This is not a story of vanishing New York, fading New York, forgotten New York, lost New York, or the End of an Era. This is the survival of tradition. Olde New York. It does exist. And you can find it at Colony Records. See photos inside here.

Colony Records was founded by Harold S. Grossbardt and partner Sidney Turk in 1948. Born in Brooklyn, Harold started work after the seventh grade. He was a salesman at Melody Music Shop in Brooklyn and Colony Sporting Goods, located at 52nd Street and Broadway in Manhattan.
When Colony closed for business, Grosshardt took it over and renamed it Colony Records. In 1970, they moved to their current location in the Brill Building, at 1619 Broadway at 49th Street.
The Brill Building is its own story. Built in 1931, the building became a center for music publishing. By the 1960s, there were an estimated 165 music-related businesses in the building. Colony Records became a central fixture of Tin Pan Alley. Located here in the heart of the music and theater districts alongside nightclubs such as the Copacabana and Birdland, it was convenient to concertgoers and musical artists. Colony has seen a parade of legendary artists through its shop, including names such as John Lennon, Michael Jackson, and Frank Sinatra.

I was impressed by Colony’s enormous selection of sheet music – reportedly the city’s largest. They also sell vintage vinyl records, CDs, and karaoke and have an interesting memorabilia selection. They also have posters and photos for sale.
Of course, the survival of these emporiums is never guaranteed. So if you want to see them, I would not say that you have to run, but perhaps you should walk quickly...

Note: Obituary from the New York Times: “Harold S. Grossbardt, a founder of Colony Records, the famed collector’s store now on Broadway at 49th Street in Manhattan, died on June 10 (2001) at his home in Aventura, Fla. He was 85. He is survived by his wife, Estelle; two sons, Michael J., of Roslyn, N.Y., and Alan R., of Great Neck, N.Y., who is an owner of Colony Records; a brother, Jerome, of Manhattan; a sister, Dorothy Capobianco, of Delray Beach, Fla.; and a grandson.”