The Government Center sits conveniently on Pittsburgh’s East Street, mere blocks from the I-279 exit ramp to the North Side. The record store is handsomely outfitted with all of the newest music you could want, normally on the day of their release. The modern layout sprawls itself across multiple rooms, inviting its customers to grab coffee and more. The store houses thousands of records, tapes, and CDs, all of which are neatly organized alphabetically in the main portion of the store. 

The selection at the Government Center is unique for the Pittsburgh area. The stores in the area largely focus on used records or older music; however, The Government Center is different with a selection of largely new records. Drawing mainly from the popular music within the music-sphere, The Government Center, which takes its name from the Modern Lovers’ song, organizes its records by artist to appeal to those who know what they want. 

A used section is featured in the front of the store, with hundreds of records sorted neatly in crates, wrapped for customers to buy.

To the far right of the store is a coffee shop, sporting a Synesso espresso machine. The coffee is excellent and absolutely not an afterthought to the records. A small assortment of snacks is available for purchase as well, along with the standard set of drinks. 

Customers are invited to drink while they shop, or set up at the tables inside the store. The naturally lit space creates a perfect ambiance to get work done or simply relax.

What makes The Government Center’s selection particularly interesting is the attention to curation found within it, especially when it seems as if most record stores pay little attention to the type of records they stock.

However, The Government Center carries pressings from numerous smaller, independent labels, like Light in the Attic and Third Man Records, and their artist sections seem to always have the records I am looking for.

Furthermore, the genre-based sections are all equally equipped. It’s evident that those working at the store all have differing tastes, because there’s a beautiful balance between the many music subgenres, and no genre seems to stick out as a “favorite child” at this store.

Be it electronic music, or hip hop, The Government Center has music fans covered with attention paid to what is currently sought after. Many of the record stores I frequent seem to lack in the hip hop sections. They will either be nonexistent or only hold the bare minimum of essential records needed to be sold. The Government Center carries a large array of mainstream and underground rappers, and I’ve even found very rare albums in the racks.

The shop is also a live music venue. The front room has a small stage that holds performances almost every weekend. Both local musicians and touring acts go through The Government Center on a regular basis, and it’s a very easy way to be exposed to new music.

The Government Center’s convenient location, fantastic record selection, and great coffee make it an easy spot to spend a few hours — and maybe a little too much money.