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Good record stores in San Juan?

rawyouthrawyouth 112 Posts
edited April 2011 in Strut Central
I'm in San Juan, Puerto Rico for a few days, any good record stores worth checking out?

  Comments

  • Otis_FunkmeyerOtis_Funkmeyer 1,321 Posts
    See if the guy will let you upstairs at the hardware store in Plaza del Mercado (little bit outside of town).





    Use the doctor's mask if he offers, and watch out for rats.
  • Otis_FunkmeyerOtis_Funkmeyer 1,321 Posts
    You'll have to turn your head or monitor to the side to view those pics, don't know why that happened.
  • rawyouthrawyouth 112 Posts
    Wow that looks great, thanks for the tip!
  • Big_ChanBig_Chan 5,088 Posts
    Otis_Funkmeyer said:
    See if the guy will let you upstairs at the hardware store in Plaza del Mercado (little bit outside of town).





    Use the doctor's mask if he offers, and watch out for rats.

    Yep. I was at that same spot last year. Roaches were climbing out of the 45 bins! We bought a bunch of FANIA 45s and I also got some great FANIA, Hector Lavoe and Ray Barretto DVDs.
  • Big_ChanBig_Chan 5,088 Posts
    You should hit Frankie's Vintage Shop in Old San Juan. Frankie always has records and dude is a real character. He has crazy stories for days. He used to live in NYC years back and would go to Studio 54, Paradise Garage, etc. He even invited us over to his house to party. I think he said the old sound system from the Paradise Garage is at some club in PR now.

    Frankie's Vintage Shop. 787-722-6691. 363 San Francisco, Old San Juan
  • Big_ChanBig_Chan 5,088 Posts
    You should eat lunch EVERY day at La Casita Blanca. BEST PR food on the island. The real deal. We ate lunch there every day. Out in the hood in Santurce, but well worth the drive or a cab ride out there and back. I'll post some pics later.

    La Casita Blanca
    351 Calle Tapia
    San Juan, PR 00933
    (787) 726-5501

    http://www.yelp.com/biz/la-casita-blanca-san-juan

    You should eat at La Bombonera in Old San Juan every morning. mallorcas with cafe con leche. Great place.

    La Bombonera
    259 Calle de San Francisco
    San Juan, PR 00933

    http://www.yelp.com/biz/la-bombonera-san-juan-2#query:la bombanera
  • bobtheorangebobtheorange 432 Posts
    In addition to the guy with the now ultra-moldy attic, check out Viera Discos - La Catedral de la M??sica Latina. I have usually found some good records there but it all depends on what he has recently gotten in. The prices are cheaper ($5 and under) compared to the hardware store, where all the lps are $8 or $12 and the 45s are $2 no matter what condition.

    You should PM Garcia_Vega for some more info, he is practically the King of Diggin of Puerto Rico.
  • Otis_FunkmeyerOtis_Funkmeyer 1,321 Posts
    Yeah that hardware store is in Santurce, forgot that.
  • Garcia_VegaGarcia_Vega 2,428 Posts
    Haha, I wish I was the king of digging in PR! You guys mentioned the three best spots in the city already. In regards to the hardware store, I wouldn't bother with the upstairs, I went about a year ago and everything was covered with a thick layer of mold. I went with a pretty heavy duty mask and gloves, and I only lasted about a half hour, there's no ventialtion, its hot and humid there, I also didn't find anything. Its gotten real unmanagable, the pictures Otis posted are from some years back when you could still walk around up there, since then they have loaded it with so many records that there isn't really any walking space anymore. And I'm not just saying this to scare you off, you can go for yourself but prepare yourself for dissapointment. Its also a pain to deal with that old dude and it takes him forever to open up the upstairs, he likes tourists though, so you never know. The downstairs is always worth a shot, he puts all his new records down there before they get banished upstairs anyway, check for condition always. Its a shame the way the upstairs has gotten so mold infested, there used to be a lot of heat, the owner is getting older and I know they are just going to throw everything away when he dies.
    And you better hit these places today, I fly in to the island tonight and am going scorched earth on the record front!
  • Garcia_VegaGarcia_Vega 2,428 Posts
    double
  • Big_ChanBig_Chan 5,088 Posts
    I wish I was on a plane on the way to PR!!!!!!!! Have fun Roberto. Don Q rum and Medalla Gold beer all day. Go eat at La Casita Blanca for me!
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