Rainbow Ace Hardware

The NICEST people work here! It is a bit of a maze and kind of intimidating, but ask anyone for help, they’ll do that and more! Totally my go to place for any house related! See you soon Rainbow peeps and thank you!

This store is an unbelievable find !! You get anything and everything you would want ! I have bought innumerable items from this store ranging from plastic storage boxes, mugs, hair accessories, a vacuum cleaner, pillow covers, curtains to a straightening iron !! The list goes on !!
It’s like a hidden treasure in NYC !

Has everything you could probably need. Sign up for their coupons for deals. Not too many sales, but you will find just about anything you need there!

Store with a little bit of everything! Need paint supplies, a water gun, and a frying pan and have time to go only one place — Rainbow! They have a hardware store, paint supplies, kids toys and games, kitchen ware, household items like curtains and small appliances, and seasonal stuff like coolers and beach gear. Anything I need on the UES and I’m not sure who’ll have it, I check Rainbow first.

Do not come here to have keys made. Just go across the street to the hardware store. My keys didn’t work THREE TIMES !!! which was a major inconvenience, and when I finally asked for my money back, the older black male manager was super combative and rude. Nope never again.

Edit. I got a phone call and tons of apologies for this. They were appalled this happened to me and said this is certainly not their policy. They made everything good with a replacement canister. If anyone has issues in the future, ask for a different manager. Apparently they have more than one on shift and a second manager might be able to clear up any confusion.
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They sold me an empty soda stream canister and refused to do anything about it. Buyer beware.
First, when I returned two canisters for a larger one, they almost accidentally charged me for the canisters I was exchanging (thankfully another clerk noticed the error and stopped the transaction). When I got home, the canister wouldn’t work.
Second, I went to Rainbow hardware to alert them of the defective canister. I soon discovered that the canister they sold me was significantly lighter than the other large canisters and did not have the plastic seal like the others. Rainbow hardware made me wait for a while, blamed me, and accused me of using the canister completely in a couple days.
Went to Basics Plus where they went above and beyond and actually gave me a slight discount for the horrid experience that Rainbow put me through. Avoid this store like the plague. Go to Basics Plus.

This place made moving into my apartment so much easier than having to trek all the way to Harlem to shop at Target. I bought an over-​the-​door mirror, a water purifier, hair brush, toiletries, and even child-​sized hangers. Rainbow is such an assest to the community!

Ace Hardware store is good for home appliances and kitchenware, providing a relevant selection at a good price. The key copy situation; however, is terrible. Not once have I come in for copies and had everything done correctly. To make matters worse, when pointing out potential copy error in the beginning I caught attitude from a clerk. Step it up with your key copies. You can’t just pick a similar looking key and call t a day, that’s not the way it works.

This place has EVERYTHING you could ever need in terms of housewares and decorative items — it’s like a smaller Bed Bath & Beyond. But I am not kidding when I say that there are few things that fall under those categories that you can’t find there. They have every color of bath mat, shape of soap dispenser and size of picture frame you could ever need.
I will say that it is super tight and cluttered in there — it’s best to just ask for help if you don’t know exactly where you’re going already and I wouldn’t say it’s wheelchair friendly, even on the first floor (downstairs has even MORE stuff!). There is no such thing as an aisle at Rainbow… it’s more like a maze.
Sometimes things are a little more expensive than they would be at somewhere like BB&B, BUT they are always willing to call and order stuff for you if they’re out of stock. And I guess the good part about it being so jam packed with stuff is that it’s because as I’ve said a million times, they really do have everything!
They also have great stuff for crafting and painting and they custom mix paints! Definitely nice to have a place like this in a neighborhood that doesn’t really have anything like it otherwise!

This store has EVERYthing. Kind of like a neighborhood Target. And the employees are always friendly and knowledgable about their products and where to find them in their 2 level store.
When I first moved here I bought so many household and storage supplies, and when I’ve had parties or gatherings especially for kids this is the store.
Just some of the top of mind times:
— seasonal decorations for halloween, Christmas, hannekuh– lights, bulbs, bags, wrapping paper
— storage supplies for apartment
— candles
— cosmetics and beauty supplies
— office and school supplies
— dishes, kitchen supplies
— cake and candy making chocolates and supplies
— cleaning supplies
— paint, key making, hardware store supplies
— vacuums, small appliances
— pet supplies
— gift wrapping and party supplies
— balloons! The only place I know in this area that has balloons they inflate for you.
Amazing everything store on the upper east!

We call this the everything store. How they manage to fit everything in there is beyond me. If you need it they prob have it. My daughter likes going here more than any toy store. Great neighborhood shop. Make sure to go to the back register when its busy.

Rude managers, rude cashiers, I have been shopping their for years first time wanted to bring back an indoor flood light bulb (which is $ 16) because it was not working I was treated by the manager also by the cashier as if I was ripping them off.
Someone should teach people who work there good manner, I have a lot of friends who live around there and shop there I certainly will make sure everyone knows about it,
I shall never, never step foot in that store ever again.
Zeynep

This place is gigantic, and packed to the ceiling with everything you can imagine, and hardware too. Paint, tools, hardware, cooking, clothes, home decorating, vitamins, toys, pet supplies. Just too much for me to list.
AND the staff is pleasant as well as knowledgeable.

I love this place! I always find what I need and a few things I just have to have. You can find one of a kind items for cute décor. Handy gadgets are everywhere. You can find everything you need to set up your first apartment, or your dorm room!
The place is huge. Go downstairs and be surprised at how much you can find. ACE hardware has very knowledgable employees. They always show me exactly where the items are that I need for projects. You can also find gift ideas and greeting cards at Rainbow.
It’s too bad the subway created a nightmare on the upper East Side. I liked the store up there better. No problem. I always return to Rainbow. No coupons needed here. The prices are reasonable. Returns are accepted in 15 days with your receipt. I’ve never needed to return anything. Standard Stock items turn over rather quickly. All items have the price clearly marked and the shelf date listed. I like that a lot!
I’m sold on this particular store near 76^th on first avenue. There’s no need for me to visit others!

I LOVE THIS PLACE. I honestly come here at least once a week. It literally has everything, is generally affordable, and they mail you coupons. Any time I’ve had hardware related questions the staff is very knowledgeable.
Not only do I love this place, my grandparents (who do not live in NYC) do as well. They always seem to need random items and they ALWAYS find them here (example – my grandfather wanted castor cups, couldn’t find them in any Wal-​Marts upstate but of course this place had them). My grandparents always make sure to stop by any time they visit.
Let me just give you a quick list of the items that I have purchased here (I really mean it when I say they sell everything and the most random things):
–bath mat, silicone salad spinner, bananagrams game, poster board, chalkboard paint, lemon juicer, eyebrow pencil, fake river rocks, a pantry shelf, potting soil, single cup coffee maker, head phones/​ear buds, bug spray, flip flops, chalk, birthday cards, fire extinguisher, photo storage box, and of course, paint.
This is no exaggeration, I had a roommate who almost decided not to move from our apartment (almost 3 blocks away from Rainbow) JUST because she didn’t want to be away from this store.

Rainbow is a great place to peruse; they sell a little bit of everything, from protein bars to doorbells. The prices for certain items are more expensive than you’d find elsewhere, so I wouldn’t make this my go-​to for things like cookware or home furnishings, but it’s a great place to come to when your ceiling light zaps out on a Sunday night like mine did. Plus, as I’ve come to experience, their customer service is outstanding!
I came here in search of a weird halogen bulb, which Rainbow had a small selection of. The staff here are pretty knowledgeable; one of them explained to me the difference between the bulbs, what might work given my needs, etc. They were all pretty expensive at $ 10+ for one bulb, but the prices at the hardware store across the street were about the same, if not slightly more expensive.
After bringing the bulb home and installing it, I found it was wayyyyyyyyyy too dim. I brought the bulb back to Rainbow, and they allowed me to exchange it, no questions asked! In fact, when I couldn’t decide on the right bulb the second time around, the cashier told me that if the new one is still too dim or too bright, I could bring it back again and exchange it! I was so impressed! Sure enough, my second bulb was still too dim. Three trips to Rainbow later, I have light!
Thank you, Rainbow!

Pleasantly surprised with how amazing Rainbow is. It’s like having a /​Bed Bath and Beyond/​Target/​Walmart superstore in the middle of the UES with a friendly staff and just about everything you need for your apartment.
Rainbow has everything from shower curtains, cleaning supplies, candles, Sodastream, bedding, pots and pans, toiletries, furniture, home décor, etc. They also send out great coupons in the mail!
This is my one stop shop for just about everything and anything I have ever needed for my apartment!

A little bit of everything, packed from floor to ceiling as any Manhattan store *should* be (they definitely know how to maximize that rent.). We’ve purchased random items such as:
Sodastream CO2 refills
Desk lamp
Wood lathe
4B drawing pencil
Bamboo salad tongs
And marveled at their «WTF is this doing here?!» items like Women’s underwear, a surprisingly ample toy section,. well honestly I guess it’s really just the underwear that makes me laugh.
Prepare to ask for help if you need to find something specific, as the place is vast and things are all over. You’ll probably need to traverse back and forth a few times if you have a list of items.

Rainbow Ace Hardware is a pretty impressive establishment. If Bed Bath & Beyond, a hardware store, and a Dollar Tree all ran into each other a full speed they’d creepily merge into this one big daunting, baby… Rainbow Ace Hardware.
Everywhere you turn is SOMETHING. This is the most packed out store I’ve probably ever been in. It’s frequently as hot as a Satan’s lair, and packed with twenty-​somethings looking for a sort-​of bargain alongside the UES’s lil’ old people moving at a glacial pace through the cramped aisles. When you shop here you best have a mission or else you’ll find yourself crying in the corner of the basement faux furniture section believing that may this is the BEYOND in Bed, Bath & Beyond. They also have a paint section which I’m not particularly fond of considering they are always crowded the employees seemed to be more in a rush getting my selection than my local paint store dedicated to only that.
Overall, this place is a marvelous disaster and worth perusing through on your way to Agata and Valentina, or if you are in dire need of a shower curtain that won’t cost you your first-born’s college education.

I went here for a piece to replace a closet bracket, as it was he closes «hardware» store. I use the term «hardware» loosely, because there supply are quite limited.
I asked for help from 3 different sales representative and the answer I always got was, «it’s over there.» By luck I was finally able to find what I was looking for. When I was wrapping up my visit, I had a forth associate asked if they could help me. That saved this review from being a one star.
If Home Depot wasn’t further away, I would have went there, as the service is always good.