Any good stores in San Diego? I am stuck with a late flight to Chicago tomorrow and could kill a few hours.... Thanks in advance! ATB, Mark
record city is on 6th, a block and a half south of university. 3757 6th Ave, San Diego, CA 92103 (619) 291-5313 vinyl & cd's. more vinyl than cd's. best bet if you only have a few hours. if you have a little remaining time there is m-theory on washington, fairly close by. just get directions from record city. there is lou's north of town but traffic can be a bear and they are fading anyway. have fun. sd stores are a shell of what they used to be and that was slim to begin with.
in Ocean Beach you might want to try Cow Records...it's about 15 minutes from the airport in a cab.. Greg is the owner...nice guy...lots of variety at his store...some new, bins, etc. record city I believe is quite a bit bigger though...I met the owner picking up my receiver at a local vintage audio repair store...cool guy and seemed like he had a HUGE stock/
Go trawl around Kobey's Swap Meet (in the Sports Arena parking lot) and see what kind of dollar discs you can dig out
I went to Lou's in 2001 and was blown away, so I was super excited to go there again earlier this year. Man, it ain't what it used to be.
Sadly, Lou's has become a shadow of its former self. As is the story with so many brick & mortar places, I imagine that Lou's sales were greatly impacted by on-line sellers and they couldn't afford to keep stock levels as high as they used to. With one building for new items and one building for used stuff, I would spend hours there every time. I used to arrange my San Diego visits so that I could stop at Lou's either going down or coming home. My last few stops there have been pretty much not worth the effort. I did check out Record City during the holiday season last year and picked up a nice mix of things, both vinyl & CD.
In San Diego this weekend and getting ready to hit the shops. On my list: Record City M-Theory Cow Records FeeLit Folk Arts Rare Records Anyplace else popped up in the last couple years that's worth checking out?
I've only been to Record City, which I like. Please post your results & opinions because I'm always ready to try places that are worth the time and effort when I'm down there. Thanks.
Don't forget the venerable Gary's Record Paradise in Escondido. Although they've been struggling in recent years (along with everyone else) and have bounced around several different locations, they're still hanging in there. 1525 S. Escondido Blvd
Paul, do you know anything about Spin Records in Carlsbad? Yelp reviews have good & not as good comments so I haven't made the run to try it. I stopped into Lou's in Encinitas before Christmas and picked up a few things. Lou's is a shadow of its former self but at least it's still there.
Record City and M-Theory both worth checking out. The others, not so much. Gary's Record Paradise was anything but. Stereo City has a nice vinyl room that favors newer audiophile releases from the like of Music Matters, Speakers Corner, and Analogue Productions.
Honestly I've never been to Spin Records, but I should definitely check them out. I do hit Lou's every once in awhile, in fact I was there just last week, and I agree they're not quite what they used to be.
Hey fellow forum residents, going to SD in July. Best used lp haunts? Bonus points: best ocean view for a cocktail , best street style tacos, best non tourist italian/seafood fine dining, best dive bar. Note: staying in or close to DT.
Lived in North San Diego County till about 99. Did all my music shopping at Lou's in Encinitas back then and I know it's still there. What are some of the better stores in San Diego now, especially the northern area?
For food, I can't recommend George's On the Cove in La Jolla highly enough. Try to get a table outside on the top deck for the best view.
Stereo Unlimited on Sports Arena Blvd has been selling vinyl forever. One of my favorite places to spend a Saturday morning.
Family is heading up to San Diego this Thursday for a week. Will gladly take any other recommendations, both food and vinyl, thanks!
Had a chance to visit stereo unlimited today during some off morning time during vacation. Fantastic place. I could have easily dropped way more money, luckily I had the restraint to limit myself to one music matters. Tons of quality vinyl gear and some killer speaker setups as well, had a nice chat with one of the guys as well. Doesn’t hurt being across from the in n out either. Thanks!
If you are still in the area, you could make a day in the Point Loma/Ocean Beach area. Visit Cabrillo Nat'l Monument and Light House, then drop down into OB. Walk the pier, check out Cow's used records, then go across the street to South Beach Bar & Grille. They have some of the best fish & seafood tacos in San Diego! If everyone is of age, go upstairs to the 2nd floor; quieter and you've got the view of the ocean. If you aren't into that - then walk a couple of blocks to Poma's deli. Not much to look at, but they have *killer* subs.
Thank you! Currently at the zoo, and we are in the area until Thursday, staying in mission Bay Area. We plan on hitting up Point Loma for sure so appreciate the recommendation!
Great Hi-Fi and record store shop. I've built most of my systems and received a large portion of my collection from there. Bob and Bruce are very knowledgeable and fair
