Hunting Park: And The Beat Goes On

A small record shop on the corner of 5th street, keeps the whole block filled with Merengue and upbeat Latino music.

Jamie (pronounced Hi-Mee) Alverez has been a lover of Latino music and wanted to share his love with the community. Even with the death of many mom & pop record shops, Latino Record Shop has managed to keep its doors open for five years.

“We’ve been open here for five years but I’ve been selling music for about eight,” says Alverez.

This small family owned and operated record shop sits in the center of the block were there is an entrance from 5th street in the front and one from Rising Sun in the back. CD jewel cases of hundreds of artists line the walls, from floor to ceiling. While a glass U-shaped desk sits in the middle, filled with Puerto Rican flags and trinkets that would bring any Latino back to their roots.

Hector Rios, a faithful customer, helps Jamie out when he can, sitting in the store helping customers and overall enjoying the company and the ambiance.

“I come here because I like being here. It’s a beautiful day, so we open the doors and let the music play for the people and they like it,” boasts Rios.

It is not hard to miss this tiny shop as people make their way back and forth through the neighborhood of Hunting Park, however there is no way to escape the music that rings for blocks that is coming from this tiny, little record shop.

Even though Alverez sells no actual records and little to none RCA tapes, he is not worried about the impending doom of CD sales to MP3s. He says, “I’m not worried because my I have music that is not always available on MP3. My stuff comes straight from Puerto Rico.”

Legit, legal, and straight from the Puerto Rico means there is nothing that any music lover would not love about this record shop. Some lucky journalist got gifted a mini Puerto Rican flag while she was there and she bought some CDs, for her ride home.



Whitney Crawford, Group 28, Hunting Park