The Neighborhood Hardware Store
There are not many neighborhood hardware stores left. They have all but been replaced by big box home improvement centers. Seven Corners Hardware Store Located at 216 W7th Street near downtown seems to be surviving and even thriving. They have been around for 73 years.
Shopping at seven corners is a bit different than going to a big box store. You ask the man behind the counter for some washers, or a couple of nails and he gets them for you. The store has a large selection of high quality hardware, which comes in handy for those of us who live in ancient houses near downtown. I have spent hours looking at door pulls, handles and locks. They have been very kind to me over the years when my husband or recently my father has sent me to fetch miscellaneous plumbing or electrical parts that I can’t name. I just hand the broken thingy to a clerk, who nods and gets me what I need, even if I don’t have a clue what it is for or what it is called. The people who work their really know their stuff and don’t seem to mind that I am often clueless and have to ask for help.
The store still has wooden floors which makes it fun. Even though they are old fashioned they have kept up with the times. Customers can shop in the store or use their on line catalog. The on line store does not have the fun stuff so visit the store. Not a good place to go on a Saturday morning unless you like crowds, and really need something.
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7 Corners Hardware is know clear out in the northwestern suburbs. My son’s first encounter with them was when a radiator part broke on a Saturday just before closing. Assuming there were only a couple kinds of parts, my son called and asked if he couldn’t just buy all the parts they had and then return the ones he didn’t need. There were hundreds of parts for the broken piece. He opted to bring the broken piece in and they found what he needed. Otherwise it would have been an awfully cold weekend! The Minneapolis equivalent is Welna Hardware on the south side. Every landlord in the city knows about Welna. They can even duplicate skeleton keys for you.