Doorfront to Storefront: SOOK Vinyl & Vintage

For Rashied Amon, owner of SOOK Vinyl & Vintage, Mt. Airy is the perfect location to have a business.

“I love having a business in this neighborhood,” Amon said. “The people here are very personable, it’s very walkable, and there’s a lot of synergy among the businesses.”

In 2026, Amon and other small business owners in Mt. Airy will try to use this synergy to their advantage. With the semiquincentennial (America’s 250th birthday), the FIFA World Cup, and the MLB All-Star Game all set to bring plenty of people to Philadelphia this year, there are countless opportunities for businesses to benefit from this influx of tourism.

However, with many of these events happening downtown, businesses in the Northwest neighborhoods are faced with a unique opportunity: drawing tourists to their neck of the woods. Amon is up for the challenge.

“I’m very excited to see the city activate and become lively with these events and all the visitors, and look forward to the opportunities that it’ll bring,” Amon said.

Attracting customers

Amon opened SOOK in December 2024 as the city’s only Black-owned record store. According to Amon, most customers come to SOOK for jazz, R&B, soul, and funk records. However, guests never know what they might find. In addition to vinyl, the business is home to all sorts of books, figurines, CDs, cassettes, clothing, and other vintage ephemera of Black culture.

In addition to tangible offerings, SOOK also provides a variety of cultural programming, including listening sessions and pop-up vending opportunities. For example, Amon participates in AudioPHL (a Philadelphia spin on audiophile, or someone who loves high-quality recorded sound) events. These “mobile residency” sessions include time for listening to records as well as a chance for visitors to purchase some of their own.

These citywide events are not the only methods for attracting customers. Having an online presence has also proven effective for Amon.

“There’s a lot of different vehicles that bring people to our home base,” Amon said. “A lot of people come to the shop after becoming familiar with us through social media, Instagram, TikTok, and our website, sookvinyl.com.”

‘Informed and prepared’

As a business owner in Mt. Airy, Amon is not alone in wanting to draw visitors to the Northwest. A slew of organizations have the same goal, including Mt. Airy CDC (Community Development Corporation), Visit Philadelphia, and the Philadelphia Commerce Department.

According to Philip Dawson, executive director of Mt. Airy CDC, the neighborhood has a lot to offer for tourists.

“I think there will be a fair number of visitors who are not content to just stay within a few blocks of Center City and Old City, but who do want to explore outlying neighborhoods of the city of Philadelphia,” Dawson said. In addition to historical sites and recreational amenities, Dawson said Mt. Airy has “a really nice neighborhood business district with compelling independent stores and restaurants.”

Jessica Calter, senior vice president of advancement and external affairs for Visit Philadelphia, agrees that neighborhoods like Mt. Airy should be a part of the 2026 festivities.

“Today’s traveler is different than they have been in the past,” Calter said. “They’re really seeking these kinds of authentic, neighborhood-driven experiences people want to explore beyond just traditional landmarks. The authentic experiences that live in all of our neighborhoods — Chestnut Hill, Mt. Airy, Germantown — these local businesses and community culture really define the experience that the modern traveler is looking for.”

According to Calter, to support these efforts Visit Philadelphia has been revamping the neighborhood webpages on visitphilly.com as well as creating a destination optimization program for small businesses to improve their digital presence. Visit Philadelphia has hosted workshops and created self-guided tutorials for business owners to make sure their appearance on major platforms like Google, Tripadvisor, and Yelp is optimal.

Although SOOK is located in Mt. Airy, Amon joined Germantown250, a coalition of local business owners preparing for the semiquincentennial. Through regular meetings since 2025, the group shares ideas about marketing and hosting events. Amon said these gatherings have helped him become “informed and prepared.”

“Merely being intentional in meeting and sharing information leading up to the [250th] anniversary has really helped [SOOK] as an organization,” Amon said.

SOOK Vinyl & Vintage is located at 7169 Germantown Ave. Learn more at sookvinyl.com.

This article was originally published by The Chestnut Hill Local in partnership with WURD Radio. It is part of a national initiative exploring how geography, policy, and local conditions influence access to opportunity. Find more stories at economicopportunitylab.com.