ESCONDIDO — A passion for vintage vinyl and a community’s enthusiasm for physical media has sparked the opening of Escondido’s first record store in roughly 15 years, smack dab in historic downtown.
Track City Records, which debuted in early December, aims to reignite a local appreciation for records and other physical music formats while creating a gathering space for music lovers.
The shop, located at 105 W. Grand Avenue, occupies a space that once housed a photography studio and, before that, a wig shop. Owners Bel Dacumos and Aubrey Espiritu, both Escondido residents, transformed the site into a haven for vinyl enthusiasts.
The journey to opening the store began as an effort to purge their individual record collections through pop-up sales.
“We wanted to declutter and let go of some of our records,” Dacumos said.
But as customers bought records and traded in their own, the collection grew rather than shrank.
The pop-up events, held across San Diego, Orange and Riverside counties, gained popularity, with customers repeatedly asking if the pair owned a permanent store. That encouragement ultimately led to the opening of Track City Records in Escondido, a city without a record store since Gary’s Record Paradise Vol. 2 closed in 2009.
“We thought it would be fun to put it out here,” Dacumos said. “It’s good for the culture.”
The store’s mission goes beyond buying and selling records, cassettes and compact discs. Dacumos and Espiritu want to inspire all generations to rediscover the joy of listening to music on physical media.
Espiritu elaborated on the shop’s motto, “Happiness is a habit.”
“Happiness isn’t just a fleeting emotion or something we passively wait for; it’s a choice and a practice we cultivate daily,” Espiritu said. “At Track City Records, we believe that music has the power to spark joy, create memories and bring people together.”
The shop’s inventory includes new and used vinyl, 45 RPM records, cassette tapes, CDs, turntables and record cleaners.
“We have a little bit of everything for everybody,” Dacumos said.
Track City Records joins a small group of record stores in North County, including Lou’s Records in Encinitas, Spin Records and Love Bus Records in Carlsbad, and Standards in Vista.
While the store has quickly built a loyal following of returning and new customers, it faces an upcoming challenge. The next phase of the Grand Avenue street improvement project will focus on the block in front of their shop, from Broadway Avenue to Maple Street, potentially slowing foot traffic until construction ends in February.
Despite the temporary inconvenience, Dacumos and Espiritu are optimistic about the long-term benefits.
“We’re looking forward to seeing the final product along Grand Avenue and how it will complement our little record store,” they said.
Track City Records is now spinning new energy into downtown Escondido, one record at a time.
