early 90s. To be fair though, it’s personal opinion.
Price-​wise they’re pretty steep. Keep in mind, this is a collector’s shop, and not your average CD store. If you’re a collector with unlimited funds, then you’ve hit jackpot.
Bleecker Bob’s is sort of like a research library. The only difference is that unlike the library, you can permanently check out the merchandise with money.
Way, way, way before the internet and Hot Topic, this was one of the best places to buy Goth and Punk shirts. Seriously.
And they have something of everything. Anything from UK ’82 Chaos Punk/​Oi 45s to Amanda Lear. Warning; THEY KNOW THE VALUE of these items, so don’t even think it. If you’re looking to save money, save your time and subway fare. However, if you get your kicks from caressing vintage vinyl for hours, then go to Bleecker Bobs.
(*Note: if you’re a vinyl pervert, with limited funds, there’s Breakout Records in Bayside, Queens. However, Bleecker Bob’s has a much better selection.)

Dear Bob,
Sell me you store bc you are not doing it right!!!

Oh, my — this place is classic heaven! If you can’t find records from like 30, 40, even 50 years ago, this IS the place to find it! Everything from vintage Elvis to Van Halen — and they sell it for cheap also! I love how they have records of old Broadway shows, as well as posters!

Bleecker Bob’s has a large, diverse collection of vinyl, which is its only upside.
The downsides include records being very expensive and overpriced. Very often you’ll see records being sold at twice the value compared to the same record in other shops in NYC. Once in a blue moon will you see a record reasonably priced, but I recommend that you don’t buy much because you’re likely going to find the same record cheaper elsewhere.
And because of this pricing issue, I find the inventory here doesn’t change much, with a lot of the same records sitting there for months. Oh, and they don’t have turntables, so I HIGHLY recommend not buying a record here if you’re unsure.

The first time I discovered this place was after a disappointing trip to Generation, thus I was ecstatic.
They’ve got tons of original records, not much new stuff but that’s alright I guess. I wouldn’t say they have an amazing selection but it’s definitely better than most places in manhattan. I found some great garage punk records in good condition but the prices kind of blow. Many of them are WAY overpriced but usually, I can get them to lower it a few bucks, which allows me to justify the purchase.
Regardless of prices, or my intentions of buying anything, I love going in here and just searching through their crates of records.
Jacked up prices aside, it’s one of the only legitimate records stores I’ve been to in Manhattan.

Does anyone else remember the ‘pet’ wild rat? No? oh.
There’s nowhere that’s as much fun as bleeker bob’s to dig through crates. No, not even amoeba, it’s just too big, here you feel like you’ re finding something SPECIAL. And you’re usually right.
I found my first Charlie Parker record here, and I got a 45. uhh, 7″ of NOFX’ «liza and louize’ first time I was here. Now you know how old i am.