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Category: Hardware Stores [Edit]
Neighborhood: CastroMon-Fri. 8:30 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Sat. 9:30 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
"Friendly neighborhood place to buy all that household stuff it seems you constantly need other than toilet paper, e.g., light bulbs, keys…" read more »
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Cliff's is the best, and I would much rather support them than other places like Target, etc. They've got hardware, kitchen and bath supplies, paint supplies, games/toys, home accessories -- you name it. Definitely an institution in the neighborhood.
Just know that sometimes it can be hard to get a staff person's attention if you need help on the weekends because it gets pretty busy.
I have to admit, until about 2 weeks ago, I'd never heard of cliff's. But, when a friend of mine mentioned it to me and I asked a few others, it was obvious I was missing out.
My new place has bamboo floors, I have no idea about the care and feeding of them. In I walk to Cliff's, and one of their sales guys led me through it all. He even made sure to mention when he thought certain items were just gratuitous for me to use, which helped save me some money.
I'll certainly be back. In fact, I'll be heading there within the hour!
Heart of Castro institution.
Pretty good, lots of things you might need.
Just a little pricey compared to other hardware stores.
They didn't have a cheese plane when I needed one!
*cries*
I love this store. Their selection is amazing: hardware, electrical, plumbing, gardening, cleaning, storage, kitchen supplies, pots/pans, toys, etc. The prices are reasonable give its location. It's hit or miss with the floor staff. Some are very helpful and others obviously don't like working the floor. Cliff's is the first place I look when I head out to buy something for around the house.
The low employee turnover and the generally pleasant atmosphere in this store both say a lot about the owners/management.
Especially considering the neighborhood, extremely reasonable pricing on most things.
What a fun store! I love the fact that this place has everything from kitchenware to Christmas ornaments to stuff for the bathroom. Was pleasantly surprised to find a powdered sugar shaker here, which even my local Safeway did not carry. It's definitely a fun store to explore if you are in the area, and may even be a destination in itself if you are looking for something random. Go support the local economy and check out this historic business! It's a lot more pleasant and fun than a trip to Home Depot or Target, and they carry a lot of similar product.
This is a place to never forget in your list. My favorite hardware store and they have a fabric and Yarn section on their side store. Customes, furniture, and Yarn, not a lot of yarn selection there, but enough of a variety for a quick gift making knit or crochet project, they also have Dyes. Not very pricey, but not low end!
There is almost everything under the Sun in this store, go and check it out, and the staff is Extremely Helpful and go out of their way to help you with your projects and stuff. I have been visiting Cliff's for over 20 years.
Random
Random
Random
Cool!
Obviously there's a lot of love for Cliff's, and deservedly so. The range of items makes me giddy! Quirky toys, galvanized trash cans, stationery, toilet seats, paint, flags, plumbing supplies, cast-iron skillets, screws of all sizes. And don't forget the decor, fabric & notions dept next door. Notions! Who has a Notions Dept. and more? They also have assorted home decor (window treatments, rugs, bath items).
They have those old-school ladders on tracks and wheels, for reaching items high above the sales floor. And signs admonishing children of all ages to avoid playing on them.
I buy with confidence from them. If something isn't right, they'll make it right. They even re-cut a key, no questions asked, without a receipt, when it failed to work.
I want them to be around 50 years from now, so I support them, and urge my friends to do the same. I'm so tired of hearing of established businesses going under. I don't want to read an article in the paper about how Cliff's is closing next month. Plus I don't like the soul-destroying experience of Home Depoo. Good luck getting any customer service there!
We love all of you at Cliffs. Please keep doing what you do best!
They carry everything from tiny weird toys, to eye-bolts, to egg cups, to plant food, to umbrellas. And they are local. And they have attractive, polite, and attentive sales staff, that always take my most convoluted art project seriously. I love this joint!
The Spice of Life.
Variety, that is. Here are the 4 C's for why Cliff's gets 5 stars:
- Convenient. On a main thoroughfare 1/2 block from the MUNI with a broad range of hours of operation and -- because it's all about me -- just 3 blocks from my home.
- Customer-service oriented. The staff is not only knowledgeable (readily knowing what of their diverse merchandise can be located where), but higher on the Maslowian rung: affirming! Case in point: after the clerk asked if I wanted a bag for my large posterboard, in true Zoolander-esque fashion, he pulled one out that was about 4 dimensions too small. Nonetheless, he took great delight in my hearty laugh despite the fact that it was at his expense.
- Cost-effective. Despite the high-rent location, DINK demographic and lack of advantage of certain overhead cost-sharing that your basic ACE franchise does, you can get just about anything you want there at a reasonable price.
- Candy-store fun. Adults can play around with hardware, tools and fun crafts -- a plethora of inventory that is vast yet accessible and well-organized.
So Come on down.....
As Burning Man approaches, and as I continue to waffle over whether or not I'll make this year my first Burn, I realized I need to write a review on this shop so I have it bookmarked for future reference. ;-)
Awesome wig shop with a wide variety, and they even have wig caps. I got my black bob wig (see photos) here last Halloween. On the flip side, I had wanted a fuschia wig (why I got rid of mine from college, I still don't know), and their pink wig options were not as good. By the time I had figured out my costume in the Haight, Mendel's had closed, so I came here in hopes of finding a similar pink bob. Unfortunately, there wasn't one. However, they did have the stellar black bob. At any rate, the selection here is wide, and the people that work here are friendly and willing to offer you advice & tips to help you decide. Fun!
Whenever I step through the doors of Cliff's I hear angel's sing a chorus and then the lights shine down and a voice from above says "MELISSA, CHECK OUT THEIR SELECTION OF STUPID LITTLE PLASTIC ANIMALS - YOU KNOW YOU WANT A 2 INCH PARAKEET"
and I nod obligingly and go off to find the perfect tweetie bird. Here is a list of other heavenly treasures I've purchased from Cliffs:
a cap gun
sidewalk chalk
a watering can for the flowers I keep killing outside
Christmas lights
and insulated picnic basket
name tags
and I had a funky key for our front door.
Of course, I usually go after I'm three bloody mary's deep from Harveys - so that explains some of the randomness.
OH CLIFFS! How wonderful your variety is. You are where I go to blow money I don't have on silly trinkets I don't need and also to get useful home wares. Is cliff a real person? Because I would totally kiss him on the mouth if I wasn't married.
On my first visit ever to SF, my BFF brought me in here because she likes the store and she figured it carried the type of knick knacks I would also love. Oh how well she knows me. We both purchased starter chopsticks because they were so random. What does a starfish have to do with sushi? Nevermind, I don't actually want to know. Also I got some postcards and spent a good chunk of time just looking at the toys and other assorted items they stock. I would love to be a buyer for a store like this. It's like Oriental Trading except in real life!
I've lived around the block from Clift's for over 5 years now, and love this store.
They have everything you need in a rather compact space. And the employees are consistently very professional and helpful - good job!
Amazing, stylish selection of goods. Prices are very nice.
Crap response to trying to return a product that was faulty.
A wise pick-up artist once said, "There are four kinds of women who go to the hardware store by themselves. Single, recently single, recently divorced, lesbian who will let me watch...Sorry, five. Recently widowed."
As a member of the "single and not entirely useless" category, I find myself at Cliff's often. And as a girl in the Castro, I'm not surprised that this place is fabulous and completely devoid of creepers looking to pick me up in the garden mulch section.
I've gotten all sorts of things at Cliff's - hot glue gun, plunger (please, let's be mature), funnels (ok, not that mature), sparkly heart stickers, Norwegian and Irish mini flags, mardi gras beads, light bulbs, towels, cleaning supplies, heavy-duty staples, and the all-too-crucial finger puppets. The people who work there are both knowledgeable and friendly, and they make my visits short and sweet.
Cliff's is definitely not your mother's hardware store, but if it was, she'd probably be safe from being hit on, too.
The people who work here are so nice and helpful. I've been ducking into Cliff's for many years now for everything from creative solutions for hanging fruit bowls from the ceiling to packing tape. Have to echo Leyla f on this one. I always leave this place happy even when I don't buy anything at all.
Love, love, love this place!
OMG. Why haven't I reviewed this place yet?!?!!
Okay, if you want to fix your...toilet, kitchen, etc....you can get it here.
If you need a cake saver/carrier (like I did) you can find it here.
If you need some stationery, it'll be here too.
If you need an eye mask (for a masquerade) you can find it here.
If you need to kill some time and play with some toys or sift through other knickknacks, you can definitely come here for it.
Service = super friendly and helpful. Trust me, on the phone and in person, they are totally cool!
Prices = moderate to high, depending on what you are looking for.*
Variety is definitely here!
*Trust me, if you're stuck in a pinch, and need something but don't have time to go to say Target (in Daly City) or what have you, this is the place, what a lifesaver!!
An outstanding neighborhood handymans shop. Staff are informed about hardware, tools and projects ; they are always courteous and mostly available. Their reasonable prices came as a pleasant surprise (having initially expected them to be pricier than Home depot and Lowes). I wont even bother going elsewhere for most home projects and parts. You can even buy single/small-pack screws, nuts and bolts (perfect for city dwellers).
Emphasis on Variety.
We popped in here while strolling along Castro Street on Saturday to see if they had a candle or something yummy-smelling to help us cope with our stank nasty hotel room. We picked out a lovely tangerine scented soy travel candle, then continued to look around.
Wow. Craziness. Everything from books and gifts to drawer pulls and shower caddies. Craft supplies, bath supplies, feather boas, and little birds on sticks. Wacky.
I didn't look at too many prices, but my candle was a tad on the expensive side.
This store is just really fucking cool. I bought a Rene Magritte calendar here once. What other place in the world would I find such a thing?!?! Great service too.
I love Cliffs. It's more than I thought any hardware store could ever be.
Everyone here is super nice and friendly. It's kind of like visiting a favorite uncle. They'll patiently help me when I lose the fourth bolt I need to put my bed together and have no clue what size or type it is. And be interested in what kind of cookies I'm going to make with my new cookie pan.
I always leave here feeling happy and good about life. How many hardware stores can say that?
Cliff's is a fun place to browse, kind of like a dollar store where you wander around looking at all the weird things, only with items that are much more useful and probably more durable.
I needed some costume masks and got them here. They have them year-round. Definitely the largest selection of masquerade masks I've seen in one store, combining the cheap to the extravagant, and there's a mirror for you to see how they look on.
I neither live nor work anywhere near here, but if you're in need of some costume items and it's not Halloween, you could do a lot worse.
Cliff's is the first place I fell in love with in San Francisco. Tools and toys! What could be better!
Cliff's has been a neighborhood fixture since the 30s. Believe it or not, they were the original sponsor of the Castro Halloween Party. Back then, they had some queer notion that Halloween was for kids. Live and learn.
Anyway, if you don't buy all your hardware and toys at Cliff's, you've got no heart. Simple as that.
I'm a total fan of Cliff's. Cliff's has been at it current location (which was previously the original Castro Theater) since the 70's. Being a Castro resident, when I need to get something quick, they usually have it. It is pretty amazing. The walls are stocked high and tight, but the have a little bit of absolutely everything. From home improvement supplies to housewares, to toy and art supplies. A few years back, they opened a decor store right next door. It has some nice retro style decorator items.
I've never had a problem returning anything (with a receipt), but never tried returning anything without a receipt. The employees are all very nice, helpful and all usually know the inventory. The only negative, is that it is kind of pricey. But if you're in a pinch and need something quick, it's definitely worth paying a bit more.
-fabric shower curtains
-porcelain coffee mugs from Britain
-krazy glue
-Astroturf
-Vatican City flag
-all the parts to make your own disco ball
-duct tape wallet kit
-a picture of the Cliff House taken in 1932
-Christmas lights
-blank canvas
Seriously, this place is like Amoeba... You might come in for one thing (Krazy Glue in my case) but you walk out the door carrying two full paper bags and wondering "What the hell just happened?"
And not to be overlooked, it's a great hardware store.
I'm an avid motorcyclist. And I love vintage Hondas...especially mine. So imagine my surprise when I ride my bike out to the Castro from Oakland and can't get it started after parking it for a few hours. I call my trusty bike mechanic who suspects that I may have blown a fuse. He tells me to try and replace them if I can find them. And I wonder...who the hell around here would carry fuses that would work for a motorcycle?!
I look across the street and see Cliff's. I figure I'm stranded and will probably have to pay a couple hundred bucks on a bike tow and repair shop. So why not stop by Cliff's and see what they have?
I was greeted by a nice employee who also rides. And says they do carry the types of fuses I may need. I tell him I need 7a fuses and he tells me I may need 15a fuses as well as the main fuse on my type of bike is a 15a fuse. I buy a few for a mere $0.50 each and walk back to my bike to give it a shot.
SURPRISE! It works. And the guy at Cliff's was right about the fuse. He saved me hundreds of dollars. And I am forever grateful. YOU GUYS ROCK!!!
I would like to thank Cliff's Variety for meeting all of my household needs.
When I lived in the Lower Mission/Bernal Flats, Cole Hardware was my go-to spot for those bizarre items you just can't find anywhere else. Now that I live in the Upper Market/Lower Hayes Valley/Outer Castro, Cliff's is the place.
A cheese grater, key duplication, 12 1-quart mason jars, a video/RCA connector cable, and light bulbs are among the necessities I have scored with the help of Cliff's and its friendly employees. The prices are really reasonable, and I get to feel good about shopping local instead of at big boxes like Target or Bed, Bath & Beyond (and plus, I don't actually have to GO to those awful places).
Hooray for the Castro, and hooray for Cliff's!!
In case you haven't already picked up a mask for the upcoming SF Elite Masquerade Ball, check out Cliff's! They have a nice selection. Remember... you can't get into the event without a mask ;)
Save the date and pick up another mask for the SV Elite Masquerade Party on 10/22!
A hardware store that sells Halloween costumes all year round. They are actually THE originator of… Read more »
I'd like to give a renewed shout out to this handy dandy hardware store. I, being a victim of all things on sale, just happened to purchase a very lovely and very cheap lamp yesterday....only to discover the reason for it's cheapness...a very bizarre and estoteric lightbulb...that would lead me down the road of lightbulb terrors, never to be able to return the damn lamp and forever searching for the correct bulb....
OR I could just walk a couple of blocks to Cliffs where they could patiently explain to me that I could by one of many different sized lightbulb adapters (wow, who knew?) or lead me by the nose to a variety of 60 Watt bulbs size B (chandalier size?) of various size and whimsy of which I could purchase. Very exciting. I had not one but two enthusiastic sales people assisting me, I felt very well taken care of. Cliffs really does know how to provide an awesome level of service, so their slightly inflated prices are of no concern to me. I would have literally been at a loss in a Home Depot or on my own, attempting to ferret out the correct bulb.
5 stars!
What can I say, I live in the Casto and invent reasons to go to this store. They have essentials… Read more »
Cliff's Variety has so many wonderfully distracting, kitchy big-kid toys that I could wander around forever perusing the aisles..
*sigh*...I think I am imagining the Cliff's Variety of my dreams. Don't get me wrong, everything is kitchy and definitely distracting, but it is a tad small. I also feel like their inventory doesn't rotate much, either.
But I still love it, and slip in basically every time I walk by.
*This review is for the smaller, "fancier" cliff's variety next door to the actual hardware store.*
OK< we all know the stereotypical notion that men love to get lost in hardware stores and spend money in them like ladies do in clothing stores, but this is kind of the centerpiece of the Castro, where Queens reign supreme and this joint is always jumping with head turning, hot men. It's just a great hardware store that's been serving the neighborhood for a very long time and through several population upheavals. It's got the greatest selection of every kind of holiday decor, basic hardware, clever sundries, kids stuff, kitchen niceties and in their addendum space a wide range of costumes, toiletries, decor, wigs, hats, fabric, lamps and a selection of Lava Lamps. Cliff's is the perfect place to while away the hours while waiting for Mr. Right or cruising for new nuts and bolts.
They have EVERYTHING. PERIOD. Where else in the city can you try on a wig and have wood and glass cut at the same time?
I work as an Operations Manager for a local non-profit by day, and I'm a Theater/Indie Film Costume Designer at night and Cliff's is a staple for both careers. From last minute office supplies, to paint, to fabric and sequins..they have it all. What's more, the staff is super nice and helpful.
Full of random objects I do not need. It's fun browsing in here.
Prices are not too friendly.
I love this place. I can get knitting needles and cupcake holders all at the same place. I've had Target withdrawals since I've moved to the city but Cliff's is my neighborhood place to find anything practical from board games, hardware, plants, kitchen goodies or even gorilla glue. Prices are comparable and it's a great place to go for emergency fix-it needs. It has been around so long you can feel the San Francisco blood that runs up and down its aisles.
The staff is always friendly and I'd happily shop here anytime!
After a crazy and ridiculous day at the Redbull Soapbox Race, we decided to do some crazy and ridiculous shopping. After much window shopping and not finding something that wowed us, we decided to stop by Cliff's. From the outside, it has this "strictly business" feel, like they only sold hardware and gardening stuff. I found the most amazing, useless things here at such low prices, you'd be a fool to NOT get it. For example, Halloween wigs for $10? SOLD! Tiny life-like goldfish? WHERE DO I SIGN? Tiny dollhouse furniture? WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN MY WHOLE LIFE?
I settled on a pair of Dummy glasses. These "so real, it's scary" type of glasses seriously make me look like I'm missing a chromosome. My friend MG and I wore them all day walking up and down the streets of San Francisco. We made so many strangers laugh and so many children cry! It was quite magical.
Did I mention that these glasses were only $1.25? Because they were only $1.25. Everything in this store was so fairly priced that i wanted to buy everything I saw! Luckily MG restrained my impulses and reminded we should spend our money wisely, like on more Free People dresses. But for reals y'all, I had so much fun in Cliff's. I highly recommend everybody to check it out!
Final Verdict: I rarely give five stars, but this place won my heart. So many things to buy, where do I start? I could spend hours just browsing their shelves, so much mischief, how could we resist ourselves?
I just like walking in this place. First of all, there's all the folks behind the counter. Regular people, not just heavy-duty hardware types, so I never feel too foolish or too straight to ask my novice-level hardware questions. I think one dude has a really long beard. I love that.
Ok, and then, to the right - all those cool toys! Lots of great little balls (yeah, I like balls - I said I was straight), and fun squishy creatures, and games for drinking, and games for not drinking, and old-school toys. Yeah, so that part is really fun. That's the section of the store that keeps on giving, long after you've left with your new toy tucked safely in your timbuk2 bag.
And then, past the toys and candles, all the fun kitchen stuff. Pots and pans and spatulas and serrated knives. Some good quality stuff. Some regular quality stuff. But fun stuff if you think cooking is fun. (Which I do, so I Iove these aisles).
Ok, and then I usually have to get some little hardware thing that I don't really care about but have to get because that was excuse to stop in. They always have the little hardware thing, and they always tell me how to use it. And, for that, and all the fun distractions I am very happy and therefore give my sweet and delightful local hardware store 5 glorious stars.
The end.
Everything under the sun and more! It's not the cheapest place to buy it but it's an independent store and could not possibly compete with Home Depot or even the Ace Hardware chain but the staff is helpful and friendly whether you are looking for one nail or a box full.
Yes They Have Everything You''ll Need But They Also Have COW And SHEEP IN A CAN You Know The Tins That Make BAAAAAAAAAAAA And MOOOOOOOOO Sound When You Turn Them Over Nostalgic and Hard To Find Why Won't Yelp Let People Write Reviews in ALL CAPS If They So Desire? CAPS There I Did It Again
No burritos - there might be some decent ones in the neighborhood but I'm not sure.
Neighborhood: Castro
Category: Hardware Stores
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Category: Keys & Locksmiths
Neighborhood: Cole Valley
Category: Hardware Stores
Neighborhood: Outer Sunset
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Category: Toy Stores
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