A Perfect Storefront: Leopoldi Hardware
I haven't done one of these "A Perfect Storefront" features in a long while. But as I passed Park Slope's Leopoldi True Value Hardware on Fifth Avenue in Park Slope, I thought it certainly justified an entry.
What is it about old New York hardware purveyors that makes them want to take up every inch of facade space of the building they occupy? I see it again and again, most notably with the sprawling Bruno Hardware in downtown Brooklyn. It's a very 19th-century urge. I count six signs of various styles here. I guess the fact that Leopoldi didn't go beyond the second floor should be counted as a sign of restraint. Still, despite the riot of colors and fonts, the overall feeling is very harmonious, very lived-in. The cloth awning helps soften the effect.
The place has been serving Park Slope since 1966. Currently, there are three generations of Leopoldis working in the store.
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4 comments:
Glad you posted Leopoldi's. This has been our go-to hardware store for 25 years. The owners are terrific.
Hardware, shoe repair, locksmiths, laundromats still provide lots of good signs to see. I think I've taken far too many pictures of this place!
They probably get the Benjamin Moore and True Value signs for free, and have to use up all the facade space in order to find room for them.
Great work Leopoldis!
I would definitely qualify it at a featured storefront, it holds all of that classic vibe for a street market thats welcoming yet still shady. Love it.
-Solomon Berkovitch
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