Brooklyn Life

A Sad Farewell to Williamsburg's Crest Hardware

Hundreds, possibly thousands, of longtime customers turned out to say goodbye to Crest Hardware Saturday.

crest hardware - people outside the red storefront

Photo by Cate Corcoran

by Cate Corcoran

08/30/2024 0

Along with hundreds, possibly thousands, of other bereft locals, we said our goodbyes to Crest Hardware Saturday. The space it had occupied for 62 years had been emptied of shelving and hardware for the final blowout, the Crest Farewell Fest, leaving only the front and rear counters.

Manning the latter, a diverse lineup of DJs kept the beat going throughout the day. At the front cash wrap, longtime customers lined up to buy the last of the local artist-designed t-shirts, hats, and prints the shop had commissioned in its final days.

Off to the side was a tattoo parlor, and outside in the backyard, Reverend Vince and the Love Choir were playing, children were dancing, and Meat Hook workers slung burgers.

Relics such as old aisle signs and swinging wood doors emblazoned “Crest” along with artwork created for the store’s many years of the Crest Hardware Art Show hung on the walls; they would be auctioned off the following Monday.

Crest owner Joe Franquinha and his wife, Liza, hugged visitors, longtime employees chatted in corners, and fans wrote and drew heartfelt messages on a long wall.

“Everyone’s going to miss it, it’s really sad that it’s closing,” Williamsburg resident Jennifer Cameron told Brownstoner at the party.

“We are longtime fans and customers, and it’s always been more than just a hardware store to us,” said customer David Nath. “We love the people, and it’s really kind of a community, so we just came out to pay our respects.”

In July, Franquinha announced the store, located at 558 Metropolitan Avenue and known for its expert longtime employees, events, and community, had lost its lease and would be closing.