Lakeshore Record Exchange

Lakeshore on Park Ave 3-2008 Lakeshore Interior, 4-2009

Location

370 Park Avenue, Rochester NY 14607

Hours

Monday - Saturday: 10:00AM to 9:00PM

Sunday: Noon to 5:00PM

Phone

585 244 8476

Website

http://www.alternativemusic.com/

Lakeshore Record Exchange on Park Avenue is one of the few music shops in town where you don't have to wade through a lot of drek. The staff stocks the store with all varieties of the latest indie, alt, and out of the ordinary music out there. The store is comfy and clean, with friendly staff and a coffee shop type of atmosphere. They have a Jones Soda fridge, listening stations, an alternative film and magazine section, and they're welcoming to dogs.

Best I can tell, Andrew Chinnici, Lakeshore's current owner, bought the Lakeshore Record Exchange from it's original owner who was retiring, within a few short years the shop was moved to it's current location on Park ave.

In 1995 when the web was still in diapers (really like ages ago) Lakeshore's owner bought alternativemusic.Com and opened an eStore. Said website states that early on they decided that alternativemusic.com would not try to compete against main-stream eMusic vendors like Amazon and CD-Now but rather would focus more on building a niche indie base and from the many loyal customers they have it looks as though their business plans have paid off.

If your lucky enough to live in Rochester you have to drop by the brick-and-morter store. You can find anything from new and used CD's to related media and periodicals. There are listening stations all over the store where you can preview almost any CD.

From their site: "Lakeshore Record Exchange is a small business that understands its market and who it is serving. It isn't pretentious. It doesn't have high profit margins, or a corporate attitude." I like it. :)

Comments:

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2006-09-01 08:03:11   Now in their 4th (?) location, Lakeshore has the best selection in town for the type of music I’m interested in. Unfortunately that “preview any CD” service they have means they are really selling some used CD’s for full price. However, if they have another unopened copy, they will sell you one instead of the preview copy. Regardless, they still provide a great local service and offer one of the few locations in town to find unexpected musical treasures. One of the best benefits is the opportunity to have the in-person shopping experience that the convenience of online shopping takes away from those of us who delight in the in-store search. —ZedOmega

2007-06-08 14:33:03   Recommended for those with more eclectic music tastes. And if you can't find anything you like used, there's always the $9.99 rack with a great selection of off-the-beaten-track classics. —JasonPoole

2007-06-08 15:03:27   They have a great selection because of their focus on niche genres and artists (which happen to be the majority of what I listen to). —TravisOwens

2007-10-08 15:13:34   I enjoy going here and browsing. I like getting new-to-me bands from the used CD rack. They're also wonderful and sweet to my dog, which is fun for my dog and for me. —FirstLast

2008-04-07 23:02:35   Vinyl selection is fairly limited aside from newer releases, used cd section is amazing though. —GregoryGentert

2008-04-08 09:11:16   They have the most helpful staff of any music store in Rochester and they genuinely enjoy showing people new music. Prices are always reasonable and chances are if there's a new independent release you're looking for, they have it. —CraigCeremuga

2008-04-08 09:49:33   Are they no longer selling designer vinyl toys? I used to be able to buy Dunnys and Labbits here... any ideas? —KimBee

2008-10-14 23:08:24   Dunnys, Labbits, etc. are covering the entire counter - hard to miss them, are you sure you were in the right store? —deanadeana

2008-10-15 11:26:35   Yes I was in the right store, but over six months ago. It's possible they decided to pick the toys back up. Last time I was in there in the spring they said they were no longer carrying them. I just order directly from KR or Atomic Books in maryland. —KimBee