A gray, single-story building lined with wide windows sits at 377 South Limestone.
Since it was built in 1986, this building has been a second home for music lovers, serving Lexington’s music community for over 30 years.
CD Central was the fifth music store to place its roots in the building, carrying a variety of genres on CDs and vinyl.
However, the record shop’s decades-long run came to a stop when the store permanently closed its doors on Sept. 7.
Steve Baron, the founder and owner of CD Central, said although some may assume the business’s closure was due to financial reasons, it was not about the money, but rather living his life while he could enjoy it.
“You hear about people who work their entire lives till they can’t work anymore,” Baron said. “I didn’t want to be in that situation.”
Baron started working right after graduating from college. Now, well into his 60s, he said he felt it was time to reassess his priorities and what he wanted, including spending more time with his family.
Often working nearly every day throughout the week, CD Central has been a significant part of Baron’s life, as he has taken on an active role with the store since its opening in the spring of 1995.
“I’m not detached from it as an absentee owner. I’m very much involved with it, and have always been,” Baron said. “That makes it all the more harder to kind of give it up.”
Now that Baron has decided to step into a new chapter of his life, he has sold his inventory to the new business opening at 377 South Limestone: Cut Corner Records.
Being able to pass the torch to a new music business has not only made it easier emotionally, but also ensures the store’s closure does not leave a gap in Lexington’s music scene, according to Baron.
“They can build their dream store and continue the tradition of having a record store in this spot,” Baron said.
As CD Central’s time narrowed in on its final days, Baron said he received an outpour of support, with many former customers coming in to thank those working at the store.
“It means a lot to me personally,” Baron said. “I think most people are very positive about it and understanding the situation.”
For long-time customer and local artist Jerielle Hanlon, CD Central has been a constant in her life since she moved to Lexington to attend Transylvania University in 2001.
After being denied by local vendors at the beginning of her art journey, Hanlon said she found support in CD Central, as Baron decided to carry her work in his store.
Something as simple as having a place to come in and pick up a check was a big deal for Hanlon, who said Baron’s support for her and other local artists was something she would always remember.
From buying a Salvador Dalí print at CD Central to decorate her dorm room in college to selling her art at the store itself, the record shop no longer serves as just a business, but a community.
“I feel like I run into the people that I want to see and that I want to talk to by going to these places,” Hanlon said. “They’re like clubhouses.”
Having a place so dedicated to music is something Lexington needs, Hanlon said, calling the city a very musical place.
“I just think Lexington cares a lot about music,” Hanlon said. “It almost feels like the heart of Lexington.”
