Record Mart, the record store inside Times Sq. subway station, has closed

June 10, 2020

Record Mart, the little record store inside the Times Square subway station, has closed. Via Uptapped New York, a note on the door reads:

Established in 1958 by Jesse Moskowitz and Bob Stack, Record Mart, the oldest Record Store in Manhattan, has had the privilege of serving our fellow New Yorkers as well as people all around our country and the world for over 62 years. We are deeply saddened to say that due to the pandemic, Record Mart will not be able to reopen. On behalf of all of us at Record Mart, we want to thank you for your support through the years.

The original Record Mart was in the 14th St Union Square station and opened in 1958; they opened a second location in the Times Square subway station in 1961. The 14th St store closed in 1975, and the Times Square location had to close between 1998 and 2007 because of renovations to the station. Record Mart was the oldest record store in Manhattan still in operation and became known, thanks in large part to employee Harry Sepulveda, for Salsa, as well as traditional Puerto Rican and Cuban music. They also sold DVDs, headphones, cameras and more.

The owner of Record Mart notes that their phone number “will remain active so if you have a special order, please leave a message with your name, phone number, and your special order ticket number and we will contact you. We are moving into the vintage audio business, where we buy, refurbish, and sell audio equipment. Please visit us at recordmarthifi.com to browse our selection.”

Record Mart, we are very sad to see you go.