47 Best Places to Shop in USA

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We've compiled the best of the best in USA - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.

M-Theory Music

Mission Hills

Come prepared to dig through rows upon rows of new and used vinyl, carefully selected by the audiophiles who run the locally owned record shop. Keep an eye on their schedule for live performances, in-store artist signing events, listening parties, and, of course, Record Store Day deals every April and Black Friday.

827 W. Washington St., San Diego, CA, 92103, USA
619-220–0485

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Material World Records

Bushwick
Browse metal, techno, indie, rap, and punk recordings, many by locals, at this small shop packed with vinyl, cassettes, CDs, DVDs, and books. You won't find too many mainstream artists here, but it's the perfect place to acquaint yourself with the booming Bushwick music scene.
184 Noll St., Brooklyn, NY, 11237, USA
718-381–5703

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McKay's Nashville

Bellevue
This two-story warehouse is the used-media mecca of the South. You can buy, sell, or trade everything from books to movies, CDs, records, games, electronics, and even instruments. If you’re overwhelmed by the sheer number of aisles to explore, start with the bookshelf next to the stairs. That’s where you’ll find new releases that are up for grabs.
636 Old Hickory Blvd., Nashville, TN, 37209, USA
615-353–2595

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Recommended Fodor's Video

Music Millennium

The oldest record store in the Pacific Northwest, Music Millennium stocks a huge selection of new and used music in every possible category, including local punk groups. The store also hosts a number of in-store performances, often by top-name artists, which have included Lucinda Williams, Richard Thompson, Sheryl Crow, and Randy Newman.

3158 E. Burnside St., OR, 97214, USA
503-231–8926

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Newbury Comics

Back Bay

This renowned pop-culture store carries vinyl, CDs, DVDs, novelty tees, quirky gifts, and an especially good lineup of independent pressings. You'll find another location inside Faneuil Hall Marketplace.

348 Newbury St., Boston, MA, 02115, USA
617-236–4930

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NOLA Mix Records

Lower Garden District

This funky record shop is stocked with LPs from local brass bands and bounce artists, classics and obscure selections from all over the world, and fun music-theme merch, like band-style tees with a New Orleans twist. They also give DJ and music production lessons for kids. Walls are reserved for 20 or so pieces that make up the Museum of Mediocre Art, a humorous dedication to oft-ignored thrift store paintings and more outsider art.

1522 Magazine St., New Orleans, LA, 70130, USA
504-345--2138

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Old Town School of Music Store

Lincoln Park

This spot within the Old Town School of Folk Music has a solid selection of kids' instruments, plus all manner of instruments for rent. There's a sibling store in Lincoln Square (4544 N. Lincoln Avenue).

Peaches Records

Uptown
This locally owned music shop specializes in vinyl as well as CDs, with a focus on New Orleans rap, hip-hop, and bounce. You'll also find jazz, gospel, classic soul, and a few music accessories, along with the record store's signature apparel.

The Record Parlour

Hollywood

Vinyl records and music memorabilia abound in this hip yet modest record store/music lover magnet. A visit here is usually a multi-hour affair that involves browsing through display cases, digging through wooden carts of used vinyls, CDs, and cassettes, and then playing your picks at the listening station.

Rough Trade Records

This cavernous, London-based store sells LPs, CDs, and books, and doubles as a 250-seat concert venue and art gallery. The shop's cool, of-the-moment design incorporates recycled shipping containers.
64 N. 9th St., Brooklyn, NY, 11249, USA
718-388–4111

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Schoenberg Guitars

With a rich assortment of handmade guitars alongside vintage classics, this shop is a treat even for those who don't play music. Dozens of guitars varying in size, shape, and color hang from the walls and stand against the polished wood floor. There's an organized beauty to the layout and a comforting sense of musical harmony. You may even enjoy an impromptu concert or workshop.

106 Main St., Tiburon, CA, 94920, USA
415-789–0846
Shopping Details
Closed Sun. and Mon.

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Singles Going Steady

Belltown

If punk rock still means more to you than an anarchy patch on a Target hoodie, this place deserves a pilgrimage. The shop specializes in punk and its offshoots, everything from hardcore to ska, on both CD and vinyl, but you’ll also find a solid selection of rockabilly, indie rock, and hip-hop.

2219 2nd Ave., Seattle, 98121, USA
206-441–7396

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Sweat Records

For a timeless version of an old-fashioned favorite, visit Sweat Records, one of Miami's last remaining record stores. Sweat sells a wide range of music—rock, pop, punk, electronic, hip-hop, and Latino—as well as turntables and vinyl accessories; there's also Miami's only vegan, organic coffee shop on the premises.

5505 N.E. 2nd Ave., FL, 33137, USA
786-693–9309

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Vinyl Junkies Record Shack

South Park

A converted Craftsman house in a mixed residential and business area of South Park, Vinyl Junkies Record Shack is easy to spot, due to its bright orange walls inside and colorful murals outside. Spun off of a seasonal pop-up record swap event, Vinyl Junkies' brick-and-mortar shop is an appealing visit for both diehard record collectors and casual browsers alike. Its selection is well curated, and its walls are lined with an impressive array of eye candy, from classic show posters to vintage record players. DJs regularly spin during shopping hours, and on weekends the store hosts live performances outside.

Spend a little time in the adjacent Digger's Den, where every record is priced $5 or under.

2235 Fern St., San Diego, CA, 92104, USA
619-794--2399

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Wall of Sound

Capitol Hill

If you're on the hunt for Japanese avant-rock on LP, antiwar spoken word, spiritual reggae with Afro-jazz undertones, or old screen-printed show posters, you've found the place. They carry new and used CDs and LPs of all sorts, specializing in the kinds of things you probably won't find anywhere else.

1205 E. Pike St., Seattle, 98122, USA
206-441–9880

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Zia Records

East Side

This store is for the music lover who enjoys shopping for movies and tunes the old-fashioned way—thumbing through physical copies of albums, CDs, and DVDs. As streaming pummels compact discs into extinction, Zia's vinyl selection has reemerged to claim at least an equal amount of floor space. With DVDs and Blu-rays also on life support, Zia—which bills itself as "The Last Record Store"—now devotes more of its huge floor to games, books, comics, T-shirts, and novelties; not unlike a bigger, hipper Spencer Gifts. The Phoenix-based enterprise has a second, more compact west Las Vegas location ( 1216 S. Rainbow Blvd.).

7380 S. Eastern Ave., Las Vegas, NV, 89123, USA
702-735–4942

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Transistor

Lakeview
A favorite of music fans, Transistor is part record shop, part art gallery, and part electronics store. As a bonus, it hosts regular live music and film events.
3441 N. Broadway, Chicago, IL, 60657, USA
312-631–9408

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