Crates ATL, a new record shop opened by Darryl Harris of Moods Music, gave Downtown an early preview with a soft opening on April 11. The shop occupies 215 Mitchell St., part of the stretch known as Historic Hotel Row, and its public debut is planned for Easter weekend.
Neighbors who stopped by the preview were treated to music, snacks and drinks, along with their first chance to dig through the stock. The inventory mixes new and vintage records, and the store also sells turntables and speakers, plus plants and other goods.
A Little Five Points veteran heads downtown
Harris is no newcomer to Atlanta's record scene. For 25 years, Moods Music has supplied Little Five Points with vinyl and CDs, covering styles such as Neo Soul, Afro-Cuban and Acid Jazz.
Crates puts that same depth of music knowledge to work on Mitchell Street. Its selection leans mainly toward Black artists, with jazz, hip-hop, funk, soul and R&B among the genres on offer.
Hotel Row adds another tenant
The record store is the latest business to arrive on Hotel Row, a corridor recently revitalized thanks to South Downtown, the project of entrepreneurs David Cummings and Jon Birdsong. Crates now shares Hotel Row with Spiller Park Coffee and Tyde Tate Kitchen, while Delilah's Everyday Soul is still forthcoming.
When Crates was first announced in 2024, April Stammel, head of Marketing and Community Engagement at South Atlanta Downtown, told Rough Draft: "When [Cummings and Birdsong] came in, we championed Crates and what Darryl was bringing to the neighborhood, and they embraced it full force."
In Harris' words: "I see the vision." He added, "Being a part of the revitalization of Downtown — I want to be a part of that."
The public opening falls on Saturday, April 19, with the store welcoming shoppers between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. that day. Anyone who wants to follow along can find Crates on Instagram at @cratesatl.
Reported by Rough Draft Atlanta.