OBI was the first hardware store I hit here in Hamburg, and I was not disappointed. They've got a…read moreton of general DIY stuff, and a surprisingly large warehouse area of more bulk/contractor pieces. It's pretty centrally located, which is also a huge plus. I haven't had a great experience with service here, but have only tried for it once. My wife was waiting around at one of the service desks waiting to ask where we could find... something, I forget what. After about fifteen minutes I had already found whatever it was and she was still just standing around waiting. Plus side, I found what I needed, but we probably could have saved some time if someone had been around. Granted, then they would have had to deal with my broken (non-existent?) German, so maybe it wouldn't have been a time-saver at all. It's definitely my first hardware stop now, whether it's for a new Dremel bit, some wood shims, or paint.

This is definitely not your typical Home Depot or Lowe's. It's more in line with your inner city…read moreAce Hardware. Totally fine for a small project around the house but probably shouldn't be the star of your next kitchen renovation. Go to bigger hagebaumarkt or OBI locations outside the city for that. I haven't had to ask the staff for anything so far, so I can't speak to how helpful they are or aren't. Then again, my German proficiency level is nowhere near the DIY level yet. Cashiers and customer service reps have all been friendly, perhaps a little zombie-like at times. They've got a small parking lot out front if you need to haul away something big. There are a ton of signs around reminding you to get a parking ticket (free for the first 1.5 hours), but I was fine skipping that for a quick 20-minute trip.

Pretty solid hardware store. It's not quite OBI, but it's also in a much more convenient location…read moreif you're on the north or east sides of the Alster. Considering it is more centrally located, it makes sense that they didn't have quite the same selection of raw building materials, but for smaller (or even medium-sized) projects, this will definitely be the place that I hit.