When Double Decker Records closed in Allentown in December 2023 after 27 years, vinyl lovers across the Lehigh Valley felt the loss. Eight months later, a 26 year old Kutztown University history graduate named Asa Blynn opened Railroad Records at 335 Vine Street on Bethlehem's South Side, and the void started to fill.
Named for History
The name Railroad Records is a deliberate tribute to Bethlehem's industrial past. Blynn studied history at Kutztown, and he wanted the shop's identity to connect to the city where it lives. The mid-century modern aesthetic inside, with knick-knacks lining almost every surface, creates a space that feels both vintage and welcoming. It is the kind of store where you plan to browse for 20 minutes and end up staying for an hour.
Vinyl and Beyond
Railroad Records sells vinyl records, CDs, 8-track tapes, and even VHS tapes. The biggest sellers are rock, both classic and current, along with rap and jazz. But the inventory is diverse enough that just about anyone can find something worth taking home. Blynn buys, trades, and curates the selection, keeping it fresh and surprising.
South Side Fit
The South Side of Bethlehem has always been the creative, slightly scrappy counterpart to the polished Main Street district on the North Side. Railroad Records fits perfectly. It joins a neighborhood that includes Godfrey Daniels, Touchstone Theatre, Crewy Woo, and the galleries and shops of the South Side Arts District. Opening a record shop in this neighborhood at 26 takes guts. But Asa Blynn clearly knew something the rest of us suspected: the Lehigh Valley needs more places where you can flip through crates of vinyl and discover something you did not know you were looking for.
