End of an era, Tower Records is bankrupt and will be holding "going out of business" sales at various store locations. While sad news, now may be the time to pick up those DVDs,CDs,Records,Tapes, and what not at good prices.
L.
L.
Tower Records Liquidation Sale
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I remember Tower!!-too bad-used to shop at their store in downtown Wash DC.Used to get my Laserdiscs there and CD's that you couldn't get at any other store-Even got a Jazz CD there my Dad was looking for.
Back in the mid 80s we used to drive to Tower at Broadway and 4th street NY to look through LPs in the jazz room upstairs. Nobody else had a jazz selection like that! We would go early Sunday morning so we could park right in front.
It's so much easier looking for obscure stuff now, on the internet, but I miss those Sunday morning trips to the village.
Ken
It's so much easier looking for obscure stuff now, on the internet, but I miss those Sunday morning trips to the village.
Ken
West Fourth Street and Broadway has changed so much from your day. What is not New York University, has become quite trendy as SoHo and Tribeca have become THE hottest area of Manhattan. Even my old haunts of Eighth Street is a shell of it's former self. From about Fifth Avenue towards Broadway, it is almost totally a NYU campus. Many of the small stores, shops and such have closed.
L.
L.
Tower's treaasures
And not just music. They have one of the best "newsstands" in town. All kinds of magazines and papers. I remember the Tower in DC by GW. We sent there one Christmas Eve and parked right on the street by it. Now it's gone. I sometimes go to the one in Rockville. It's a shame to see it go but, like a lot of other consumers, and the businesses they patronized, have found, it is easier to shop on the internet. We have had many excellent book and record stores in the DC area. I have dealt with both the great retail and institutional sales people at several of them so I hate to see them go out of business, but I, for one, do not like shopping, and have not been to any of these places in years, except the Rockville Tower.
In the 70s, a trip to Georgetown was not complete without a stop at Record & Tape LTD, later Olsons's Records & Books (or maybe I have that backwards), but the media advances have made even the old store names obsolete. Back then we relied on the big print catalogs to find recordings and books. Olson's was the first place I shopped regularly that had the big directories on the sales floor so that you could research recordings and their availability, but there was always staff to help and take special orders. Now we do not have to rely on searching huge print publications. Many small, independent, often specialty, book sellers where the Library used to buy books went out of business when the owner retired or died.
When I was a kid, shopping centers were just starting to be built. As the suburbs were built, it became inconvenient to go into the nearest small town like Decatur or Avondale to buy groceries and these towns were built for a different time. Parking was never in great supply and often very limited. The big stores were still downtown, but by the end of the 50s, the big stores started having branches in the ever growing shopping centers. We first had a one story branch of Rich's which was expanded on the north side for housewares, then enlarged to two floors. The stores left downtown a few decades later. The branch in our old area closed, along with the branches of Sears and Davison's. Now the names of the old stores are gone and the lasst of the department stores are either Macy's or Bloomie's. Tower Records has made arrangements to join that great retail heritage of our country where the old stores, large and small, are no longer seen, but still have branches in our memories.
"And so it goes," as Linda Ellerbee says.
And not just music. They have one of the best "newsstands" in town. All kinds of magazines and papers. I remember the Tower in DC by GW. We sent there one Christmas Eve and parked right on the street by it. Now it's gone. I sometimes go to the one in Rockville. It's a shame to see it go but, like a lot of other consumers, and the businesses they patronized, have found, it is easier to shop on the internet. We have had many excellent book and record stores in the DC area. I have dealt with both the great retail and institutional sales people at several of them so I hate to see them go out of business, but I, for one, do not like shopping, and have not been to any of these places in years, except the Rockville Tower.
In the 70s, a trip to Georgetown was not complete without a stop at Record & Tape LTD, later Olsons's Records & Books (or maybe I have that backwards), but the media advances have made even the old store names obsolete. Back then we relied on the big print catalogs to find recordings and books. Olson's was the first place I shopped regularly that had the big directories on the sales floor so that you could research recordings and their availability, but there was always staff to help and take special orders. Now we do not have to rely on searching huge print publications. Many small, independent, often specialty, book sellers where the Library used to buy books went out of business when the owner retired or died.
When I was a kid, shopping centers were just starting to be built. As the suburbs were built, it became inconvenient to go into the nearest small town like Decatur or Avondale to buy groceries and these towns were built for a different time. Parking was never in great supply and often very limited. The big stores were still downtown, but by the end of the 50s, the big stores started having branches in the ever growing shopping centers. We first had a one story branch of Rich's which was expanded on the north side for housewares, then enlarged to two floors. The stores left downtown a few decades later. The branch in our old area closed, along with the branches of Sears and Davison's. Now the names of the old stores are gone and the lasst of the department stores are either Macy's or Bloomie's. Tower Records has made arrangements to join that great retail heritage of our country where the old stores, large and small, are no longer seen, but still have branches in our memories.
"And so it goes," as Linda Ellerbee says.
Sorry for the sloppy post.
I hit post instead of update. My apologies.
I hit post instead of update. My apologies.
oxydolfan1
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 28, 2006
- Messages
- 1,764
I also miss shoe-shopping on Eighth Street, and Broadway in Soho.
Canal Jean is gone, replaced by a branch of Bloomingdale's, and the theme repeats itself in different variations up and down the street, and throughout the neighborhood.
I realize there are worse things for me to complain about, but it saddens me that everything has been "malled"...
Slowly but surely, the same thing's happening to Second Avenue in the East Village.
I know, you have to take the good with the bad....
Canal Jean is gone, replaced by a branch of Bloomingdale's, and the theme repeats itself in different variations up and down the street, and throughout the neighborhood.
I realize there are worse things for me to complain about, but it saddens me that everything has been "malled"...
Slowly but surely, the same thing's happening to Second Avenue in the East Village.
I know, you have to take the good with the bad....
jasonl
New member
:-(
I used to love Tower in New Orleans. LP's, EP's and 45's OH MY!
I used to love Tower in New Orleans. LP's, EP's and 45's OH MY!
Bloomingdales and Macy's
Are the same company. For some reason, they decided to keep the Bloomingdale's name. Why they couldn't have done the same to Marshall Fields is beyond me.
I was never a fan of Bloomies: Their merchandising was always too cluttered for my taste, and they always seemed to lack class. While we don't have them out here, Nordstrom fancies itself a western version of Bloomies, and copies everything they do.
We had three Towers here in Seattle. I spent thousands of dollars at the University District store back in the day.
Are the same company. For some reason, they decided to keep the Bloomingdale's name. Why they couldn't have done the same to Marshall Fields is beyond me.
I was never a fan of Bloomies: Their merchandising was always too cluttered for my taste, and they always seemed to lack class. While we don't have them out here, Nordstrom fancies itself a western version of Bloomies, and copies everything they do.
We had three Towers here in Seattle. I spent thousands of dollars at the University District store back in the day.
Dan-- I was just going to post that my favorite Tower Records is in Seattle's U District. They have an amazing selection. I'd wander around there for hours, starting downstairs,then moving upstairs where the classical music---and the books, if I recall---were kept. Once I began ordering music online a few years ago, I stopped going there, so I don't know if it's already been closed or not.
I feel bad about the demise of CD stores, but when everything in print anywhere on the planet can be ordered with the click of a mouse.....it's just so much easier.
I feel bad about the demise of CD stores, but when everything in print anywhere on the planet can be ordered with the click of a mouse.....it's just so much easier.
Maybe so,
but not everyone who has internet service has the money for broadband, or the facility to download and burn.
There have been three Tower Records I loved. DC, Nashville's, and Boston's. I behaved very badly at the Nashville branch.
Lawrence/Maytagbear
but not everyone who has internet service has the money for broadband, or the facility to download and burn.
There have been three Tower Records I loved. DC, Nashville's, and Boston's. I behaved very badly at the Nashville branch.
Lawrence/Maytagbear
Lawrence---- Behaved badly in a Tower Records? I'm almost afraid to ask, LOL!
Also-- I was thinking more in terms of ordering CDs online from Amazon or German Music Express rather than downloading from iTunes, etc. Although I do purchase music from iTunes, it's not the hard-to-find/rare stuff I get there. I've found the used CD vendors at Amazon to be the holy grail for that.
Also-- I was thinking more in terms of ordering CDs online from Amazon or German Music Express rather than downloading from iTunes, etc. Although I do purchase music from iTunes, it's not the hard-to-find/rare stuff I get there. I've found the used CD vendors at Amazon to be the holy grail for that.
Oh yes. Can you believe the web, technology, pirating and computers have killed Tower Records? I mean TOWER RECORDS STORES! OMG.
Here is an ad for their closing sale. I thought of all of you, incldung (but not limited to) Launderess and this site immediately!
(I did inform the woman pictured of my intent to photograph and asked her if she wanted to opt-out of having her mug included. She was more than happy to get up from the bench, from a break, and pose for me!)
This is in Manhattan, right below central park, looking north. Over to the left (west) is the former [now closed] Plaza Hotel. :-(
Here is an ad for their closing sale. I thought of all of you, incldung (but not limited to) Launderess and this site immediately!
(I did inform the woman pictured of my intent to photograph and asked her if she wanted to opt-out of having her mug included. She was more than happy to get up from the bench, from a break, and pose for me!)
This is in Manhattan, right below central park, looking north. Over to the left (west) is the former [now closed] Plaza Hotel. :-(
Toggle, are you having a senior moment?
There is no pic, hon!
There is no pic, hon!
brettsomers
Well-known member
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- Dec 30, 2005
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- 1,993
love the ad, Steve. the worker is charming. the Plaza is lovely!
shawn
Well-known member
Plaza Hotel
Toggle, when did the Plaza Hotel close and why?
Toggle, when did the Plaza Hotel close and why?
Not Toggle, but:
Plaza Hotel closed last year for renovations/conversion into residential condo's and a smaller "Plaza Hotel".
History of the Plaza Hotel over the past few decades has been several changes of hands, starting with Donald Trump back in the 1980's. The latest investment group to purchase the hotel came to realise what others already knew, it costs vast sums to run the barn of a place, and people do not tend to travel the way they once did to keep the rooms filled. Remember when the Plaza was built the wealthy would pack up and stay for weeks if not months on vacation. Then there were business travellers with large expense accounts that also stayed for days. That came to and end by and by, and 9/11/01 hasn't helped matters.
Many, many hotels in NYC have been converted into residential condos recently,taking advantage of NYC's real estate boom. Hotels are naturals for this as their are no pesky tenants to evict (especially Rent Controlled/Stablised). However when word got out about the Plaza, there was such furore from employees, media coverage, past guests and so on, the mayor's office and city council twisted arms to get the owners to increase the amount of hotel rooms, and less condos.
Parts of the Plaza Hotel are already landmarked, thus could not be altered/torn out, and those opposed to the conversion were trying to get the entire building landmarked to prevent any changes at all. This is common in NYC where pepole who don't have to pay for the upkeep on a building, want it "preserved" but do not wish to pay out of their own pockets. Hotel Union workers were afraid once out of a job they wouldn't be able to find another. Most are "old school" workers and the newer hotels cater to a young, hip crowd. Also as stated there has been lots of hotels being torn down and few new ones taking their place.
L.
Plaza Hotel closed last year for renovations/conversion into residential condo's and a smaller "Plaza Hotel".
History of the Plaza Hotel over the past few decades has been several changes of hands, starting with Donald Trump back in the 1980's. The latest investment group to purchase the hotel came to realise what others already knew, it costs vast sums to run the barn of a place, and people do not tend to travel the way they once did to keep the rooms filled. Remember when the Plaza was built the wealthy would pack up and stay for weeks if not months on vacation. Then there were business travellers with large expense accounts that also stayed for days. That came to and end by and by, and 9/11/01 hasn't helped matters.
Many, many hotels in NYC have been converted into residential condos recently,taking advantage of NYC's real estate boom. Hotels are naturals for this as their are no pesky tenants to evict (especially Rent Controlled/Stablised). However when word got out about the Plaza, there was such furore from employees, media coverage, past guests and so on, the mayor's office and city council twisted arms to get the owners to increase the amount of hotel rooms, and less condos.
Parts of the Plaza Hotel are already landmarked, thus could not be altered/torn out, and those opposed to the conversion were trying to get the entire building landmarked to prevent any changes at all. This is common in NYC where pepole who don't have to pay for the upkeep on a building, want it "preserved" but do not wish to pay out of their own pockets. Hotel Union workers were afraid once out of a job they wouldn't be able to find another. Most are "old school" workers and the newer hotels cater to a young, hip crowd. Also as stated there has been lots of hotels being torn down and few new ones taking their place.
L.
oxydolfan1
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- Joined
- Sep 28, 2006
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- 1,764
Off topic....whatever happened to the Russian Tea Room?
CB's last night is tonight....
CB's last night is tonight....
Russian Tea Room also went through several owners who tried to make ago of it, but in the end it didn't work and the restaurant closed several years ago.
It is VERY expensive to live/have a business in NYC, which has some of the highest real estate and living costs in the country, and always ranks in the top five or so worldwide for the same. For a restaurant one needs those tables turning over and people paying prices that reflect costs. The Russian Tea Room went "out of fashion" as it's loyal customer base died or moved out of NYC. In it's last incarnation it was more "Russian" themed, but that didn't stop the flow of red ink.
Restaurants in particular have a hard time in NYC because of high costs. Rents can easily run several if not tens of thousands for what would be considered a small space, then one must add ultilites, staff and so on, all of which cost dear in NYC. OTHO there is only a certian amount people will pay say for a platter of caviar, no matter how nice the surroundings are.
It is VERY expensive to live/have a business in NYC, which has some of the highest real estate and living costs in the country, and always ranks in the top five or so worldwide for the same. For a restaurant one needs those tables turning over and people paying prices that reflect costs. The Russian Tea Room went "out of fashion" as it's loyal customer base died or moved out of NYC. In it's last incarnation it was more "Russian" themed, but that didn't stop the flow of red ink.
Restaurants in particular have a hard time in NYC because of high costs. Rents can easily run several if not tens of thousands for what would be considered a small space, then one must add ultilites, staff and so on, all of which cost dear in NYC. OTHO there is only a certian amount people will pay say for a platter of caviar, no matter how nice the surroundings are.
