Bleecker Bob's
Bleecker Bob's, the storied Greenwich Village record shop, is looking to raise funds for a new location. Indiegogo

Few would argue that Manhattan needs another frozen-yogurt shop, but that’s exactly what it’s getting in place of yet another defunct remnant of a bygone era.

Bleecker Bob’s Records, a top destination for music lovers in the age of vinyl and spiked bracelets, closed its doors Saturday following unsuccessful negotiations with its landlord. The West Village staple held a final sale at its 118 W. 3rd St. location, where it had been hawking its wares for more than 30 years. (The store originally opened on Bleecker Street in 1968.) On its Facebook page early Sunday, the famously cluttered record shop posted a status update thanking customers for their decades of loyalty.

The saga had been unfolding for some time, with periodic Facebook updates detailing the store’s efforts to reach an agreement with the building’s owner. On March 6, Bleecker Bob’s posted that a new tenant -- an unnamed frozen yogurt chain -- had signed a lease and is expected to open on June 1. The news has been met with fervent responses from local music fans worried about where they’ll be able to find rare Misfits LPs and Danzig posters.

But all hope is not lost for the storied shop. On Monday, Bleecker Bob’s posted that it had resumed negotiations for a new location in the East Village. The store also launched a campaign on the crowd-funding website Indiegogo, where it is seeking to raise $6,500 within the next 16 days.

There would be more than a bit of irony if crowd-funding -- one of the more miraculous trends to come out of the digital revolution -- could save Bleecker Bob’s, which is as much a victim of that revolution as it is a symbol of the much-lamented shopping-mallification of New York City. The Facebook page for CBGB, another now-shuttered New York landmark, perhaps summed it up best with a status update it posted on Saturday: “Soon, instead of rare punk 45s, you’ll have your choice of ‘sprinkles with that?’ It seems progress means a total loss of identity in the once mighty Manhattan.”

To support Bleecker Bob’s Indiegogo campaign, click here and give what you can.

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