Terrible experience here over the weekend! They have…read moreconstruction in the area and plead with people on social media to come and shop. Then, they treat you poorly! It was a pain to get here, lots of construction causing Terrible traffic and delays since we don't leave on Westside. When we went to check the movie section a store employee was sweeping around customers in that area. My husband went to look at movies and he called him out, insulting him as "oblivious". The employee was too concerned about some in store concert, moved things around. But not about getting business from customers. Rude customer service! Well, that's why folks shop online. Who needs this crap? You go through difficulties to come and support a local record store and that's what you get. No respect! On top, not enough merchandise, poor selection. Dusty. We left what merchandise we were planning on getting and left. To never return! Stay away!

Twenty years ago I read an Ohio State University paper about improved cognition and feelings of…read morewell being in cardiac rehabilitation patients who exercised to Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons". All in the study reported feeling better post exercise but those who listened to "The Four Seasons" said they felt even better; performed even better in cognitive testing. Well, that was enough for me to trade in my vinyl for the aforementioned piece in CD format so I could listen in my car (remember it was twenty years ago). I played "The Four Seasons" as I drove to and from work, wrote reports, did my taxes (similar studies show improved math skills in children), or simply relaxed and like those in the non-control group Ohio study, I felt better even recruited long forgotten vocabulary! Mere weeks ago that very same CD bit the dust; skipped over way too many movements. I washed it, talked to it but it was gone... Yeah, I know there's a myriad of more technologically advanced listening platforms but I'm old school. Enter Record Surplus (The Westside's Amoeba equivalent?) for replacement and much, much more. This place is HUGE! If you can't find disks, vinyl here perhaps it doesn't exist. Ah, but it does! Knowledgeable staff will help you find what you seek. Found Itzhak Perlman's performance of "The Four Seasons" and some Mozart. Recycle or trade your unwanted CDs and vinyl here. Parking on Santa Monica Boulevard.

Endless Noise Coffee whips up a damn good Turkish coffee. The bold flavor reminds me a bit of…read moreVietnamese phin coffee, but the flavor profile is a bit smoother to my taste. It's brewed in a copper cup and heated by using scalding hot sand. Seriously. They have an electric sandbox machine used to boil the coffee, replicating the traditional Turkish method of brewing coffee from hundreds of years ago. I like the original Turkish Coffee and taking it black. The coffee is so smooth that you don't need milk, and in my opinion you really should experience the full aromatic flavors of the Turkish coffee without the milk covering it up. You get a little butterscotch on the side too. More than just a coffee shop, Endless Noise is a testament to human ingenuity and the creative spirit. Tucked away in what I (for lack of better words) call Santa Monica's "warehouse district," Endless Noise began as strictly a recording studio- and a damn good one too. The owner used to serve Turkish coffee to his clients. One day, he decided to start selling vinyl records to the community. Then, he started offering his Turkish coffee as well. Why not? I've been trying to grab a coffee here for two years, but I always made the mistake of coming on the weekends when they were closed. I don't know why I decided to try again today of all days, on a Monday afternoon. But as I approached the store and saw their door open for the first time, I felt like I was stepping into a dream and taking a break from reality for a bit. Shout out to Aiden, the incredible barista running this joint. What can I say? Endless Noise is good people through and through.

One of my new favorite small coffee shops in Santa Monica, good coffee, great vibes and friendly…read morestaff! My go to is the classic vanilla latte. Aden treats every customer with attentiveness and enthusiasm. Stopping by here on my lunch breaks is a highlight of my week. The atmosphere always makes my tough days a little lighter. If you need a pick me up, definitely recommend.

A really great used book and record store where you can find a little bit of everything for a…read moredecent price. The inside is literally filled floor to wall with books and records which is a literal dream for a bookstore lover. The owner is also the nicest guy and plays some great tunes while you shop around. Also always available to help you find exactly what you are looking for, and knowledgeable in what he has for sale. We have been 2-3 times now and plan to make this a regular stop in the future!

Total gem on Main Street. It's part bookstore, part record store, part time machine. Smells like…read moreold paper, good vinyl, and pure nostalgia. Rocco, is super helpful and easy to talk to. If you don't see what you're looking for, he'll usually help track it down.

I've been a member of Cinefile for almost three years and there has been nothing on earth that…read morebrings me more joy than going in that store, talking with the helpful clerks who work there about whatever films are divisive these days. My wife was telling me about a 1970s made for TV move she saw as a child, "The Legend of Lizzie Borden". She didn't know where she could find it today. "I bet they'll have it at Cinefile," I told her. And they did!

Wow, they have the most obscure films! I'm a monthly member, I get to rent 4 movies at any one time…read morefor $30 a month. It's $5 per movie for non-members. They also put on weekly movie nights and sometimes host events with filmmakers! Going to Cinefile and picking out a few movies to watch brings me back the excitement I used to feel as a kid when I would go to the video store. They have SO MANY genres I hadn't even heard of and the people who work there are so passionate and knowledgeable. Definitely worth giving them my $30 as opposed to a streaming service that can remove my favorite content at anytime for prices that only keep going up.

Nivessa is a vinyl shop on Pico with a solid curation of records. To get here, street parking will…read morebe your best bet and there is a good amount of it around the area. Inside, they have decent sized setup with fairly priced vinyls organized by artists and genres. All of the staff here are friendly and welcoming. Wifey and I found some pretty cool gems and ended up leaving with a Faye Webster vinyl we had been searching for. Definitely stop by for some crate digging and see what gems you can find!

Cool shop with a huge selection. Fast service. Pretty pricey for some records but expected for…read moreHollywood.

Scott is such a cool guy who clearly, forgive the language, knows his sh- stuff! :) about music…read more Beyond that, he cares deeply about the people who visit the shop and is always willing to order you a record, or in my case, give you helpful pointers about your first record player that isn't also a suitcase. If you're in the area (even if you're NOT, make time to be!), this is a worthwhile stop for anyone who loves music, loves crate digging and loves supporting local businesses run by good people who also love music.

Great selection of records and the owner is very honest to work with. I had some records for…read moreexchange and it was really great experience.

This is a must visit while in Little Osaka. The store is small however the artists they feature are…read morealways great. You can buy prints, stickers, and shirts. The staff is always friendly so feel free to ask questions.

Giant Robot Store is considered as the first and longest-standing Asian & Asian American pop…read moreculture shop in Los Angeles (opened in 2001). Giant Robot formerly published a bimonthly magazine from 1994 to 2011. There is also an extension store called GR2 Gallery (2062 Sawtelle Blvd) located less than a block away from the main store and GR2 mainly focuses on art exhibits while also selling a limited selection of gift items like Japantown/Sawtelle mugs. [Parking]: Parking is always difficult to find in Sawtelle. Visitors can circle around the neighborhood for street parking (I got lucky and found a spot on Beloit Ave just a block away) or try validated parking at Marshalls or Nijiya Market Sawtelle Store. [What to see here]: The shop offers fun housewares, gifts (e.g. Rolife 3D Puzzles), stationery items (a very small selection), T-shirts, varsity jackets, hats, art books, art prints, plushies (e.g. Miffy and Snoopy), and toy figures (e.g. Smiski blind boxes). What really stood out to me were pins, some of the unique jackets, and the Japantown/Sawtelle mugs. Please note that the store limits entry to 8 guests at a time. [Conclusion]: While I can't say the store sells gifts that fit everyone's taste, the shop has cultural significance and deep roots in Asian American pop culture. It is worth a stop for anyone visiting Sawtelle. P.S. - This is also where Uglydolls originally started.

PUNK RECORDS ONLY. I happened to stop by here looking for some used LPs. My bad for not reading the…read moredescription but I didn't know they only carried punk vinyl. They had a few records I knew like The Clash but most were deep cuts from the punk scene. They carry a lot of apparel and posters too. The worker was real friendly and helped me find another store that might have what I was looking for. Also for the pandemic curious they were taking steps to reduce risk.

One of my go to spots for vinyl shopping. Great selection of punk, goth, post punk, psychobilly…read more Prices are reasonable considering their location right in the heart of Melrose. Street metered parking close by. If vinyls are not your thing (but they should be) , you can pick up some great band tees, books, leather jackets and chains. Now what sets this place apart from other stores is the exceptional quality of their merchandise and the owner is amazing. Top notch customer service! If you are in LA cruising Melrose, stop in and check them out.

You have a security guard at the door which is understandable because of the neighborhood you are…read morein. Do not make the security guard, ask people to check their purses, move their cars and whatever else is needed within the first 2 minutes of their arrival, it's very off putting. The employees can do this. The security guard shouldn't be forced to do the job of the entire crew. I have been shopping there for years, I will no longer shop here. I prefer to be greeted with a 'hello! welcome to our store' before being given multiple instructions by a guard.

I go here a lot and the selection is good but the people who work there are horribly rude. I…read moreunderstand that it's a charity shop but don't you still want to sell stuff and make money for your charity? Every time I like to look at something in the case the manager guy gives me attitude. He only wants yo help the people who he knows maybe resellers? The prices also outrageous! 15-25 for forever 21, Zara and H&M?!?! Honestly for those prices I can go to trove down the street and buy designer and where the employees are nice and treat everyone with respect and won't discriminate

Their customer service is a joke and will not address your concerns and only give canned responses…read more Do not order anything from this company!

Amazing customer service!!! I have always had great service when ordering from them, my orders are…read moreshipped out fast. Recently one of the CDs I ordered had a defect that caused 3 tracks to skip badly. I contacted their customer service to find out what I needed to do to exchange it. Silver Gutierrez responded to email within 24 hours and stated that they will ship out a replacement right away, no need to return the defective CD! Best CS ever!