Rough Trade announces location for new record shop—in midtown
The beloved record store and venue, which shut down in Williamsburg last spring, announced it will be re-opening at 30 Rock
After closing their Williamsburg doors last spring and announcing plans for relocation, the New York branch of Rough Trade Records has announced they will be officially reopening a new store not in Brooklyn, but at the surprising address of 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan on June 1.
“Following the impact of COVID-19, Rough Trade’s decision to relocate reflects a wider reimagination of cities worldwide,” Rough Trade co-owner, Stephen Godfroy said in a statement posted to the website. “Manhattan has a glorious history of great record stores. Now there’s an exciting present as well. The opportunities afforded by the pandemic in the reconfiguration of central city districts have brought us, counter-intuitively, to the heart of New York, an area barren of record stores for years. But Rough Trade’s instinct has always been to surprise!”
The new 2100-square foot location will require some downsizing for London-based Rough Trade, but the company ensures that despite the smaller venue, they will be placing an emphasis on new and limited edition vinyl. There are also plans to feature live performances from both “new talent as well as more familiar legends” on site at the Rainbow Room and at Rockefeller Plaza.
“We loved our amazing Williamsburg store, but thousands of gigs and vinyl sales later, we couldn’t resist the opportunity to move over to Manhattan, downsizing on scale but upsizing on ambition and reach,” reads the online announcement. “Despite having a smaller footprint compared to our giant Williamsburg store, the amount of vinyl to browse in our new store will be similar, so Rough Trade NYC will continue to offer what we strive to make the finest curated selection of vinyl in the city.”
Rough Trade NYC will be open for Record Store 2021, which will take place on June 12 and July 17.
