By Robert M. Sarwark.
What’s one thing that East Atlanta Village (EAV) should never be without? Dive bar? Check. Head shop? Check. Coffee shop? You betcha. So why’d the hippest ‘hood in town go so long without a classic record shop? We may never know. (OK, somebody probably knows, but that’s for another article.)
But fret no longer, for Black Habit Records, Games & Movies is here, and more importantly open now. This new shop joins Ormewood Park’s Record Loft ATL, at 749 Moreland Avenue, as our coverage area’s two vinyl-specializing record shops.
Since January of this year, owner Ben Patterson, his business partner Jason Grimes, and one shop employee, Sara, have operated the location right around the corner from the main drag of EAV, at 532 Flat Shoals Avenue. They aim to stay a while. “It went from this little idea to this thing that we’re sitting in right now,” Ben reports with a beaming smile. “After months of bleeding and sweating and crying, here we are!”
After relocating from Seattle several years ago, and working as a bartender at the Flatiron Bar and Restaurant, Ben got to know the Village and its denizens well. “I couldn’t believe that this hasn’t been here,” he says. But the demand was loud and constant. “The community is so supportive. It’s just been mind-blowing. Every step of the way has just made my heart grow bigger.” Clearly, he’s found his niche.
The cozy storefront is open seven days a week: Sunday-Thursday, 12-8 and Friday-Saturday, 12-10. They buy, sell, and trade movies, video games, and music in most physical formats (except for CDs), so if you have anything you’d like Ben and company to appraise, either pop in the shop or give him a call at 206-849-3956. “We’re very big into breathing new life into old things,” the proud shopkeeper adds. Find Black Habit on Instagram: @blackhabitrecords.
