For severe record collectors, there are few places in New York more blissful than the Thing, one of the most daunting and rewarding vinyl dives in Brooklyn. There is no such thing as a casual visit to the Greenpoint thrift shop's basement. It seems conceivable that any and every record lurks somewhere amid the thousands of densely packed and entirely unsorted LPs. The cramped maze of shelves and stacked milk crates of records shift every few months, revealing (or obscuring) alcoves that literally overflow with semi-destroyed 45s. And though the mysteriously replenishing stock seems to consist mostly of dance and hip-hop promos, one might also (after a while) find private press postwar Brooklyn gospel, imported calypso, occasional psych and folk rarities, Yiddish comedy, Russian pop, and jazz collections. An hour at minimum is recommended, as well as the preparation to be utterly disappointed or completely mind-blown. For nonsevere collectors, one breath of the lusty, dust-filled basement air might be enough to send them reeling and off to explore Greenpoint's other charms. 1001 Manhattan Avenue, Brooklyn, 718-614-3283 (11222)
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