The Washington Citypaper’s Ally Schweitzer broke some unbelievable news yesterday: Georgetown will soon get a new record shop. No, not a CD store. A record shop. As in vinyl.
She writes:
Well, it’s actually a little more than a record store. Hill & Dale—no relation to the upscale Lower East Side gastropub nor Hillandale, Md.—will specialize in new vinyl records, photography, and posters. The shop, currently under construction, is located in the 1,200 square foot space formerly occupied by Parish Gallery. Norton, a 44-year-old who lives near Politics & Prose, plans to host a grand opening during the first week of February.
(Hill and Dale is probably a reference to the grooves on a vinyl record.)
If you think this is a crazy idea, you’re right. It is. But it’s not completely insane. People still buy vinyl records. In fact last year vinyl records had one of the best years it’s had in decades, posting a 38% jump.
Technologically, vinyl was surpassed a long, long time ago, first by tapes, then by CDs. Despite claims by audiophiles that the sound was superior, the iron law of convenience-over-sound-fidelity meant it was relegated to a niche market starting in the 90s. But something seems to have shifted in recent years. Certainly the retro-hipster aspect of vinyl helped it along. But the appeal is growing beyond the types of people who probably had a college radio show. Continue reading
The Georgetown Metropolitan 
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