Central Square Records

It’s has to be one of the coolest places I’ve ever been to. I live in Orlando and I wish we had something like this. I literally made every excuse I could find to go back to this place during my week in Seaside. Love love love this place! Must go to!

Very cool, eclectic place! Love to peruse the shelves and see what kind of fun merchandise they sell. we stop by every year and our in laws love to pick up stocking stuffers around Christmas time :) the staff isn’t the friendliest but I’m seeing that as a trend for the area, oh well.

What’s not to love about this place? They always have interesting music playing and try to showcase artists outside the Top 40. I always get turned on to someone new after visiting the store.
They have lots of hysterical and fun brick-​a-​brack, instruments and gifts.
The folks who work there obviously have a passion for what they do and are helpful without being overbearing.

Interesting and helpful staff. Eclectic music, just the way I like it! Some LPs were WAY overpriced, but other, rarer promos were relatively cheap. This store earns bonus points for having Built to Spill, Pavement, 764-​HERO, and Spoon CDs– and the staff knew what I was talking about when I asked!!! The selection of used records was somewhat questionable though, which knocks off a star. A lot of odds ‘n ends from the 60s and early 70s where I’m a girl of the late 70s and 80s, so maybe I’m not the best judge… but WELL worth a visit if you’re in the area, whether you’re an audiophile or just the average consumer.

Part pop culture museum, part retail shop (but most everything’s for sale), Central Square is the perfect place to buy something groovy to take back to the poor souls who didn’t get to come to the beach with you. It’s also a great place to hide out during one of the gulf coast’s periodic afternoon rain showers.
If you’re a vinyl lover, you’ll find tons of records to browse through. There are also awesome «Sonic Suitcases» for sale made from vintage luggage and waiting for your iPod. It’s a quirkily unique way to take the party with you. It’s my understanding that you can also have a Sonic Suitcase made to order — decorated with the logos of your favorite sports team, painted your favorite color, etc.
A great selection of t-​shirts, fun gifts and post cards rounds out the selection at Central Square. The staff is knowledgeable about all kinds of music and the selection is great.

Could have moved into this place! Super helpful and friendly staff. Definitely a must from here on out.

I’ve always liked Central Square Records selection and the general atmosphere of the store. However, today I witnessed the salesman working the cash register pull a bait and switch on my 14 year old son on an item he tried to purchase. When I stepped in and called the salesman out on it his backpedalling dug a huge hole we left without making our purchase very disappointed in the store’s customer service skills. Probably just an isolated incident. But a lasting impression

Comprehensive and unpretentious, these beyond-​friendly guys can and will accommodate your style whatever it is. They don’t stop with vinyl, pick up any and all fun accessories from Orange Amps to literary fashion (seriously, it’s a thing).

Record stores are getting hard to find these days. Vinyl is still hanging in there and people are starting to go «Oh yeah, CDs LOL!» so that helps, but I really like how this place operates. They have a nice spot going on and there’s lots of cool impulse buys in there besides the music. But the most important thing IS the music, and the staff here really know their stuff. They’ll chat with you about what’s new, what’s good, what’s coming and what’s collaborative, and they aren’t elitist about it.
Don’t listen to the naysayers who complain about price; the record labels are always going to get their pound of flesh, you just don’t remember it because you haven’t actually paid for music in a decade because of Napster, Kazaa and bit torrents. These guys aren’t price gouging; owning a small record store is a labor of love. But they have their finger on The Pulse and are happy to share it with you.

This is a really good, community center-​like music store.
Good vibes, good tunes, etc. I always ask if they now of good upcoming shows and appreciate their advice.
Wish there were more like this.

In a place like Seaside, you definitely don’t expect a place like Central Square Records. It’s a hip record shop, like the kid found in Portland or Brooklyn or any city USA, circa mid-​90s. It’s stocked full of a gamut of cool and hip jams (Tame Impala was humming away on the hi-​fi while I shopped there recently, and the counter guy bantered with me about Melody’s Echo Chamber), yet they are also well-​stocked on some of the more mainstream and classic titles that would have more appeal to the average Seaside shopper.
I can imagine the multitude of surly teenagers, dragged on vacation with their yuppie parents to this uppity beach town, thinking they are in for a week of super-​lame existence, then they stumble upon this spot and are in their ever-​loving glory. (FYI, I am a former surly teenage, now 37-y.o. man with a family, and I absolutely adore Seaside. But I could see this POV coming from my teenage self).
Staff was very friendly, knowledgable, and seemed to be generally enjoying themselves — if only just cos they were so casual and relaxed and just hanging out chatting. That’s definitely the vibe of this place — a total hang-​out spot.
Prices range from are-​you-​kidding-​me outrageous to average. When I grabbed a handful of interesting unpriced LPs out of some crates on the floor, the counter guy had to look up prices — surprisingly, in a record guide book, as opposed to online. As a result, a few of them were overpriced, and a few were underpriced, so it worked out OK in the end. I didn’t really need anything I bought, but was very glad to help support this business. May they carry on successfully for decades to come.

This is such an eclectic music store with cool finds and unique gifts like mug shot koozies of famous people. Very friendly and musically educated staff.

Great little record & music shop above the bookstore in downtown Seaside, FL.
The staff are SUPER helpful and friendly. They made us feel very welcome without being pushy at all. They are obviously very knowledgeable. I ended up getting the Crosley that they recommended to me and am super happy with it.
They had an excellent selection of records, both old and new, especially for a moderately sized store. The prices of the records were reasonable and pretty much on par with what you would pay online, plus they will play any record for you in house before you buy so you know the condition.

I love Central Square and shop here whenever I’m visiting. The staff is really friendly and eager to help you find awesome new music. I could seriously spend hours in here. It’s definitely an unexpected little gem in this little beachside town. Is it a little bit pricey? Sure, but the experience of finding your new favorite CD after previewing it in-​store, and leaving with the CD in it’s actual case is pretty charming, at least to me. The experience is always pleasurable. We have to support amazing stores like this.

Baby Amoeba in terms of size and selection. Cozy location upstairs from the bookstore. Most of the back area was undergoing renovations or somesuch. Small sections of memorabilia with bags, mugs, cozies, posters, shirts, plus racks of cards. The two gents on the floor sported iconic wardrobes; the guy at the register could’ve been an extra in High Fidelity, and the other was the poster boy of hipster semi-​indifference. Enthusiastic to engage two ladies browsing the goods, they touted Miracle Fortress, Cody Copeland, and Digitalism. Requests were accepted for background music, a nice change-​up from big-​chain listening stations. A nice essential for the locals.

Great music store with a fantastic selection (although they never have ANYTHING by butch walker so thats where they lose a star).
Loads of vinyl and random ass post cards and birthday cards. My favorite reads: my mother said if you can’t say anything nice, dont say anything at all (open the card and its BLANK!)
Hilarious.
Wonky knowledgeable staff that always amuse me every time I come in. They will look up musicians for you and play them via itunes or Spotify (what you dont know what spotify is?! PM me for an invite.)
Friendly staff, and a GREAT view of the water from the second floor. Oh and gorgeous ukuleles with matching cases for under $ 50. :)

I was elated to find Central Square Records during my visit as it included a very very knowledgeable staff of charming musicphiles, great selection of albums, CDs, and quirky merchandise. I could find anything from the newest Kills or Strokes (median price $ 15) to an affordable collection of vibrant colored ukuleles ($ 30) or squirrel underwear. Yes, squirrel underwear.
I loved the open 2^nd floor layout that is connected to Sun Dog books too and could have shot the shiz with the staff and dug through their racks for hours.
I was able to get 3 CDs and a dashing pair of sunglasses for $ 64 which isn’t bad especially considering that this spot is located in Seaside tourist mecca.

The best view of any record store I’ve ever been in.
Being a record store employee myself, I always pay close attention to the way the employee treats the customer. It’s important, and it’s what builds the relationships that keep these treasures open. Central Square has that in spades.
Great folks, great attitude and a great store. You won’t find bargains here, but I would imagine with the rent this spot has to pay, there wouldn’t be much room for markdowns.
Definitely worth a stop if you’re in the 30-​A area.

This place was really a surprise to find in the Panhandle area — and in Seaside no less. It reminded me a bit of some of the stores I’m used to in Athens & Atlanta (though without a large used CD section and much tidier). The selection is much more unique and less mainstream than you’d expect to find in the area. I’m probably underestimating the area, but it didn’t seem like there would be a huge market for the type of record store they are. I was surprised to see a lot of new vinyl here and we picked up a couple LPs. They have some books, magazines, and tchotchkes as well. The staff seemed kind of bored and not very engaged.
4

This is one of my favorite cd shops, okay, record stores ever… and I’ve been to quite a few great ones. What makes this one stand out is the energy of the store and its staff. Think High Fidelity audiophiles without most of the angst and pretension; these employees are affable.
You wouldn’t expect a music store this cool in the middle of Seaside, atop an equally cool book store, Sundog Books. If you go to one, you must go to the other. They are adjoined by a great wooden staircase at the back of Sundog, past the flyers, then ascend into this audiophile haven. Eclectic and almost too hip for the silly vacationers wandering around below through Seaside. You’ll be transported to (insert hip college town of your choice here). In fact, keep an eye out for instore performances.