San Francisco Hardware
Category: Hardware Stores [Edit]
Neighborhood: Western Addition/NOPA512 Divisadero St
(between Fell St & Hayes St)
San Francisco, CA 94117 (415) 552-1168
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Wheelchair Accessible: No
18 reviews
Neighborhood: Inner Sunset
"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 »
18 Reviews for San Francisco Hardware
Tiny but useful hardware store. There used to be a dollar store across the street that I'd look in first, but since that closed now I just meander through the miniature aisles here looking for all the things that help me keep the house together. The family that runs the place have always been helpful and sweet.
I find it so awesome that you can go to a store this size and buy kitchen appliances, tools, planting soil and decorative stuff!
A few possibly useful, not really cool, and definitely not funny pieces of advice:
1. Do not go here with a hangover. The sheer quantity and variety of products, crammed from floor to ceiling in this broom-closet sized store will have your head spinning and your greasy brunch churning in your stomach before you can say "Pepto Bismol".
2. Take a list. Absolutely write out a list of the things you need before getting sucked into this vortex. Go ahead and feel free to add a few items you don't think you'll be able to find at a hardware store- they probably have it in there SOMEWHERE if you simply dig deep enough.
3. Wear long sleeves and protective footwear. There are plenty of opportunities for arm scrapes and stubbed toes. It is nearly impossible to turn around in the overstuffed aisles without knocking something over or tripping on something.
This store is awesome! Just yesterday I got 100 bobby pins and a sewing kit for about $2.25. We also walked away with a new hamper, light bulbs, and some other boy stuff. Rest assured they have everything you could possibly want in a hardware store, plus a nice enough couple running the place. They won't go out of their way to be helpful but they're available should you have any questions.
**They also make keys and have a pretty interesting assortment of cigarette lighters.
People thought this was:
Useful (6)
Funny (4)
Cool (5)
The have jugs of simple green in 1 and 2 gallon varieties here. The also have light switches that lock, light switches that don't lock, nuts, bolts, screws, flanges, washers and hinges, along with wires and lightbulbs and gardening equipment. I think they have Jimmy Hoffa here too; the guy at the counter was pretending to not know what I was talking about.
Never in my life have I seen so much stuff crammed into a few hundred square feet of space. Nice folks, too, if a little evasive.
People thought this was:
Useful (5)
Funny (2)
Cool (4)
I absolutely love this place! They have everything under the sun and somehow know exactly where it is. The shelves are long, tall, and PACKED with products. I can't go in here without getting sidetracked, just looking around for something that I didn't even know I needed, because I didn't know it existed until I found it here.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
This place is very convenient to where I live, and the workers are also very friendly and helpful. It doesn't have everything you'll ever need, but they have a lot. They will also make keys very fast, and if they don't work, they'll redo them without asking a lot of questions. It loses a star for being nowhere near wheelchair accessible.
This place is about the size of the bathrooms at Home Depot but they seem to have carefully selected their merchandise. I needed some zip-ties. I walked down the two aisles (or was it three?) they had and swung back around. I'm used to not asking for help since 1) I'm a dude and 2) Home Depot is staffed by morons and asking for help never gets you anywhere. But I asked here and they answered. It was refreshing to speak to someone that knew what I was talking about and where it was. As I was being rung up the lady kept staring up at the wall. I looked and there was a row of closed circuit cameras that scanned the store, so don't get any ideas.
Had a delicious lunch today at Zazie. There was a bit of a wait and I mosied over to Cole Hardware. Found a couple of things I needed but decided to come back after lunch to pick it up.
Since it was such a nice day out I threw on the headphones and walked home.
D'oh! Forgot my to pick up my goodies. But here is goodly gear. SF hardware was on my home and had exactly what I need to get at cole hardware.
And check this out the EXACT same thing that was $2.98 at Cole was (no joke) only .89 cents!
I love it when life works out in my way. Now I know to skip over Cole no matter what. Good thing SF hardware is closer to home but sounds like it would be worth the trek anyway.
After trying to sleep-in on saturday morn. and failing, I was like OK I'll get up an be productive. So I popped over to Bean Bag coffee shop for a triple macchiato. Aha, that's better.
I've been wanting to make my gurl a copy of my house key and just haven't had time....for 3 months now...dooh! So as I was back home I saw the hardware store and was like, oh I wonder if they make keys.
I peeked in to look around....I was in business. Totally stoked! I'm excited to find a well stocked, but small hardware store in the 'hood. Maybe it's a guy thing, but I feel more at home in the 'hood now that I know where the nearest hardware store is...and it's not a big box store. I love keepin' local!
Viva san francisco!
Whenever I've effed up some project (or my tool of an ex-boyfriend pansy-assed his way OUT of some home project) this place has come to my rescue. I cleaned them out of painter's tape a couple of times because of my inner interior decorator that thought painting every room in both of my two former apartments was smart. FYI: It's not because painting them back to their original pristine white glory sucks. They're also quick to offer advice on what to do when you've got an interesting (read costly) situation. Prices are a bit steep but they're the closest hardware store so it is what it is.
People thought this was:
Cool (1)
we always end up here when we need to fix a little something in the apartment and driving all the way to Colma for Home Depot is completely out of the question
HEY it's just a few blocks away! perfect. we can walk.
very tiny store CHOCK-FULL with every little thing you might need for minor repairs and your general sprucer-uppers. sometimes I think it'd be fun to just come in and look around for a while, but I always get that small shop weird vibe cuz the folks running it never smile or say anything--so of course I feel like I'm invading their personal space. (not to say they aren't nice, I just haven't talked to them yet)
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (3)
This place has never let me down. It's family-owned & operated, & their son Randy used to hang out at The Page a lot. I haven't seen him there lately, but the kid is a pool shark. Steer clear of challenging him, as he'll probably make you look the fool.
Just yesterday I went down there needing a piece to connect my NEW used dryer to the gas line, & they ran to the back corner & pulled one out for me within 30 seconds. It usually goes like this: I need something, I walk in, two minutes later I walk out with the item in my hand.
They're good people.
Everytime I go into this place I find something I didn't realize I needed, but couldn't live without-- From rubber cement to light switch dimmers to key rings to cork board to u-shaped nails to speaker wire to a spatula. i have never left empty-handed.
very reasonable prices (keys copied for $1.55!) and knowledgable staff ("yes, we have off-white interior semi-gloss paint. aisle 1, halfway back, top shelf. i'll get you the right paint brush") makes for a great hardware-store experience within walking distance of my apartment.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
Very helpful staff.
I went in to buy a plunger (and one has no need for a plunger in the good times, so you can guess this wasn't one of them) and a lightbulb.
He told me if the lightbulb wasn't the right fit I could return it.
This is the neighborhood hardware store of my dreams.
And thankfully, said plunger turned bad times back into good!
People thought this was:
Funny (4)
Cool (2)
Great neighborhood "all purpose" hardware store. Friendly family owned business. Small space but stocked with everything you need for home repairs or just the random roll of tape.
Knowledgable and friendly. I wouldn't have been able to open my business without them. They will special order what they can, or recommend an alternative. What every local hardware store should be.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
This tiny, mom-n-pop hardware store is the antithesis of the Home Depot, and that's why you have to love it. Although it may look too small at first glance, they'll have just about everything you need for small-to-medium DIY projects or repairs, thanks to sliding walls and hidden nooks that multiply the volume of the place. The all-family staff is extremely knowledgable and helpful, and I've never been able to stump them with a request or questions.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
mom and pops shop at it's best! very helpful and if you live within a block of the store, you can borrow a ladder, wrench, whatever.
they have pretty much everyhting you need at good prices. totally go here.
p.s. north of the panhandle is a white neighborhood associations way of trying to dissassociate themselves with the black population in western addition.
People Who Viewed This Also Viewed...
Related Lists
-
My Neighborhood
My local dry cleaner, watering hole, deli, cafe,… -
Divisadero
This list isn't nearly as complete or awesome as… -
As Divisadero Turns
Everything you ever needed to know about living… -
My Neighborhood
My local dry cleaner, watering hole, deli, cafe,…
Hot and New
- Firefly
395 reviews
Neighborhood: Noe Valley
- Lolo
119 reviews
Neighborhood: Mission
- Eiji
245 reviews
Neighborhood: Castro
- Bi-Rite Creamery
897 reviews
Neighborhood: Mission
- yoCup
145 reviews
Neighborhood: SOMA