Streetside Records Closing

Long-time customers poured into a Columbia music store Saturday after the manager announced plans to shut its doors. Streetside Records has been a staple in Columbia since the 1980s, but the doors will close permanently at the end of January. Store manager Nicholas Soha announced the news on the store’s Facebook page Thursday, along with a closing sale. ABC 17 News stopped by the store on Saturday to seek a comment, but the store employees declined an interview. However, some music lovers said they’re going to miss the store very much. “A lot of people will miss out real bad, because whatever you can’t find in music and movie you can get it here, you can’t get it anywhere else,” said Burlan Thomas, who moved to Columbia in the 1960s and has been a regular at the store since it opened more than 30 years ago. An 18-year-old Columbia resident said she grew up with it too, and her mother used to walk her to the store when she was a child.On Saturday, accompanied by her mother, Gabrielle Wills said, “It’s kind of like an American landmark and I think a lot of people will miss it.” Wills picked up a pair of headsets for a discounted price from the closing sale. The store manager did not give a reason for why the store is closing, but said on their Facebook page that it was a pleasure serving as Columbia’s hometown records store.