Another Part of the Forest

This is not your typical record store — when you walk in you aren’t greeted by a rack of new LPs featuring the current Amazon best sellers. In fact, I don’t recall seeing a new LP at all in this place, which was great for me as I prefer to browse used records. If you’re looking to get a copy of the new Taylor Swift album on vinyl, and actually if you’re looking for something specific at all this may not be the place for you. If you like digging through tons of used records (1^st floor and basement!) in a variety of genres, you should consider a visit.
Observations:
–To me this place is more like being on «American Pickers» and going to some old guy’s house and browsing through his chaotic collection. There are records everywhere, on shelves, on the floor, boxes behind boxes, in organized sections and also some in chaotic piles. Not for everyone but great for diggers.
–Majority of the records were common but there was a good amount of titles you don’t usually see anywhere else. Don’t expect to find a wide selection of more sought after albums though — ie. If you’re a Beatles fan, the only relevant title I found was «Lennon/​Plastic Ono Band — Live Peace in Toronto». Also, unlike other shops, most of the rock and rnb/​soul albums had covers that were pretty worn.
–Pricing is great! Most LPs I saw were in the $ 3 to $ 10 range.
–There are several different categories and subcategories, with Rock being the largest (of course), but also very sizable Classical and Jazz sections. I found several great Classical albums you don’t usually see at record shops, alot of foreign pressings (not the usual thrift store stuff). Subcategories include Male/​Female vocalists, Jazz compilations, Hip Hop singles (to name a few).
–The back of the shop leads to an outdoor patio area with tables and chairs, and connects to the coffee shop next door, which I though was pretty cool since you could grab a book from either shop and just lounge.
–Unless I missed it, I didn’t see any vinyl accessories (ie. cleaning supplies, sleeves, mailers, brushes) for sale.

I’m giving this store four stars, but with a caveat: it’s not for everyone. In fact, it’s not for me – I’m giving it four stars because I can tell that it’s great if you’re into this sort of shop. I’m not.
If you’re the kind of person who loves spending hours looking through LPs and over-​crowded bookshelves, this is going to be your kind of place. It looks like there are gems hidden all over the store, but you will have to wade through a mountain of who-​knows-​what to find them. As Minh V. said, it’s a crate-digger’s paradise.
They have a fairly decent selection of books downstairs (I saw some stuff I’d totally read), some DvDs, and… a ton of VHS? I guess if you’re a VHS aficionado, get here yesterday.
Me, I prefer a smaller, better-​curated collection. If you are like me, you won’t like this place and should probably head over to Shake It or similar. The records aren’t super well-​organized either – tons of crates of generic «rock» instead of breaking it down by subgenres. I wouldn’t be able to wrap my brain around finding anything. So, treasure hunters only, probably.

I went in looking for a specific record (Xanadu soundtrack) and whatever I could get by Joe Cocker. I walked out with everything I wanted and more. This is a great record store.

This place is a crate diggers paradise. The selection of different genres is vast and I’ve found Mike the owner to be super knowledgable about classical and jazz releases. I’ve noticed that as the store gains more of a following, I can pick up a variety of great jazz pieces, 80s indie hits or that pop punk record I enjoyed in high school. I love stopping by on my walk home from work.
Just the other day I carried up some jazz LPs to the register and seeing what I had, Mike suggested an obscure Miles Davis soundtrack to a French movie that was his favorite. We put it on over the store speakers and I was floored. I purchased it along with other reasonably priced LPs. Needless to say, I’ll be back many times in the future.

This place is amazing! Great selection! The hidden gem of Cincinatti for Vinyl. The store is tight bcuz of the sheer amount of media but, it’s worth the time. I’m new to collecting and I found a third of my list here! The owner was great and gave me great prices! I will always come back and recommend to everyone I know. Worth the visit!

Amazing place. The owner is a nice old guy with great knowledge of music but mostly a guy that attracts great record. We arrived 10 minutes before the closing but owner told us: I got nothing else to do, I don’t mind staying. My friends and I stayed and I ended up buying 50 $ of record. Price is cheap, very reasonable! This place is so packed that I had to put in my belly to go in some back area of the store. When I got there, a local — a friend of the owner — droped by and talk about new arrival. I jumped on it and we talked about music. The owner was saying that he was kind of scared that all the weirdos would come in after an article and just release about the store comparing it to a «High Fidelity» record shop with this organized chaos vibe to it. I really wish we would teleport the whole store and the guy from the store in Montréal!
If you like record, this is a MUST go
Bought a Promo Bosa Nova Dave Bruebeck LP
a Orange Japanese Imported Johnny Cash Record
Aderly Canonball with Bill Evans
2 Thelenious Monk
all LP were 10 $ or less.
Yup that good!

Out of all of the record stores I’ve been to in Cincinnati this far, this ones is absolutely most dedicated to the sale of RECORDS.
When you walk up to the store, there isn’t an identifying sign that will lead you to believe that it’s a record store. This shop is attached to the Iris Bookcafe, which will tip you off that you’re in the right place.
When I walked up, it was dark outside and the door was locked, but an older gentleman came to the door and quickly let me in.
This place is PACKED with records. If you’re looking for anything else, you’re liable to be disappointed. They do have a small selection of CDs as well as VHS and DVD, which it looks like they also rent, but this is a place for LPs :)
The prices were all very reasonable, and I left with three records:
Billy Idol — S/​T $ 3
Adam and the Ants — Kings of the Wild Frontier — $ 3
Motley Crue — Too Fast For Love — $ 4
Since I was paying credit card, the older man sent me next door to the Iris Bookcafe to pay, and I was surprised to find that they had even more records for sale over there as well! Definitely a cool café to check out as well after you’re done shopping!
This place is an AWESOME find… definitely a diamond in the rough that is Over-​The-​Rhine!

how did i miss the grand opening of this place?
very cool record store — with loads of great finds — all for very cheap.
definitely stop by here if you are on main.
love it.

I cannot begin to explain how excited I was when I heard the news that there was a record store in Cincinnati that had somehow slipped under my radar. So excited, that I am ashamed of how long it took me to actually get down to Another Part of the Forest and check it out for myself, a shame that was only compounded after I completed what was truly a good record store outing.
Although Another Part of the Forest is located directly on Main Street, it can still be very easy to miss during the day time (at night you have the luxury of being able to see the records through the window), so for any future visitors just look for Iris Book Café and it is literally directly next door to that. Once I made it inside the store, I was immediately struck by two things, how cramped it was and how friendly the owner was.
As I mentioned, the place is very cramped due to the immense amount of vinyl stuffed into this small space. Although the selection was pretty good, I have to admit that the physical quality of the records here are not as high as they would be if you found them at Shake It or Everybody’s. However, the prices very reflect what it is you are buying and what condition it is in.
What really made this a four star review for me and not a three star however, was the friendliness of the owner. I didn’t catch his name but he greeted us with a smile and a hello as soon as we walked in the door and you could tell he was genuinely excited we were showing interest in his shop. On top of this, I had about $ 20 work of records I had picked out and he knowingly sold them to me for only $ 15. I have NEVER had anyone at any record store knowingly sell me something for less than what I was willing to pay.
I hope that the friendliness and devotion shown by this man and Another Part of the Forest allow this store to thrive in what is becoming one of my favorite Cincinnati neighborhoods for years to come.

This store is a hidden gem that I almost don’t want others to find out about. They have almost every LP you could possibly think of. the space is packed wall to wall with all kinds of music. I could spend hours in there.
If you can’t find something be sure to ask the owner, Mike. He knows exactly where to look for almost everything. It is amazing how he can point you right where you need to be.
If you get a chance to stop in Another Part of the Forest make sure you have lots of free time. You will be lost in the huge collection.
This is a must visit!

If you love vinyl and music, this is the place for you. You could literally spend hours browsing through the large collection of LP’s and 45’s from Rock to Punk to Funk to Classical and Jazz. There is just about anything you want in there with a lot of rare items.

I love Another Part of the Forrest, simply because it is the most laid-​back, peaceful, hidden gem record store in Cincinnati.
Yes, everyone knows Shake It and Everybody’s, and for good reason — they are fantastic. However, there is a simplicity and tranquility to Another Part of the Forrest you’re not going to find in those other stores. Mostly because they have tons of people constantly, while APF does not.
This store is on Main Street in OtR, although you’d never know it was there. Much like its nearby counterpart, Iris Book Café, you have to keep an eye out or be in an adventurous mood to find it. Sometimes they put out a little sandwich board sign announcing that they’re there, other times they do not. Either way, give it a go.
There are rows and rows of wonderful, weird things here with a focus on Vinyl. As they say on their site, they carry a «wonderfully eclectic selection of LPs, including jazz, rock, soul, classical, folk, bluegrass, international, spoken word, and miscellaneous odds and ends.» I couldn’t have put it better and not even going to try.
APF also carries a selection of old literature, comic books and videos. Not your mainstream stuff either but the stuff you usually find tucked away in a store on the bottom shelf that’s sat there forever and no one has ever even though about buying. That’s just what they have here.
This is an old shop and it feels that way. Everything’s a little dusty and cluttered. Still, there’s charm in that. I’m not sure I’ve ever found anything to purchase here, but I enjoy shopping the space and will continue to do so … especially when I need a break from chaos.