ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Needle Drop Records has made the move from the South Wedge in Rochester to 1780 Monroe Avenue in Brighton; right next to The Sheffield.

Record collectors remember the old place in the South Wedge as “cramped.” For owner Russ Torregiano, that was the biggest reason for the move from his old space of about 12 years: getting more space.

“12 years of a store, it really gets cramped, because you keep buying stuff,” he said.

Torregiano says he crafted Needle Drop Records to cater to records that were hard to find elsewhere:

“I kind of wanted an underground record store, Rochester had a lot of great stores and still do, but nothing really specialized in punk, metal, and hardcore at the time,” he said.

While that’s still a focus, he has expanded over time. This new space will help him continue to do that, while keeping the things that made it special along the way, like the Simpsons artwork on the back wall.

“It’s kind of the store I always wanted, help(ed) by all my friends who helped create this and build it out,” he said.

Needle Drop Records is now the third record store on Monroe Ave in Brighton: alongside Hi Fi Lounge (run by Mark Kaidy, who used to partner with Torregiano) and Bop Shop Records.

“It’s referred to in other places as ‘Record Row,’ and now we have our record row,” said Tom Kohn, owner of Bop Shop Records. “We all have our specialties. We refer to each other all the time.

“Check us all out, because we all have something different, we all get different collections,” he said. “I think it’s great.”

“I think it’s cool,” echoed Torregiano. “It’s a destination now.”

Needle Drop Records is planning on a grand opening at the end of this month. But in the meantime, they’re co-hosting a record fair this Sunday at Radio Social. Dozens of vendors will be there, and it’s free to attend from 11 a.m. 4 p.m. Torregiano says if you’re a serious collector, you can arrive at 10 a.m. for a $10 entry fee.