They arrange everything so wonderfully! I do agree with the previous poster, that the settin is awesome! Great place to come and enjoy yourself! I defintiley recommend this to everyone, and I have. I enjoy concerts here and live music.

This has been a Portland landmark for vinyl, hip hop and metal for over 20 years. I went to high school here in town 10 years ago and all the kids who were really into music loved this place. It's got a lot of character, with tshirts and posters all over the place, and the staff is usually very friendly and helpful. Some of the cds are put away in boxes but if you ask for something specific they'll be happy to bring them up for you. I highly recommend this place, especially in an age when independently owned businesses are being put under more pressure to compete.

If you're a vinyl snob like myself, and haven't visited 2nd ave records yet, you're missing out on a rare Portland gem! Separate sections for Punk, Metal/Hardcore, Garage Rock, Rock, Electronica, Reggae and more! They also sell cds, tapes, stickers & t-shirts.
The staff is very helpful, knowledgable and always playing some interesting tunes in the background.

I had just recently moved here from South Florida. Back home in SoFla there was this really awesome record store that sold tons of independent and obscure bands. I am really into the metal/hardcore/deathmetal scene and I found that was the only place in SoFla that carried that music. When I moved out to Portland I thought there would be tons of record stores and Id be able to find the bands and music that I wanted pretty much anywhere. Well, after scouring the town and jumping from store to store realizing that metal isnt very popular here. I came across 2nd Avenue Records. They probably have the LARGEST selection of metal and hardcore I have ever seen. As well as a whole lot of other stuff, including an incredibly large selection of vinyl. 2nd Ave is the metal store.

2nd Ave. is the quintessential independent record store. Respect is paid to many styles of music. Vinyl is king here while CDs are plentiful too. Fans of hip hop, punk, ska/rocksteady/reggae, etc., can find things here they wouldn't find anywhere else.