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That's the kind of store I'd like to own - an old time hardware store. My uncle had one, I could spend hours there as a child looking at the bins of pipe fittings.

Gracious home! Their people are just lovely!

In the small town where I live we have a Lowe's, but I much prefer our smaller locally owned hardware store. The minute I walk in the door, no less than 3 handsome men dressed in red vests swoop upon me, eager to help find what I am looking for. And the prices are surprisingly competitive.

I'd like to give a shout out to Breed & Co. in Austin. They are amazing, informed, and so friendly!

Yes, indeed. Pfau's in West Hartford Center. Lots of hardware knowledge with a good dose of random stuff (kitchen supplies!?). Walking distance for most of the apartment dwellers.

Crest Hardware in Williamsburg Brooklyn is great great great. Informed and helpful, always make you feel welcome.

"The big box stores generally don't have the experienced staff of smaller, owner-run mom and pops."

Let me tell you a little bit about the hiring practices of larger stores to know what resources you could be turning your nose up at without even realizing it.

A few years ago, Home Depot decided to hire one lisenced plumber and one lisenced electrician per store (with over 2000 stores) and pay them an hourly rate that is comparable to what they'd get if they were actually practicing their trade (a rate thats more than twice what most people working at Home Depot get paid) to stand in the aisles and answer questions for DIYers working on projects. They also became a member of the NKBA and made a huge push to hire lisenced interior designers, they started offering tuition reimbursement to current employees who wanted to go back to school for interior design or construction management, and they also started paying all applicable fees for employees to take certification exams. Because of this, now, you can walk into many of these stores and easily find someone with a CKD or even NCIDQ qualification working in their kitchen or decor departments. You can find a master gardener or landscape designer to assist you plan your garden. You would normally have to pay a substantial retainer fee to work with someone that has these qualifications, but these stores pay a lot of money to hire these people so that they can help you.

To be honest, even if these stores did none of this kind of stuff to acquire and retain experienced help, you never have any idea who is going to assist you at these types of stores. One day you could come in and encounter a kid on his first day at the job. The next day you could walk into the same aisle and it will be a retired head of municipal city waterworks fielding your questions.

Cherrydale Hardware in Arlington, Va is the place to go when you really need experience and expert advice. They've helped us numerous times. The staff is so helpful and patient!

I second Cherrydale in Arlington and give an even bigger thumbs up to Fraeger's Hardware on Capitol Hill in DC. An amazing store with a very helpful staff. I still don't know how they fit everything in there AND remember where it all is. It is so much fun to shop there!

I just moved to the New England area within the last two years, so, I'm still learning about my local businesses. I am so happy that smaller hardware stores are alive and well here...I've had great success with Green's Hardware in Wellesley, Mass.

The folks at Bekerle's hardware store (any location) know EVERYTHING! Their stores are a joy for a DIYer.

Pitkin's Ace Hardware is your go-to place in eastern Prince William County, VA. They welcomed me into the world of plumbing gas dryers when we bought our home here.

Strosniders has 3 locations in Montgomery County, Md. I just love the Silver Spring store. Going into Home Depot always gives me a headache, but the employees at Strosniders are knowledgeable and available! Love it!

I third the Cherrydale rec and second the Breed rec, but where I am now, Breed's a fair bit through traffic, and I've managed to cultivate friendships with the retired experts who now work at my local Lowe's, which is only two miles up the road. I'm at a hardware store at least twice in any given month, anyway, so I've learned that even at Mom-and-Pop stores, someone knowing what the store sells doesn't mean they can necessarily answer all the peculiar questions you may have during a renovation -- that's where having access to of-the-trade really comes in handy, which is why I head to Lowe's, now, when I have a "how can I get around this", I mean, "how can I fix this" question.

But it really comes down to going back often enough that the folks learn your face, and get used to seeing you come by. After awhile, those in-the-know will steer your way, knowing you'll have a question that kid on his first day can't answer. Plus becoming a regular means you learn who to avoid, because there are still plenty of *cough* men working in hardware stores who assume a woman is nothing more than someone on an errand with her husband's or boyfriend's list and who must be patronized because she can't possibly *know* what they're talking about. That is, when she's not wearing an invisible suit.

Being a regular, even at a big box at Lowe's, means I don't get ignored anymore just because I'm female. In fact, being a regular means even the guys who once ignored me now say hello. Not sure how I feel about that, but hey, at least my questions get answered now.

I've never been to an Ace Hardare store that hasn't had nice, knowledgable people working there...

...but once a WalMart or Home Depot opens nearby, it's frequently only a matter of time that the nice folks at the Ace Hardware must close their doors.

Kerrisdale Lumber in Vancouver, BC is my go-to hardware store. It's the "prettiest" hardware store I've ever been in.

Vercesi hardware on E23rd in NYC. Old school and awesome.

Fortunately there are still a couple of hardware wonderlands around here...I have always loved the squeaky wooden floors and the smells of varnish...not to mention the little unexpected surprises around every corner. Walking into these stores is an experience in itself, and so, oddly, there will always be people who declare "I love hardware stores"....sadly, going to Home Depot or Lowe's doesn't compare.

All I can say about the big box hardware stores: I was in Home Depot recently and I had someone ask me if I needed help. That was the firs time that has ever happened to me at either Home Depot or Lowe's . It was a shock.

I live in a town of 40,000 that boasts two wonderful hardware stores that are a bit different from each other although both are helpful and well-stocked. I feel so lucky because the closest big box is not accessible without a car (and I don't have one). But anytime I need a certain screw, a can of paint or hacksaw blade OR just simply house & garden stuff I can head in either direction from my house and be at a local hardware in minutes!

I know both Sid's and Bruno's well. Great places, friendly staff and lots of fun things to shop for. Much more convenient than the super-huge Home Depot.

I use my local True Value for nearly every home improvement or fix it project - see how cute it is: http://ww2.truevalue.com/17th/

Yes - it is conveniently located a block away, but what really draws me in is that there is always plenty of very knowledgeable staff on hand. I can't think of a time that I went in that I had to wait more than a handful of seconds for someone to offer to help - which usually includes a solution much simpler than I had originally thought it to be. It is like having a crew of pros at your fingertips for advice. Love those small hardware stores and agree with those above who say that you must hunt someone down in HD or Lowes if you have a question, and then you're not certain to get a high quality answer. (Particularly for those of us who have tried to shop at the HD in DC!) I'm so glad that the smaller stores are still here and I hope they stay that way!

Rebecca
http://blog.17thandRiggs.com

I frequent Aventura Hargoods, which is an Ace Hardware store. I love the staff in this store. Never have I asked a question that at least three people did not jump to answer. The prices are a little higher than Home Depot (which I absolutely abhor) and it is a lot closer than lowes (which I can take because their staff is nice), but this store reminds me of the neighborhood hardware store we had in New York. You always think that because it's smallish you wont find what you need there, but I always have and I always leave with a smile. Big shout out to Ace Hardware Aventura, FL!

ichi, although I see where you're coming from, I'm going to have to disagree. Yeah, you might find some 16 year-old on his first day but normally, there's an experienced worker right behind him. Not always, but normally.

The whole point of these same stores, is the knowledge and (mostly) the convinience. I was fortunate enough to have my first job at Gill-Roy's Hardware in Michigan and while I was technically only a cashier, in 3 years I (as well as my 2 bros who got jobs there) was able to learn a whole lot of info I've used throughout the years.

There's a feeling to your local hardware store (like the small bar or barbershop in town) that you just can't find at Lowe's or Home Depot. Maybe I'm biased. Besides, what are all the cranky old men going to gripe about and hang out for hours if there isn't a small, old-school hardware store to keep them busy?

I think I've been waiting for an opportunity to say this:

I'm not a fan of box stores, for a myriad of reasons, but if you want to meet the human equiv. of google for craft questions then the Viking who works in the plumbing section of the Home Depot in Richmond, BC Canada your dude. Any kind of craft or hobby or trade work question and if he doesn't know the answer he knows someone who will.

And he carves and sells lace tatting kits out of exotic woods.

So don't hate him because he works at home depot.

I'm really very, very lucky, if not blessed, to have 6-7 such stores between my workplace and home! So, I can pop out in my lunch break, on my way home or even just down the road or around the corner and, all I have to do is ask for what I need, they'll have it... even if you are only looking to purchase a single screw! Plus, I get the kind of sound advice and non-condescending attention that I could never hope to get if I ventured further out to those huge, so-called DIY stores. You are lucky if the staff in those places can direct you to the isle you want, let alone have a clue about their products, and they stock amazingly little choice considering the amount of space they occupy! Give me my little neighbourhood stores any day!!

I find that Bruno's True Value kind of impersonal, but if you feel like schlepping down to Columbia St. between Degraw & Kane, there's a hole-in-the-wall mom & pop where the guy's super helpful, recognizes his customers, and it seems to be cheaper than Bruno's. He's hassidic so the hours are kind of loopy. Also, you can't browse; it's just him behind the counter, with all the wares behind him.

On a totally unrelated note, next time you go to Bruno's, pop into the weird junk store to the right as you're facing Bruno's. It's actually just an old local named Chickie who uses the junk store facade to lure people in so that he can chat with them. He has great stories about the old neighborhood.

Ace hardware on Grand Ave in Piedmont CA. Wonderful staff, anything you ever needed to find is in stock (and the one time it wasn't, they had it special ordered in 24 hours later!) and they're dog friendly. Where else can you walk the dog four blocks over, get the missing screws you need and be home happy within 20 minutes?
Thank heavens for them, as we rip out the kitchen tomorrow!

Parson's Ace Hardware in Duluth, GA is staffed by folks who know their stuff.

In the West Village, I love Garber Hardware, but it's been mentioned on AT before. I've also found a good old-style store near my office in midtown. It's Central Hardware on 39th St. at 6th Ave. It looks a lot like the photo, and the staff have been very helpful with plumbing issues, hardware, etc.

I'd like to give a shout out to Aquarius Hardware on Amsterdam at 90th. I've lived in the neighborhood for 9 years and walked into most of the nearby hardware stores and Aquarius wins easy. The selection is good and the staff is knowledgeable. They will always take time to help me figure out my project, no matter how strange, and I've also seen them patiently explain things to the non-tool set who come in overwhelmed by their Ikea furniture. Plus, on weekdays, the place is full of contractors - always a good sign.

I've hit many indendent hardware stores and several True-Values in downtown Manhattan, and gotten good service at all of them. Special mention to Chambers St. Hardware - not only are they happy to help solve hardware-related problems, they don't get aggravated at kids in the store. In fact, they engaged my 8 year old in a water gun fight in the store last year while I was shopping. Now THAT'S customer service!

"don't hate because he works at Home Depot" lol thank you scarletdog