Here's question for all the DVDTalkers in New York City.

With price and selection being the main criteria, where are the best places to buy DVDs in Manhattan that are south of Central Park?

I'm looking for two or three places to check out. I'll be there for about a week the week after Thanksgiving.

Thanks in advance.

If you are mainly looking for cheap NTSC Region 1 DVDs, then J&R is your best big store concerning price and selection. Do not shop at Virgin Megastore - the most overpriced...For very low prices you can also check out Entertainment Outlet on 40th street or the one on 14th street.

ALL FOREIGN DVDs:
Kim's Video (it’s the best international DVD store in NYC...or even the world!)
6 St. Marks Place, 2nd Floor, NYC
(Between 2nd and 3rd Ave)
Video Rentals 212-505-0311
Sales Floor 212-614-8941

JAPANESE DVDs:
Book Off
14 E 41st Street, NYC
(Between Fifth Ave & Madison Ave)
212-685-1410

JAPANESE DVDs:
HQ Video (it’s the best Japanese DVD store in NYC)
21 West 45th Street, 2nd Floor, NYC
(Between 5th & 6th Ave)
Phone: 212-221-0027


HONG KONG/CHINESE DVDs:
There are three stores on Bowery street near the corner of Canal Street in Chinatown

KOREAN DVDs:
Korya Bookstore (which has very big selection of Korean DVD) and two other Korean DVD stores
Somewhere on 32nd Street, NYC
(Between 6th and 5th Ave)

RUSSIAN/FRANCE/ITALY/OTHER DVDs:
There are about 4 Russian DVD stores in a radius of about 6 blocks on Brighton Beach Ave. (make sure to look on 2nd floor in some stores for the European PAL DVDs)
Brighton Beach, Brooklyn (40 minutes from center of Manhattan by subway)

POLISH DVDs:
Go to Greenpoint, Queens (20 minutes from center of Manhattan by subway)

INDIAN/TAMIL DVDs:
Go to Jackson Heights, Queens (30 minutes from center of Manhattan by subway)

GREEK DVDs:
Go to Long Island City, Queens (20 minutes from center of Manhattan by subway)

For used DVDs, Kim's has the best variety of used DVDs. If you are looking for typical used Hollywood DVDs, then just check out all the Blockbusters, video game stores (Gamespot) and small-time video stores.

What about the famous $15 dude the NY'ers always talk about.

I am going to have to highly disagree with you on the Virgin Megastore bit. I was just in there yesterday and they had Criterion DVD's that were MAD cheap. $25 for Picnic at Hanging Rock (retails for $30) and $30 for Grey Gardens box set (retails for $50). Those were the only DVD's I looked at though, so perhaps I am mistaken.

Kim's is amazing, I'm glad they're still there. I have fond memories of visiting my brother in NYC as a kid and renting piles of Something Weird tapes. I've heard they often put product on the shelf before it's release date as well.

Well... that pretty much hits the nail on the head with what I am looking for, but I do appreciate all the other recommendations. You must truly be a DVD afficianado.

JON2,
Are there any particular DVDs you are looking for?

Well, near J&R, there's a $15 dollar DVD dude at the corner of Broadway on Fulton Street on most days. He usually deals with new movies though all for 15 bucks...

Virgin Megastore is only good if you are just starting collecting dvd because they have a huge $10 DVD sale on tons of good dvds, but they tend to be the ones that DVD collectors already bought...

Kim's Video also has the best selection of used DVDs which are super cheap right now. And then comes Entertainment Outlet in second place for cheapest and great selection of used DVDs.

Here's the two addresses for Entertainment Outlet:
24 W 40TH St (south side of Bryant Park)
New York, NY 10018-3904
Phone: (212) 819-9666

AND

103 W 14th St
(between 7th Ave & Avenue Of The Americas)
New York, NY 10011


So overall Jon, for your taste, I would check out Entertainment Outlet, Kim's Video, and J&R.

And if area proximity and time constraints are an issue, you can easily check out Entertainment Outlet, Virgin Megastore, and Kim's Video all within walking distance (take the F train to 14 street, get out onto the street and there is Entertainment Outlet right there, then walk on 14 street going east, till you get to Virgin Megastore on 14th Street at Broadway, turn south on Broadway, walk past a Blockbuster Video for used DVDs on Broadway at around 10th street, keep on walking south on broadway til you get to 8th street...turn east on 8th street which turns into St. Marks Street in which Kim's video will be at St marks street near 3rd Avenue)

What's the story on Kim's? I've seen a couple guys, one in particular at the old Tower Records location (B'way & 4th St.), holding an orange sign saying something (???) about Kim's closing in the East Village and a sale of up to 40% off. It seems like the guy is there all the time but I haven't paid much attention to him.

It's my understanding that all of the Kim's locations are closing (some already are, the rest will soon) and they are getting out of the rental business.

They will open a new small store on 1st Ave for dvd sales only.

Sad to see them go.

$25 for a $30 list is "MAD cheap"? You need to spend more time on this forum. Any number of online sites have it for LESS - even without a special sale.

Go to Kim's right now (like, this week) if you want anything good.

My pick would be J&R.

Another pick for J&R...But be warned, this place will be a madhouse. Completely insane. Never a big fan of Kim's. Can get the same shit for cheaper in other parts of the city, and don't have to put up with the douchebags that work there.

Both Virgin Megastores have great sales right now. I would check out the one by Times Square, I go there often because my office is in the area. I have been told by employees that they are closing the store sometime in Feb/March of 2009....so there are bargains to be had. I just saw I Am Legend for 10 bucks (two disc)
Also check out Entertainment Outlet by Bryant Park (though customer service sucks) the prices are good. I just picked up Troy (two disc) for 5 bucks.

FYI, this is 6.99 at Circuit City this week.

Whoa whoa whoa. Lo siento, hombre.

I thought the Entertainment Outlet on 14th street was shut down.
Correct me if I am wrong, I was just around there not too long ago.

They closed the original location, but opened a smaller one directly across the street.

OK, will be headed to NYC soon, so I'm resurrecting this thread. I know all of the places listed 9 years ago have closed. Is there anyplace I can go in NYC to buy physical media?

Things have really hit the skids in NYC; most of the places have shuttered. Some scattered stores manage sales but I can't really be certain they're still around. Even the guys who sell on the street (in particular, west side of 32nd & 6th Ave.) aren't consistently there. The Strand Bookstore occasionally has DVDs, the one remaining East Village store on 1st Ave. I believe has closed.