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I am a HUGE fan of smaller local hardware stores but taking the time to check them out and find out which ones are worth the stop is exhausting. Thanks for the much needed tip - I'm off to Emile's this weekend!!

What a great store to know about! I'm always getting in over my head with home-improvement projects and never know where to turn. Abby's post is well-written and chock-full of good info - she has an accessible, friendly voice! Thanks, Abby - I hope you'll be writing many more posts!

A good hardware store is hard to find. In my neighborhood (Hollywood), I drive past Home Depot and Osh and head for Ballers Hardware on Hyperion. they have great stuff and really helpful staff who can answer almost any question. Next year I might even have them do my taxes. Thanks for the tip on Emil's. When gas gets cheaper, I may check it out.

In a city where nobody knows your name isn't it nice to know of a place where they might appreciate repeat business. It's also nice to shop in a store where the people serving you are actually invested rather than simply making minimum wage.
Growing up I doubt any of us would have believed that family owned stores would be something to write about but here we are. I hope you do more of these because with a few more places like this LA might become livable again.

Who needs Starbuck's when you have Emil's? I can hang out there for hours and they never kick me out. Sometimes I even bring my laptop and write screenplays next to the nuts and bolts display. Meet me at Emil's!

The only thing I can ever find at Home Depot is a date (try Saturday AMs - lots of hot dudes.) When I need real hardware advice, I'll check out Emil's. We can't let the Mom & Pop places get run outta town. Thanks for the in-the-know tip!

I've driven past Emil's many, many times, but never ventured in. Thanks, Abby for this great neighborhood recommendation. I always say, "A good hardware store, like a good man, is hard to find."

So great to know about this place. I live with a self-proclaimed handyman - who spends way too much time searching for all the right materials. Good to know he can find most under one roof. Thanks Abby. Keep divulging your secrets...

My grandparents owned a hardware store in Nashville, and I remember the kind of one-on-one assistance offered by Mom and Pop and Uncle Lou....from finding the right size screw, to picking out paint swatches, to re-wiring lamps, to swapping stories with neighborhood customers ... all steeped in genuine interest. Fast forward 25 years: Now, I DREAD having to go to Home Depot or Loews or OSH when I need help on a home project. I feel like an ant in a molehill. Finally! Thank you, Abby, for sharing info on the type of hardware store (and a slice of Americana) that's increasingly hard to find. I have an antique lamp that needs some help...Tell Emil I'm gonna take him up on that 10% discount!

Dear Abby,
As a clutz with an irresistable penchant for taking on major DIY projects without a scrap of knowledge about what I'm doing, I wanted to say thanks for the hot tip on Emil's. I really only ever go to Home Depot but I've noticed lately that the Depot doesn't have any actual live employees. I only ever seem to encounter these humanoid machines in orange vests whose only discernible piece of programming is "ignore-all-customers-ignore-all-customers..." Your bit on Emil's made me long for the good ol' days of analog human contact. It's sure nice to know it's alive and well at the neighborhood hardware store.

They recently opened a Home Depot here in my town which is great for the "Wow" factor, but I still spend most of my DYI time and dollars in the small hardware stores. They've never told me, "We don't have it" even when 'it' is "one of those thingies that goes on..."

The only time an employee told he he didn't know how to do something, he said the next best thing; "This is my first day - let me get someone who can answer your question."

And Home Depot's automated check-out has yet to ask me if I found everything I needed.

Design ideas are great but making them come together smoothly is another story. This sounds like a perfect resource when that inevitable snag happens. Definitely a store to check out. And it's not far from work. (Who knew?!)
More reviews like this PLEASE!

Great post. I love these guys.
I wanna poke my eyes out at Home Depot...here not the case.
It's good being a girl at a harware store! haha
Seriously- I have had many a problem solved over there. Great service and everyone knows your name!
By the way....when you are done there go across the street for the best dougnuts and coffee.

Fabulous. How come I 've never heard of Emils? I ,too, am a hardware store fanatic and its great to know about one that will actually help those in need, instead of snicker, or give inadequate advice. I also thank you for the 10% discount! What a find!

Who knew there was an excellent hardware store minutes from my home? Can it be that I'll never have to brave another Home Depot? Thank you, dear Abby of Miracle Mile. Emil - you and I have a date this weekend!

i used to live around the corner from Emil's. It is such a great store because of the people that work there. You can go in there and hand them a broken off screw and say "help" and it is taken care of. As the owner of a 1920's era house you really need someone on your side to guide you through the multitude of small repairs that need to be made on a weekly basis....Emil's was that place!

Thank you Abby of Miracle Mile for sharing your find! Emil's is one of those hardware stores you wish for while lost in the maze of Home Depot or Lowes. These large-scale stores boggle my mind since they are filled with 'stuff' but no human being to help guide you through it all. This makes do-it-yourself projects almost impossible to complete let alone start. The customer service received from a family owned business that truly puts the customer first is not easy to find these days. Not to mention that I can bring my dog with me ... you can't say that about the HDs and Ls of LA.