Crest True Value Hardware & Urban Garden Center

With out a doubt the best hardware store and GARDEN CENTRE in Brooklyn. Reminds me why I love Brooklyn and the people who work here.
This place is well staffed by knowledgable and friendly people. I’ve never had a hard time finding anything and I’m an idiot when it comes to DIY. I’ve gotten shelves with brackets here, keys, small bits of woods, lightbulbs. .. you name it.
What ROCKS MY WORLD is the garden centre. They will advise you what to put in a particular spot and you will leave knowing how to take care of it. Thank you Crest. The plants are gorgeous, varied, and affordable. The plant centre is massive too. What’s more, if things start to go wrong take a picture: they will advise on next steps.
So many terra cotta pots too.

Two years later, still love Crest. So much. I live dangerously closeby and sometimes just amble on over to poke around. The garden center in the back is a real oasis and way too tempting. You know how all those real estate tout this place or that place is the «heart of Williamsburg»? CREST is the heart of Williamsburg, my friend.

I don’t often take the time to review neighborhood hardware stores but this was so much more — what a terrific little oasis in W’burg ! Very charming Garden Center complete with one or two caged (adorable) animals. Wish I could be the lucky person renting right next door — what a lovely view.

Best customer service ever. I’m a novice when it comes to DIY, but I like to try my hand. Needless to say, I usually need a little guidance and have some questions… If I go to Home Depot I’m met with attitude, when I go to Crest, they are more than willing to help… And always with a smile. This place is awesome!

Just want to say that the people that work here are the nicest most helpful people. Such great customer service! Very friendly and they work with you to help you find exactly what you need. Definitely go here!

Reasonably-​priced plant paradise filled with knowledgeable and super friendly employees. I was so pleased by the plant selection, but I wish they had nicer pots to choose from. They just have terracotta, some dark terracotta, and glossy black and white ceramics. Regardless, I will definitely come back for herbs for my patio when the weather gets warmer. Also — somehow I missed the pig :’(. Definitely need to meet that little (or big?) guy.

The guys at Crest were so incredibly helpful when I came in with my broken lamp, which Bob help me fix myself! He showed me what I needed to re-​wire it, we collected what we needed from around the shop, then he talked me through the repair. I felt incredibly handy! So grateful to have such nice, knowledgable professionals around the corner. Thanks, Bob!

Checked out Crest for my seasonal plant cravings. The small green house in the back has a fantastic variety, small to big sized plants and very reasonably priced. The pots were also sharply priced in terra cotta, glazed white and black styles. It was essentially a no brainer to buy a pot for my new plant babies.
Also Frank the Pig is out back and very cute. Definitely tell him hi.

This is the best hardware store around — full stop. Solid selection, exceptional service and a pig. What else is there to want? No seriously — they have an adorable pot-​belly pig named Franklin in the back. He has his own Instagram, check it out.
Seriously though, I walk out of my way to go here whenever I need something for my apartment and have been doing so for 3 years now. Bathroom parts, shelving, locks, bolts and screws, light bubs, holiday decorations, etc. They don’t have home-​depot level of selection but they have pretty much everything you might need to keep your billyburg apartment afloat. Also get my Christmas Tree here every year, going on 3 Christmas’s now. They seem to have the best quality to price ratio, especially on table top and Charlie Brown style trees.

Very nice and friendly people working in the shop, feel comfortable, for sure will go back.

Love this place! Staff is helpful, prices are decent, and selection is great. I was here last week to pick up some plants in their garden center, and I found everything I wanted! They have a huge selection of many different kinds! I can’t wait to go back and get more. I would really rather go here than go into Home Depot – it’s much less intimidating!

I come here at least once a week for tools, plants, household stuff, etc. Wide selection. Chris is super helpful, as are all employees and the owner. Thankful for this family-​owned shop.

Can’t believe I have not written about this amazing resource yet. Loved this business over 9 years.
The staff is very helpful and I feel like they are allowed to be their creative or adorably curmudgeon selves. It seems that the staff has mostly stayed the same over the years. That says to me that management is probably doing something right.
*The main reason Crest is soo awesome is because they most likely will have what you need.* You don’t have to go into the city and support a massive company, instead stay put and support a small local business. There aren’t enough surviving small businesses in this part of Williamsburg as it is.
Now for some highlights:
They have a pet pig in the back, Franklyn. Coolio!
The garden dept. Rocks! They will even plant your plants for you for pick up and most likey delivery but I haven’t asked them to do that. (My only complaint is sometimes they run out of what I want and tell me to come tomorrow — garden guy– and then it’s not there.)
They support local artists.
The have a gallery show every year in the store through out. It’s almost like a Where’s Waldo to find the art among the already interesting materials in store.
If they don’t have what you need in house they will take the time to point you in the right direction.
Also the store manager is very handsome…
Just sayin’
Hope they stick around for a long time. I would only wish they were open a bit longer during the day.

I always seem to stop in for plants but honestly I’m there for the pig. :)
I love this place because everyone who works there is super helpful and friendly. As a girl, I usually don’t get the warmest welcome in hardware stores, which always bums me out since I grew up hanging out in them with my dad all the time since he owned a construction company. I just want to hang out and look at everything just for fun. Crest is awesome. Everyone will chat and help me if I have questions. Plus the plant selection I mentioned earlier is the best in the area.

We just moved to Williamsburg and we needed a new toilet seat, 2 light bulbs and a new house plant. Found a toilet seat for a reasonable price, light bulbs are inexpensive, house plants varieties to choose from — plus staff that will explain what plants like what conditions, etc. — and a friendly staff. This is a local garden and hardware store, I’ll be back later today for picture hooks/​nails.

It’s a decent hardware store, but the employees make me feel like they want me to feel stupid. I have my general contractors license and they do their best in making me feel uneducated. Annoying. The plumbing section access is really bothersome too. Not the biggest fan of Crest because it’s a negative atmosphere there.

Anyone who gives less than a 5-​star review of this place is either in a bad mood, rarely satisfied by anything, retarded, hates pigs or is on crack.

I’m not one to gush over hardware stores (okay, I sort of get some enjoyment out of going to Lowe’s or Home Depot) but this place is excellent. So understandably, I find myself looking forward to each of my visits to Crest for every little home and garden need. I usually make a bee-​line to the nursery to have a quick chat with their gregarious grey parrot or seeing if Franklin, the resident pig is at home. Their staff is always as helpful as they are friendly. They are a knowledgeable pack — all experts in their own departments. I wouldn’t need to walk down the store aisles too long before a staff member asks if I’m in need of assistance. You can trust them for honest recommendations and advice for your projects. This may be a negative for some customers but unlike other big box hardware stores, they do not carry 10 different ant-​control products or 20 options for plant food or indoor fertilizer. I appreciate how they take care into choosing what goes in their stock or inventory. Perhaps, I’m more of a generalist but the small, manageable, and reasonably-​priced selection feels hand-​picked by the staff members themselves.

I love this place — the employees are some of the nicest, most helpful people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Everyone is super knowledgeable, which is a great resource for people like me who have no idea what they’re doing in a hardware store. Don’t miss Franklin the pig if you’re stopping by!

I absolutely love this store. They have everything I need to keep my apartment from falling apart and for my DIY projects.
My only complaint is I wish they were open later. It is nearly impossible to get off work in Manhattan at 6 and make it to this store before it closes. You are losing money every day when I have to go to other stores because you are closed by the time anybody can get off work. Stay open until 8pm and watch the money pour in.

I go here at least twice a month. They have an extensive outdoor space with lots of plants to choose from, a greenhouse for indoor plants, and pretty much every tool you could need for home repair.
The staff are knowledgeable and helpful, too.
Here’s a list of things I’ve bought recently: fresh herbs and pots for an herb garden, houseplants, potting soil, gardening tools, watering can, large outdoor plants, paint supplies, screwdrivers, sidewalk chalk, large plastic cooler, ice bucket, etc.

Oh, I’m glad to see people have recently rated Crest much more accurately.
They rock! And, the people running it and working there are excellent, knowledgeable, and a lot of fun.
If there is a price differential between Crest and Home Depot, it is marginal (not true for the precious few other remaining hardware stores in the N. Williamsburg/​Greenpoint area). I haven’t done a scientific comparison, but haven’t seen any outrageous skews.
Great place. They are worthy of Brooklyn.
PROS:
Knowledgible, good service, good selection, reasonable prices
CONS:
I was looking for a 30ft shear, press-​brake, and Bridgeport milling machine, and they were «out of stock».

Really comfortable store experience with a little bit of everything that is all easy to find. The garden section in the back is really cute, although I wish they carried some culinary herbs (maybe they do in the spring). Ended up buying a few plants in addition to the hardware stuff I was there for. Everyone I spoke to in the shop was really helpful.
(Sadly I missed Franklin! Will have to go back for the full pig experience)

Needed to buy a shower handle for a housewarming gift and am so glad I found Crest on Unilocal.Excellent customer service and the guy helping me out was so nice and patient as he explained everything to me. Would definitely recommend coming here for all your household needs!

Crest is truly a gem. I don’t really ever go to hardware stores and when I do I feel like a total moron. I had to finish up some siding that a handyman didn’t do a great job on and they helped me find all the right things and also told me how to do it. Very good. They also have nice plants and pets :).

This is the only hardware store that didn’t make me feel like:
a) fish out of water
b) piece of meat
c) all of the above
When asked an older gentleman who worked here where the plumbing supplies were, he gave me a huge smile and said, «Its on the back wall. Don’t be afraid of ‘em sweetie!» Generally when referred to as «sweetie» I get offended but he was the kind of old, sweet soul that wasn’t using it in a condescending context.
All jokes aside the people who work here are genuinely kind and know the equipment they sell. Along with knowing their products they provide you with practical advice and solutions on fixing shit. The prices are about right and their garden center is very organized with workers well versed in whatever may tickle your green thumb. Also be prepared to be greeted by an African grey parrot hanging out in the greenhouse. The cashiers in the front are very friendly with huge smiles on their faces. A nice change in pace considering Williamsburg is serviced by hipsters with shitty, «holier than thou» attitudes.
Thanks Crest for making my experience here awesome.

Excellent customer service! It was the end of january and I realized I hadn’t hung my 2015 calendar yet because I didn’t have any nails of the right size at home.
I stopped by here and the older gentleman sitting behind the counter pointed me to this giant bucket full of them. i picked one that I thought would work and went to pay and he didn’t charge me and even told me to get a few more, where else do you get anything for free these days in NYC and deal with such friendly, knowledgable staff?
I’m totally making all my future hardware and garden purchases here. Thanks to Unilocal I also found out they have an adorable pet pig named Franklin so now I wanna go back even more! The store is also very clean and well organized.

I am normally allergic to hardware stores. Painful childhood memories of going with my dad and being bored out of my mind have scarred me for life.
However Crest has managed to be as unscary as a hardware store can be. They are shockingly friendly, there’s a pig named Franklin who lives in the back, and they were playing Spoon when I walked in. the only thing they’re lacking is a proper paint section by there’s a paint store across the street. I’m sold.

I agree that the key guy is rude-​ish, but I’ve never had bad luck with keys here. They actually work, which is (sadly) impressive in my key experience in BK. There’s a better (cheaper, friendlier) key place on Grand and Humboldt but that hardware store is always perpetually in the throes of closing down so who knows.
Also this spot has plants for days, and while they may not be as cheap as Home Depot, they aren’t all raggedy and half-​dead or filled with mites like HD plants can be, and while the aren’t as fancy as the twee little boutique garden stores in the hood that have names like «twig…» or «earthly» in all lowercase, they are like ¹⁄₁₀^th the price and Crest doesn’t feel like it’s trying out to be the set of a Wes Anderson film.
Huzzah!