Blaustein Paint and Hardware

Another good hardware store in my neighborhood.
I thought 12 decades long in business, Garber Hardware, was helpful but this place was even better. The guys work at the store were willing to help and serve right away. One nicer guy took me where I can find what I was looking for and handed to me.
The item I got was the last one. When I paid,. he ordered more and said it should be here in few days, very nice.
I hate to share this but this particular item was way cheaper than GH (see my receipts).

Incredibly helpful and offer great instructions for any household need.

They’re nice, they make keys (mine worked first try) and they also repaired some lamps I have.
They even helped put some dimmer switches into my apt.
Nice local hardware store.

I bought two of those very expensive Sylvania squiggly shaped eco-​friendly bulbs from Blaustein a couple of weeks ago, and one of the bulbs just stopped working. Naturally I had tossed both my receipt and the packaging, but I brought in the bulb hoping they would give me advice on how to go about getting a credit from Sylvania. Without giving it even a second thought, Yann (sp?), the gentleman whom I assume owns the store (maybe Mr. Blaustein himself?) gave me a new bulb and told me he’d deal with the manufacturer.
It would have been very easy and entirely within his rights to just tell me I was on my own, but he risked losing the $ 15 to help a customer be happy.
I read the review that Humphrey B. posted below about why Home Depot has been successful. My experience with Blaustein is a perfect example of why local proprietors will and should always be successful in local communities. They go above and beyond what the «big box» retailers will do for their customers, because they have a vested interest in the community.
The rest of the guys who work there all know their trade, and while they may not be super salesy and chatty like the blue shirted folks at Best Buy for example, they are smart, quick and get you what you need.
I cannot recommend them enough. I will be a customer at Blaustein for as long as I live in NYC.

I like shopping locally and this is a local shop definitely worth shopping at.
A bit more expensive but the service you get more than makes up for the slight increase of price.

Went to this store to aid with the oh so stressful moving in process and couldnt be more pleased! From shower curtains and rods, to paint, to pots and pans, to air conditioners and spare keys this little store had it all! They apparently just moved locations to the new one (on Greenwich street) and i found everything to be easy to locate. The staff was more than helpful with every detail and every problem. Home-​depot who? Blaustein’s shows why small businesses still exist and thrive even compared to the big box corporations.

This store is a very good example of why Home Depot is thriving over on 23^rd Street, and why some people will walk a half a mile to get there.
So I go there to get a key made. Big boo-​boo. One attempt. Nah. Two attempts. Nah. Three attempts, still nah, so I go back for refund.‘
What I get, along with my two bucks is attitude. It’s not their fault, it’s the machine. Well, like, who is running the machine? Besides, I really don’t care about their relationship with the machine. I mean, come on guys, you can’t make a key. Sorry, but a fourth try won’t do. I want my two bucks so I can go to somebody who can make a friggin key.
Now, that’s OK. What I didn’t like was the attitude: rude, belligerent, really hostile.
I know, they probably need the money. Maybe I should have just let them keep the two bucks, as I guess most customers would do once having experienced their charm and competence. As for me, Home Depot beckons.
To update: since I wrote this review, Blaustein has moved from its longtime quarters on Bleecker to Greenwich Avenue. A silly move, since Metropolitan Locksmith, a fine key-​maker and well-​stocked hardware store, is around the corner at 165 7^th Ave South.

Very friendly and helpful people. They pack almost everything you need into this little shop.

If you have no idea what you are doing or what you need to buy to do it, the guys at Blaustein are incredibly helpful and won’t give you any snotty attitude. Just show up, explain your problem, and the next thing you know your drains are clear, your towel rack is back on the wall, your path is clear and your life is back on track. When I first moved into my somewhat jankily-​fixtured apartment in the neighborhood, I swear I went here every single day the first week, and I never left without a solution to my problem.