In case you want to rent the former Tower Records on 4th and Broadway

The news we broke this past week that the Astor Place Starbucks closed after nearly 30 years brought back memories for some people of another nearby business: Tower Records on Fourth Street and Broadway (1983-2006). 

A different broker now has the property. (This is fairly recent, and the listing isn't online yet.) 

The large space, which includes a mezzanine (Blink has the second floor), has been vacant for nearly five years. Build Studio was the last tenant. Previously, it served as the MLB Fan Cave, which closed after four seasons in 2015. 

You can read some history of 692 Broadway here. 

While we always preferred browsing in smaller indie shops, such as the many that once lined St. Mark's Place, including Sounds, Joe's CDs, 13 CDs, Venus Records, Mondo Kim's, Norman's (on Cooper Square), Rockit Scientist Records, etc., we killed a lot of time at this Tower. (We had a friend who worked nearby, and we ducked in here quite a bit while waiting to meet up.)

And ICYMI: Tower Record lives on... online.

By the way, have you seen "All Things Must Pass," Colin Hanks's 2015 documentary about the Tower Records chain? It's right here, courtesy of YouTube... 

 

Former Tower Records on Broadway will become a studio for AOL

Signage arrived late last week for @BUILDseriesNYC on Broadway at Fourth Street. The former Tower Records space (the part that Blink Fitness doesn't have on the second level) will house a studio for the AOL-backed BUILD.

Here's a description:

BUILD is a live interview series like no other — a chance for fans to sit inches away from some of today’s biggest names in entertainment, tech, fashion and business as they share the stories behind their projects and passions. Every conversation yields insights, inspiration and plenty of surprises as moderators and audience members ask questions.

These interviews have been held at the AOL HQ on Astor Place.

In recent years the space had served as the MLB Fan Cave. That closed after four seasons in 2015.

Tower closed in 2006.

Best retro Halloween costume so far today

Via EVG regular William Klayer spotted this on the corner of East Seventh Street and Avenue A just now. With records inside! On my way.

Bag from the past

EVG reader Lara Kubovcik spotted spotted a familiar site on First Avenue and East 11th Street yesterday... this Tower Records bag... the store on East Fourth Street and Broadway closed in 2006 (as well as the one on the Upper West Side) ... which reminds me to drop my Gimbels bag on the street one of these days...