I can't say enough good things about Originals Vinyl. Matthew went so far above and beyond to…read moredeliver one of the best customer service experiences I've had anywhere, not just at a record store. I came in to have several records professionally cleaned, and Matthew was incredibly communicative, friendly, knowledgeable, and generous with his time. He gave me a ton of helpful information and education on how to set up my sound system for the best possible quality, and he even personally tested all of the records I brought in after cleaning them. That level of care is rare. He also kept the store open just for me since I was coming from out of town, which says everything about how much he cares about his customers and the vinyl community. The shop itself is clean, well-organized, in a cool location, and has a great inventory with plenty of unique and hard-to-find records. They also offer professional vinyl cleaning, which I've had a surprisingly hard time finding anywhere else in the Bay Area. There is no better person or shop to support if you're a vinyl collector and care about stellar customer service. I can't wait to go back, and I'll absolutely go out of my way to support this amazing shop and Matthew.

If only you could learn about Originals Vinyl as I did you, you'd understand the 5-star rating…read more The best way to experience Originals Vinyl is to happen upon it by chance, when you're out walking the neighborhoods. Wander inside, enchanted by the sounds emanating from the spinning discs. Rifle through the modest bins of records, each labeled, organized, perhaps even curated. Stop to inquire about the big machines you see behind the counter. Learn that this is where you can bring your LPs for whatever the world has decided is the best way to clean them. Wish that you could just hang out on a sofa here, drinking in the sounds. But this is not a place to linger unless you're looking though the bins. It's intimate and the vibe is whatever the owner or staff is spinning at that moment. On this visit, it was a pure delight.

What a cool place!…read more You can find things from vinyls to comics, to toys. There is a whole lot to see. At one of the desks, I received a free postcard and business card--which was cool. I also noticed they have a Photobooth. I believe it's $7 for two strips.

I still remember when this location was Park Bowl, but that was (gasp) over thirty years ago when…read morebowling was still a popular social activity. I myself was on a bowling team named the Orient Express, and I wish I still had my red team shirt with the dragon on the back. But I digress as this has been an independent record store since 1997, an offshoot of the Berkeley store on Telegraph. Digital downloads be damned, this shop is focused on physical media...CDs, DVDs, cassette tapes, Blu-rays, and of course, vinyl. Even before picking up spares at Park Bowl, I recall that moment in my youth when I made the monumental decision to switch my record purchases from vinyl to CDs. Nowadays, vinyl is making a comeback among a younger generation looking for a higher quality, more realistic sound quality. I saw these Gen Z audiophiles flipping through the long LP bins in search of the elusive underground classic their stereophonic friends could appreciate and envy. Personally I could find nuggets of my own. Albums like The Very Best of Spike Jones (Photo 10) and The Complete 2,000 Year Old Man (Photo 5) resonated with me. I was happy to see individual LPs consolidated into boxed sets like the Linda Ronstadt retrospective. Beyond the music is the expansive DVD collection of movie titles both classic and obscure. There's also books and collectible merchandise like pop-culture lunch boxes and celebrity prayer candles. I'm not sure I need a candle that deifies Aubrey Plaza, but it's good to know where I can get one. RELATED - Exploring the Haight? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/Mq6DbbrGGJ

Stumbled across this shop on a short trip to San Francisco, and I will definitely be coming back! I…read moreended up spending three hours in there just looking at all their cassette tapes. Found some hidden gems at a great price. Also got a cassette holder that I am very excited about.

Small but packed record store and worth the visit. Nice selection on most genres (country and folk…read morevery small). Stocks a bit of all old media with majority of course being records. Owner is nice, will talk your ear off if you stick around. Prices seemed reasonable, did not find any real bargains but found a couple records for my collection that compared to other stores were priced fairly.

Vinyl Dreams is exactly the type of place that gives Lower Haight so much of its classic Haight…read moreStreet charm. The grunge, the passion for music, the crates of records, and the dude behind the counter actually spinning real vinyl. This is why San Francisco is amazing. There's something special about walking into a shop like this. It doesn't feel corporate, curated for Instagram, or overly polished. It feels like a real neighborhood record store run by people who genuinely love music. I couldn't NOT grab something while I was here and ended up walking out with the Electronic Artists Collective -- AIR 12", a copy sourced directly from DJ Spun's personal backstock. A little piece of Bay Area underground electronic music history and the perfect souvenir from a place like this. Way cooler than buying some random mass-produced SF keepsake. Vinyl Dreams is the kind of small, independent shop that gives Lower Haight its personality. A little gritty, a little funky, and full of character. Places like this are part of what makes San Francisco special. Long live real record stores and real vinyl.

I had some old vinyl albums that I wanted to recycle, they took them and will offer to the public…read moreat discounted places, which I found very admirable

love all the star wars in the store so i walk in..wearing a star wars tshirt no less…read more walked in and the guy at the desk didn't acknowledge me. thought it was a fluke went back a few weeks later and again...no hello, no eye contact...nothing. A smile and "Hi Welcome" goes a long way.

Quant and clean, this place packs a punch with top tier records in fantastic condition. Come here…read morefor a solid "selection" of soul, funk and jazz. Plus some damn good all around records. It's my new goto on this side of the bridge.

City Lights is one of my favorite bookstores in San Francisco. There's something about wandering…read morethrough it that makes me feel like a kid again. With every twist and turn, another staircase or room appears, filled with books and entirely new worlds to discover. It always brings me back to the days I spent with my grandmother at our old library. We would sit together on the stairs and read to each other, completely content to spend hours surrounded by books. I think that's part of why City Lights feels so special to me--it brings back that same sense of curiosity, comfort, and excitement I felt with her. I rarely come here looking for one specific thing. The fun is wandering the shelves until a cover, title, or completely unexpected book catches my attention. Somehow I always leave with another story I can't wait to disappear into. There are bookstores you go to simply to buy a book, and then there are bookstores you experience. City Lights is the latter. It's a little piece of San Francisco that I hope never changes.

One of the neatest bookstores in the US. The Poetry room upstairs is wonderful. So much fun…read morehistory here to learn about. And this bookstores has some amazing staff book recommendations with little tags on the bookshelf telling you why they loved that book so much; found some great new finds that way. Dont forget to get your books stamped with their bookstores stamp on the way out!

I went to Out of Sight (not the pizza place)at North Beach in San Francisco. Out of Sight records…read moreis a store which sells vintage clothes, records, and home decor located in North Beach in an alley which is out of sight from the bars, and restaurants which makes it a hidden gem. I stumbled here and went down the stairs and I felt I transported in a time machine to the past. A record store selling vinyl records sighting in San Francisco is a rarity like meeting a San Francisco born native still living in San Francisco. There were some interesting items here for sale . Lots of vintage items inside and it seems like a movie and television props storage space . It's a good place to explore classics from the twentieth century. Out of Sight records is a blast from past when things were built to last. Although record shops in San Francisco decreased and are at a low percentage Go to Out of Sight Records if you want to shop and go vintage

This is a nice little record and used clothing shop in an alley in North Beach. The owner is a nice…read moreguy and prices seem reasonable. I haven't actually purchased anything there but plan to keep it in my rotation (no pun intended).

I've been on the lookout for vinyls recently to start my collection and I found this place by…read morechance and it's really dope! There's chill music playing in the background and the owner said he'd put a record on his order for me. And everything is priced good too. Definitely will be back.

Cool spot for older vinyl, though they're a bit pricey on the 12in singles for sure. Probably best…read moreto come here if looking for older pressings.

True survivors. Look at that groovy exterior. Best browsing ever, but people, you have to buy…read moresomething eventually, or this blast from the past will fade into history. Grooves is next door to the long shuttered It's Tops cafe & that's about it. Everybody else gone. I've bought a couple albums just for the cover art. Cheap Pete's sells square album frames. Hint, hint.

Finally stopped by after living in the neighborhood for 5 years. Big selection of classic rock and…read moreclassical records. They got cassettes and CDs too. Got a couple records at good prices. Tammy at the counter was super nice. I will come back again when I don't have my dog with me so I can take my time and browse.

Can't give a bookstore less than 5 stars because bookstores are such a rarity these days. So much…read morecontent is now online that walking into a physical store with books is like sighting a dinosaur. Especially so when it's not a used bookstore. Books Inc in its different locations host readings from different authors, so that's pretty cool. Not related to this store, but related to author readings, I met several famous authors when I used to attend readings. I don't do so much now because I dislike crowds. This bookstore is next to a Peets Coffee. So you can also enjoy some coffee after your purchase.

Back when it was independent bookstore I really liked when they had cheap books for sale and the SF…read morechildren books are great, but I don't mind it being absorbed by Barnes & Noble since I can use my membership here BUT The service makes me feel like I am being judged on my race and my clothing so when I'm just trying killing time looking at they have in store I feel very uncomfortable like I'm being watched everywhere I go in the store and all the times I've gone I've never been greeted.