Bed-Stuy Raises $36K To Save Local Record Store: GoFundMe

BED-STUY, BROOKLYN — A local record store forced to leave its storefront on Lewis Avenue has raised nearly $36,000 in the hopes of moving to a new location.

Halsey & Lewis, which opened on Lewis Avenue in early 2017, recently closed a fundraiser set up after they learned they would need to leave their storefront to make way for a pizza and wine bar, announcing that they will use the money raised to look for a new brick and mortar spot.

The GoFundMe had raised almost $36,000 since it was posted in late June.

"With your support we are actively searching for a new home," the owners wrote in an update on their website.

The successful fundraiser comes after owners Martin Brewer and Sonya Farrell were told with just a week's notice that they would need to close their record store, they previously said in the GoFundMe.

The owners closed out their last day on the Halsey and Lewis corner with a block party on July 4.

"We've come too far to give up!" they wrote on Instagram. "Today's the last day on the corner, but we trust we will land somewhere nearby. ALL because of your support!"

Halsey & Lewis first opened at the storefront in February 2017 as an homage to the owners love of vinyl and vintage objects, according to a feature in DNAinfo at the time.

The shop was built out of a "personal vintage vinyl collection, goodwill, and a handshake," owners said.

In addition to running the store, Brewer and Farrell also run a"Lets Get On The Bus" initiative to bring under-served teens on field trips to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture in Washington D.C.

Halsey & Lewis also served as a gathering space for protective equipment during the pandemic to distribute to neighbors experiencing homelessness, according to the post.

The owners have not yet announced where they are hoping to move.

"...Stay tuned to find out where we set up shop next!" owners wrote on Instagram July 6.