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Neighborhood record store set to open in Astoria

By Bill Parry

Neighborhood record stores have been in decline for over two decades, but one Astoria resident believes they’re ready for a comeback. That is why Javi Velasquez is ready to open HiFi Records at 23-19 Steinway St. early next month. According to Nielsen, U.S. album sales between January and March of this year were up 53 percent from the same period last year.

“The music industry pressed over six million records in one quarter last year, so I think it never went away,” Velazquez said. “People had their CDs and there was the downloading craze, but there are still people devoted to vinyl records.”

People like Javi Velazquez.

“I just grew up with records my entire life, to the point where I have 20,000 albums in my private collection,” he said. “I think there will be a resurgence in vinyl records because it creates an identity, that atmosphere where you knew who you were by the records you collected.”

Velazquez believes Astoria is the perfect place for a neighborhood record store. “I’ve been living here for four years and I think my store will be a perfect fit,” he said. “It’s such a unique place with its demographics and it has a really big music scene. That’s why this will also have a performance space.”

He made all of the shelves and bins for the records at a friend’s home wood-working shop, and everything is on wheels so they can be moved against the walls to create more space for performances. “We’ll have open mic nights so they can have that platform,” Velazquez said.

HiFi Records will buy, sell and trade vinyl records and CDs as well as turntables and headphones. There will also be a coffee bar serving signature blend coffee and espresso.

“It will be a comfortable place to hang out and listen to music,” Velazquez said. “And at 450 square feet, it’s an intimate spot, but there’s plenty of room to browse the bins and discover new types of music. This store will open a gateway of discovery for the generation that may not be too familiar with records.”

Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparry@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4538.