• UPPER EAST SIDE

• Wankel Hardware

  1573 Third Ave.; 212-369-1200

  Katherine Wankel, the latest family member to run the shop, can concisely explain how to caulk a tub or stop window leaks.

• UPPER WEST SIDE

• Gracious Home

  1992 Broadway; 212-231-7800

  It’s easy to forget, amid all the luxe housewares, that there’s a traditional nuts-and-bolts hardware stock here that’s as good as any.

• MIDTOWN EAST

• HomeFront Hardware

  202 E. 29th St.; 212-545-1447

  Excellent for housewares as well as hardware. Best of all, it’s open 24 hours, and when the plumbing acts up at 2 a.m., that’s seriously the best.

• WEST VILLAGE

• Garber Hardware

  710 Greenwich St.; 212-242-9807

  Locally beloved since 1884, especially for gentle, kind advice when faced with “Do I need a drill for that?” novices.

• LOWER EAST SIDE

• Rothstein Hardware

  56 Clinton St.; 212-254-2026

  You’ll likely bump into at least three people in the jammed aisles, but that’s because the stock’s comprehensive. Excellent for oddball keys.

• FINANCIAL DISTRICT

• Dick’s Do It Best Hardware

  9 Gold St.; 212-425-1070

  When you move into that new condo and discover all the little odds and ends that aren’t finished, the helpful family owners are a blessing.

• BOERUM HILL/COBBLE HILL/CARROLL GARDENS

• Mazzone True Value

  470 Court St.; 718-624-8494

  Family-owned, by a family that helps personally when you need that replacement switch, valve, or wrench.

  Complete List of Local Winners

From the 2007 Best of New York issue of New York Magazine