Buying a toilet seat is never a glamorous errand. It's not the kind of purchase that stirs the soul or inspires dinner party conversation. But if you must embark on this deeply humbling retail journey, Upper West Side Hardware is the place to do it. Tucked into the charming chaos of the neighborhood, this hardware store offers more than just screws, paint, and oddly specific plumbing bits--it offers genuinely great service, and a surprising amount of grace for those of us who clearly didn't measure the toilet properly. We bought the wrong seat. Classic mistake. The kind that whispers, "You really should've Googled that." To their credit, the staff gently reminded us the item was non-returnable. But then, in an act of rare retail compassion, they let us exchange it anyway. No eye rolls, no sighs of hardware judgment--just a kind, quiet swap and the unspoken understanding that sometimes, life is just... complicated. The store itself is well-stocked and surprisingly organized, considering the usual "organized chaos" aesthetic of local hardware shops. It's not cavernous, but it has everything you need--and probably something you didn't realize you needed until you saw it hanging on a peg. In short: Upper West Side Hardware is a neighborhood gem. Whether you're a DIY savant or someone just trying to make your bathroom slightly more functional, the staff will treat you with patience and a touch of mercy. And in New York, that's worth its weight in toilet seats. read more

These guys are great. Incredibly helpful. I had to cut a padlock off of our storage locker bc we lost the key. So I went to this place to buy heavy duty bolt cutters which were pretty expensive- almost $100. When I told the guy why I needed them, he agreed (without me asking) to loan me the store's bolt cutters. Didn't ask for ID or collateral- just said bring them back when you're done. They knew me as a regular customer but still- this was above and beyond. Most stores would have taken the money. These guys instead saw an opportunity to do something helpful for a regular customer. Now, I'm a customer for life. read more

I love this place. They always seem to have what I need, the guys are friendly and helpful. I'm so glad you are there. read more

Employees are nice, prices are fair and they are knowledgeable. Always shop here DO NOT GO TO CASA HARDWARE!

Don't waste your money at this hardware store. After multiple times of shopping at this store and encountering rude unprofessional behavior I will be taking my business up the street. My most recent issue was potting soil- I purchased two bags of potting soil, took it home, opened one, and to my surprise it was infested with gnats (these bugs can cause a considerable amount of damage to plants). I immediately rebagged the opened (and unopened bag) and took it back to the shop. The guy refused to give me a full refund and instead gave me instore credit for the infested bag. Dont trust them. read more

Store is well organized. Just had to get a few screws to put up some shelves and blinds in my new apartment. Also key copying is pretty inexpensive here. I came in and found what I needed pretty quickly as I'm familiar with tools / hardware / construction materials however no one asked me if I needed any help, I could see it being difficult for someone who wasn't totally sure what they needed to find it without the help of an employee. Overall though, great experience read more

I can't believe this place doesn't have any more reviews because it really should. I needed to get some keys copied on Saturday and almost every locksmith in the city is closed on weekends. I was just walking by randomly and went in because I saw they had a sign advertising "locksmith" so I went to go see if they could help. The owner was really nice and got me taken care of in less that 15 mins and my total for 3 keys was $18! So glad I stumbled upon this place! read more

I needed a screwdriver, and what better place to get one than a hardware store. I got what I thought I needed, but the product was overpriced and complete trash. So I went back and told them about how the product was terrible. They gave me store credit and let me pick out a new one that actually worked. Pretty cool of them. Even though this store is further from my house than other ones, I'll definitely go back here again because they did me a service and actually helped me fix the problem rather than blow me off. Good service, nice people. read more

Needing a couple things for my recent move, and this being the closest hardware type store, I stopped in for a visit. I needed door stoppers to fit onto my door hinges. They did have what I needed, though they turned out to be too small. They were happy to exchange with the receipt. They are friendly and seem to have a good selection. read more

I bought a 3-way light bulb here. I put it in the closet until the other bulb burned out completely (it still had one level of light left). A couple of months later, it burned out, as expected. I put in the new bulb from Broadway Home Center and it burned out as soon as I put it in. I brought it back to the store. The clerk asked for the receipt. I didn't have it. He said sorry, no exchange. He said he knew I bought it there (the price tag said "Broadway Home Center") but said since i couldn't prove when i bought it, he wasn't responsible. When I started to explain my case, he put his ear buds back in and waved me away. I live on 101st, but I will go way out of my neighborhood before I go back to this place. I mean, he had a point, but so did I. I would have taken a discount or something. He was dismissive, rude. This place was my neighborhood place. I'd go in there for mop heads, shower curtain liners, etc. The stuff there is pretty old. The dust on the boxes should have been enough warning. Stay away. read more

Incredibly rude staff person. I came in, after I was promised on the phone, that my paint color could be matched. The person who "helped" in the store was incredibly dismissive when I pointed out the match he made wasn't even close. Not nice or helpful. I will not return. Much better place on Amsterdam & 99th, who were polite and easily did the "impossible" match. read more

Great, until they weren't.... we moved to the neighborhood about one year ago, and went here for all items needed when you move into a new place-- screens, spackle, dropcloths, paintbrushes, etc. Then in November we purchased a uber heavy-duty shopping cart from them. The owner described it as a "tank." Well, 5 months later the thing is unuseable. I went to ask them to help me diagnose the issue, and they admitted there was a problem, but did not stand behind their products in any way. Very poor customer service. We will not be back-- will check out the other hardware stores in the neighborhood. Very sad. read more

Every single one of my experiences here have always been extremely positive. All of the guys who work here are so helpful, honest, and patient. The prices are extremely fair as well. I highly recommend visiting for any of your home needs. read more

EXTREMELY rude staff. I am new to the Upper West Side and for the past 6 months I have come here for all my hardware and renovation needs. My last visit which was about a month ago, I came in at 7:50 for one picture hanger. At this point I know the store like the back of my hand so it would take 1 minute. The worker started yelling at me "CLOSED CLOSED, WE CLOSED MAN" I said no you aren't I have 7:50, that means 10 more minutes. Mind you there were TWO other shoppers in the store. He stood there and watched me until I made my choice and it made me very uncomfortable. Today I needed to pick up one quick thing again, and since it's so close I figured maybe he was having a bad day. I give them a second chance, I go in at 7:40 walk straight to what I needed and walked to the front to check out. The SAME gentleman starts yelling at me we are closed and continues to hawk me down and rant at me. After shutting him up, giving him a piece of my mind, letting him know this is NOT how you run a business kicking paying loyal customers out 20 minutes early just because you want to go home and sit on your couch. If you can't stay stay till the time you close, than change your hours or quit. the sI myself am a manager and I would NEVER treat a paying customer like this. I am NEVER returning to this "establishment" read more

Helpful, friendly, good prices. Take returns and exchanges when necessary. Know what is in stock and where to get it.

Ali at Broadway Home Center Ali didn't tell me that he absorbed a loss for a mistake he made. I had a Medco key duplicated and he didn't charge me enough. I only found out by returning to have a second one made and he explained why it would cost twice as much. Meanwhile his price was still better than others in the area. The real benefit was dealing with how fair and willing to please this store is. No attitude just service. read more

Beware!!! I seriously would not recommend this place to anyone. I've had to go several time because I live in the area but it is always a disappointment and you WILL be scammed. The guys in there are very sneaky with your money and services. I needed a piece of plexiglass cut to specific dimensions for a window. The old man (that sounds crazy when he talks) charged me a ridiculous price just for them to cut it to size and said it would take 2 hours. I went back and picked it up and it wasn't even the correct size to fit in my window. So I brought it back explaining it was too big, and he said there was nothing they can do. And complaining to me that I was asking them to fix something that was only an inch off. They didn't offer me my money back, and didn't offer to cut a new piece. I walked up to the other hardware store on 106/Broadway and they offered a solution instantly. Definitely would suggest the other place up the street instead. The guys at 101/Broadway are con artists. I've heard this before too from many other friends in the area- so don't take a chance. read more

Not knowing exactly what my project would require, and as the closing hour was near, I purchased an array of possible options, asking before I made the purchase if all of my choices were returnable as long as they were unused, unopened, and in their original packaging. I was told by the attendant that indeed they were. However when I tried to return the unused items the next day, a different attendant wouldn't accept one of the items, a drill bit, saying they didn't accept returns on tools. My explanation of what I had been told the previous evening fell on deaf ears. He expressed no curiosity or concern and was unwilling to investigate my claim. He simply continued to restate the store's policy while pointing to a small sign taped to the cash register and refused to offer any assistance. Very poor customer service in my opinion. I live in the neighborhood and guess I am mistaken to think a neighborhood hardware store might exhibit even a modicum of neighborly behavior. It seems counterintuitive for an employee to hide behind a company policy in the face of a potential error made by another employee at the same establishment, transgressing and angering a customer. Unfortunately I guess for both myself and this business, this neighbor will now travel further afield, taking his business elsewhere. read more