The Music Inn

Yesterday, I stopped into one of my favorite historical shops still standing in the West Village: The Music Inn. The Music Inn has long been home to folk artists, music enthusiasts, and international instruments for the last 65 years. I first discovered the shop just passing by one night while wandering around the Village. A young, enthusiastic kid probably in his early twenties encouraged me to attend their open mics on Thursday nights. That night happened to be a Thursday, but I was too late to sign up for it, and a bit too tired to stay much longer in Manhattan before trekking home on the subway to Brooklyn.

The store has a intoxicating, - some might even say spooky - vibe, that pulls you in, especially those of us who are musically inclined, and fascinated by history. The store’s owner, Jeff Slatnick, has been apart of The Music Inn’s story since the early sixties, working there on and off, hanging with the likes of Bob Dylan, and later traveling to India to study the sitar under the direction of Ali Akbar for seven years.