This Indie Music Shop With Roots in Baltimore is Spinning Hits in Syracuse, New York
The Sound Garden at Armory Square in Syracuse, New York.
Growing up in the 1990s, I was raised in the aisles at local music stores, and can remember sifting through cassettes, CDs, VHS tapes, and the new DVD sets as they began to hit the shelves by ‘95. The first CDs I can remember coming home with after a trip to the record store were The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, and Ozzy Osbourne’s Diary of a Madman. What can I say? I had an eclectic upbringing, and if you know me well enough, it explains a lot.
I grew up a few blocks from the music megastore Tower Records. There, I spent hours perusing the cassettes and CDs searching for new releases and listening to hits on those soft, plush, and cushioned headphones with the long, draping aux cable that were used daily by hundreds of visitors. For all these reasons, whenever I spend time out and about in a city, I immediately look for the local shop that is still spinning new and used CDs and records.
A view of the space inside the Sound Garden, you can see records, shop tees, CDs and posters along the walls.
Listening to the local buzz in Syracuse, New York, a few folks mentioned that there was a gem downtown that I had to check out. It turns out they were right, and within seconds of stepping into the Sound Garden on West Jefferson Street just across from the Museum of Science & Technology in Armory Square, I had a throwback moment to the days when I searched through the aisles looking for the next album to add to my collection.
The Sound Garden has roots that originated in Baltimore in 1993, and they opened the Syracuse shop in 1995. In 2008, it moved to its current location and has maintained its status as an indie music store in Syracuse for the past 30 years.
A sales bin for used CDs with a wide selection of artists from classic to contemporary music.
A remarkable vibe still exists within the walls of the Sound Garden, and in a way, it is reminiscent of music stores from the ‘90s. As you walk past the shelves, you notice that the shop carries many new records and CDs. These are unopened vinyls that are glossy and new, released by modern underrated and mainstream artists. The CD section offers used discs, including some that have yet to be unpackaged. It brings back that feeling of opening a new disc set when you got home from your favorite music store.
The staff in the shop are friendly and helpful. Most, if not all, are authentically themselves, some with goth vibes, and others with alt-rock or metal vibes. It is a place where many seem to enjoy what they do, and do it for the love of music. If you’re a music enthusiast and hanging out in Syracuse, New York, be sure to scope out the Sound Garden in Armory Square.