Behind the Door: Record Room LIC’s Neighbourhood Vinyl Refuge
By Rafi Mercer
New Listing
Record Room LIC is one of New York City’s most respected listening bars — explore more in our NYC Music Venues guide.
Venue Name: Record Room LIC
Address: 47-16 Vernon Blvd, Long Island City, NY 11101, United States
Website: recordroomnyc.com
Phone: +1 917-396-1900
Spotify Profile: N/A
Long Island City has always had an air of in-betweenness — a place caught between borough identities, with Manhattan glitter to the west and Queens grit to the east. On Vernon Boulevard, a door you might overlook entirely leads to a room that seems to exist outside that geography. Step inside Record Room LIC and you’re no longer in a postcode; you’re in a frequency.
The room is small enough that every seat feels intentional. The low-lit space is anchored by the booth: two pristine Technics turntables, a rotary mixer, and shelves of vinyl arranged in a way that makes you want to explore without rushing. The jackets tell stories — Japanese city pop in one section, Blue Note jazz in another, and an entire row of soul and funk with well-worn edges.
Here, music doesn’t just play; it breathes. The sound is warm, rounded, and astonishingly clear, the kind that makes you notice not just instruments but the spaces between them. You catch the soft thump of a kick drum, the lift of a brushed snare, the little intake of air before a horn player starts his run.
Drinks match the mood — nothing too showy, but crafted with precision. A short menu of highballs, stirred classics, and a handful of wines. There’s no rush to refill; the staff let you sink into your glass as deeply as into the music.
What sets Record Room apart is the absence of distraction. No television screens, no scrolling menus, no over-branded signage. You’re here for the sound, and the room makes sure that’s what you get. On some nights, a guest DJ will guide the evening; on others, the house selectors set a tone so perfectly balanced it feels like a secret they’re letting you in on.
The crowd is as varied as the collection — local creatives, industry folk, audiophile pilgrims from other boroughs. But there’s a shared behaviour: phones stay in pockets, eyes are on the turntable, and conversation flows in the spaces the music leaves open.
It’s the kind of place you could lose hours in without realising. When you finally step back outside, Vernon Boulevard’s streetlamps seem a little brighter, as if your ears have adjusted to a finer resolution of sound and sight alike.
Rafi Mercer writes about the spaces where music matters. For more stories from Tracks & Tales, subscribe, or click here to read more.
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