This freestanding bookstore is a hidden treasure trove to those who like to spend hours flipping…read morethrough a thick shelf of alphabetized records and books. It has a fantastic collection of UK and US rock vinyl at highly competitive prices (usually less than $10 each), and a spectacular collection of new books.

The sales person is very pleasant and knows what she's doing. Very inviting and definitely will…read moreGo back here again.

The people running the shop were friendly and cordial without being overbearing. Records were…read morereasonably priced and a bit lower than what I have typically seen online across multiple websites. There was a nice and diverse selection which was well-organized, though for some records there were more than one option. I really like that the store was clean and spaced nicely despite the vintage feel.

I originally knew this shop from Oakland, CA (and I had a few issues with them, despite an…read moreincredibly curated selection of music). The NYC Stranded is great: incredible selection of vinyl. Great people working in the shop: good convo, knowledge and help. It's a dangerous place to walk into. There are no bad records. There are also no low prices! Enjoy and beware! Epic selection!

This review is for the record store portion of this establishment-- I love any record store, and…read moreseeing one plopped down in midtown manhattan in the middle of a busy, business-y district does my heart good. It's not what I expected to find here, and if I worked or lived in this area I'm sure I'd want to pop in often to browse or shop. Having said that... the shop is a bit cramped, which makes comfortable browsing a challenge--understood it is the city and real estate is a challenge, but the layout does make for a less than comfortable experience. Perhaps it is the hybrid portion record shop/portion club that means there isn't a ton of room for the shop portion. As for the browsing, it was a bit frustrating -- I was looking for a holiday gift and was having issues and wound up asking for help - "Do you have anything by Tori Amos?" "i dunno" (not super helpful) "...but you can look under T. Yep... they alphabetize by artist first name. I found Weird Al Yankovic under "A". I don't even know where to start there...I would personally expect to find this under Y...if you want to try to make a case to have it under W and treat "Weird" like a band or entity name I won't agree but I'll listen... but under A? For Al? We're alphabetizing by first name? Come on!! Mock outrage aside, it just felt too hard to find anything, not a fun place to browse and not a lot of assistance available to do so. Decent amount of records though, prices seemed a bit all over the map to me--some reasonable, some a bit outlandish--perhaps more careless than trying to rip people off--but I'd wager you can make some finds here. Might not have been my favorite record shop, but it's a record shop nonetheless--I'm sure I'll be back.

Records are very hard to flip through (small store and stacked to the ceiling, requiring…read moreladders/stools or crouching WAY down to the floor to see what's there), are packed in too tight, are really overpriced (to be fair, their rent in midtown must be high), are not always clean/of good quality (the one I bought was dusty), and are sold in the static-friendly crinkly polypropylene sleeves I HATE (personal preference is polyethylene). Folks running the shop are friendly and knowledgeable, and there's a great selection, so all good there. But it's not my favorite place.

Stopped by to see what they had and scored a live James brown vinyl for a decent price! Friendly…read morecashier and good music playing in the background for your search.

The store was pretty busy and we couldn't tell who worked there/who was also browsing which was…read morefine because we were there out of curiosity. There seemed to be a huge selection of classical records, international music CDs, a few pop records and DVDs.

I made ONE LAST attempt at having a good experience here, and was let down yet again…read more The owner is incredibly off putting. His communication skills (or lack there of) ruin my experiences here every time. This time he scoffed at me saying "I'll pass on this one" to a record with a 8" scuff. Even after I apologized and led with "I am admittedly picky with my vinyl". Customer is always wrong in this establishment. It's unlikely i'll be returning in the future, and if I do it'll be for the selection of CDs only as I find the used selection is rather out of style. Very little GOOD used stuff. The reissues are plentiful, well curated, and priced at MSRP. The CD selection is admittedly incredible, but the pricing reminds me of FYE prices circa 2003; height of CD era prices. If you decide to come here I'd suggest only coming for the great selection of CDs and reissues, despite the prices of the former. I am happy with the CDs I did buy, as well as the reissue, but am very let down by the condition of the used record I brought home. The lighting is plentiful, so I'll take full responsibility for picking out a subpar album. I will never take responsibility for being treated like I am a nuisance by the owner; time and time again despite always spending a good chunk of money every time I visit. I'd much rather spend my hard earned money where it is appreciated.

I was seeking a VERY rare book on jazz guitarist Tal Farlow, an amazing guitarist from the golden…read moreage of jazz. Published back in 2014 the "Deluxe" Edition which is signed by the author and Tal's wife, with additional photos and a CD was limited to 150 copies making it an instant rarity. I called the store and they had it and I finally was able to buy the book after a very long search. The seller was very knowledgeable about the book and was super helpful regarding purchasing it and getting it shipped to me quickly. BTW the store did a great packing job ensuring that this rare book arrived as sent. What a great treasure it is to finally own this masterpiece. I can't thank you enough Jazz Record Center.

Really cool bookstore to hang out around. Tons of figurines, video games, toys, pokemon cards, and…read moreof course books. Great $1 book section. Tons of big name authors there!

Buying and Selling at Book Off What a cool store. So much to…read moresee. Unfortunately, it is lousy to sell at and expensive to buy at. First, Selling. I brought in three statue items unopened in the original packaging. I checked on ebay for what the items sold for (not asking price but sold price) and it added up to about $600, I lugged the items over there and had to leave them there because they wouldn't get to them right away. The people/kids working there were very nice. I went to have lunch and got the text to return, and they are offering $150. So I picked up the items and turned down the offer. Again, they were very nice, it's just I wasn't willing to accept 25% of the value. I figured at worst it would be 50%. But I am better off getting closer to the actual price on ebay. Now, Buying. Lots of very expensive and exiting things to get, and I didn't have time to price check things so much, but my son is into the Nintendo switch and i spotted a used Marvel VS Capcom game he might like. It was $34.95. But just in case, I pulled up Amazon and looked the game up. A brand new one costs $21.79. So it would have been a terrible idea for me to buy it there. I guess if you are leaving work and need a quick gift, you might stop in and pay too much for an item. If you are in real trouble and don't have time to wait for an Ebay sale, you might consider selling your collectables for 25% the value, this place might come in handy.

Super cool record store! The prices are a little high but…read moreit's New York. Tons of options. There's a basement area that is filled too!

Great spot for all styles of records including old school, international, folk and more. The…read morehip-hop section was on the smaller side but there was also a downstairs filled with more selections. I loved the music and film posters area and the variety of music tees as well. Wasn't welcomed or greeted but it's just overall a chill vibe. Excellent selection of $1.99 records downstairs. Would recommend for music lovers!

OMG. What a great selection of vinyl and what a good value. The store is no nonsense - the…read moreemployees aren't trying to befriend you - but you will find what you want. I scored some incredible El Gran Combo records. Definitely worth a visit. I'd love to go back.

Friendly. Knowledgable. Great selection. High turnover of inventory So always new stuff available…read more Treasures abound.

Forwver the Best record store in NYC - great selection, rare vinyl and new releases - John is the…read moregreatest!

Great store has rare and fantastic collectibles . The owner John is very knowledgeable.read more

Still a really cool bookstore, with a lot of books that need to be reached by ladder. I wish I…read morecould see some of those books that are hard to reach. They specialize in antique books as well, their NY sections are well stocked as one might imagine, and the fiction and psychology sections are full of good reads. The spaces and aisles are small and narrow, so be ready to bump elbows and navigate carefully during busy times on weekends.

Small hidden gem! Excellent selection of books from floor to ceiling! Such a cool little book store…read morewith a cool vibe to it! Good prices and friendly service. Anyone looking for a good read I recommend stopping in and seeing the book selection!