Where to borrow or rent tools in the Lower East Side, NYC
A free tool library, a rental shop or a neighbor: here's what each offers in Lower Manhattan, with addresses and published prices as of September 2026.
Free tool libraries
- LES Ecology Center Tool Lending Library: free, and the only one in the neighborhood. It serves 10002, 10003, 10038 and 10009, with pickup and drop-off on Sundays at the Tompkins Square Park Greenmarket. The catalog is stewardship tools for street trees, community gardens and green spaces.
- Brooklyn Public Library Tool Library: at the Greenpoint branch. Adult cardholders can borrow up to three tools at a time, including one power tool, for a week.
Both are free and well run. The catalogs are narrow and the hours are fixed, so a projector on a Friday evening is out of reach.
Rental shops in Lower Manhattan
These businesses have street addresses in or near the neighborhood. Camera, studio and maker equipment is easy to find. Ordinary household tools are not.
| Business | Address | What you can rent | Published rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brickman's Ace Hardware LES | 55 1st Ave | Power tools, construction equipment, hardware | Call for rates |
| Central Party Rentals of NYC | 26 Bowery | Photo booths, party equipment, event decor | Call for rates |
| Levy Electric Scooters | 143 Ludlow St | Electric scooters | $15 / hour |
| iMakr Studio | 152 Allen St | 3D printers and scanners | Half-day and daily |
| Pottery Studio 1 | 136 Bowery | Pottery wheels, kilns, hand-building tables | Open studio hours |
| Nimbus Kitchen LES | 196 Stanton St | Commercial kitchen time, equipment included | $25.50 to $38.50 / hour |
| K&M Camera | 54 Orchard St | Cameras and photo equipment | Call for rates |
| International Center of Photography | 79 Essex St | Camera and darkroom access | Membership |
| Production Junction | 266 E 10th St | Cinema and video equipment | Call for rates |
| Rivington Music Rehearsal Studios | 188 Stanton St | Rehearsal rooms, instrument rental | From $10 / session |
| VITAL Climbing Gym LES | 182 Broome St | Climbing shoes and gear | From $5 |
| Local Locker Storage | 441 E 12th St | Short-term storage lockers | Short-term or monthly |
| GoGo Gone | 317 Grand St | Bicycles | Call for rates |
| BikeFixNYC | 334 E 6th St | Bicycles, e-bikes, scooters | Call for rates |
Addresses and rates checked September 2026. “Call for rates” means the business doesn't publish prices. Confirm availability before you go.
What the neighborhood rents, and what it doesn't
We mapped all 42 rental businesses with addresses in 10002, 10003, 10009, 10012 and 10013. Here is how they split:
| Category | Businesses |
|---|---|
| Camera and video | 16 |
| Studio and maker space | 8 |
| Fashion and specialty | 5 |
| Bikes and scooters | 4 |
| General tools and equipment | 3 |
| Music and audio | 2 |
| Sports and outdoor | 2 |
| Electronics | 2 |
| Camping, party and moving gear | 0 |
A cinema camera or a pottery wheel is easy to rent here. A stepladder, a projector for a party, a hand truck for a move or a tent for a weekend upstate has nowhere nearby to come from. Those are the things people most often borrow from each other: drills, ladders, hand trucks, carpet cleaners, projectors, speakers, tents and coolers.
Borrowing from a neighbor
In a neighborhood this dense, the drill you need is probably a few floors away. Leen is an app for renting it, launching in Lower Manhattan and starting in Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village.
- Find it by category, or inside the communities you belong to. The price is on the listing.
- Pick your dates and see the total before you send the request.
- Plan the pickup in the chat. Either of you can add condition photos at pickup and return.
- Pay through Stripe. Your card is charged only when the lender accepts.
Before you rent anything
- Call ahead. Most counters hold one of each item and show no live stock online.
- Agree what counts as normal wear before you pick it up.
- Take photos of the item at pickup, from a shop or a neighbor.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a tool library in NYC?
Yes. The Lower East Side Ecology Center lends stewardship tools for street trees and gardens, free, to residents of 10002, 10003, 10038 and 10009, with pickup on Sundays at the Tompkins Square Park Greenmarket. Brooklyn Public Library runs a tool library at its Greenpoint branch, where cardholders can borrow up to three tools for a week.
Where can I rent a drill near the Lower East Side?
Brickman's Ace Hardware at 55 1st Avenue is one of the few general tool rental counters in the neighborhood. Most other power tool rental in the city goes through contractor suppliers such as United Rentals and Sunbelt.
Is it cheaper to rent a tool or buy one?
If you'll use it more than a few times a year, buying usually wins. For a one-off job, such as tiling a bathroom or cleaning a carpet, renting usually costs less, and you have nothing to store afterward.
Where can I rent camping or party gear in Lower Manhattan?
There's very little. The area has plenty of camera and studio rental, but almost nowhere rents tents, projectors, folding tables or moving gear. Those are the things neighbors most often lend each other.
Latest guides
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- Borrowing and renting things in Stuyvesant TownFour rental businesses sit in 10009 and 10010, plus a free tool library. Here is where to get a bike, costume, camera or locker near Stuy Town.
- Where to rent camera and video gear in Lower ManhattanWhere to rent cameras, lenses, lights and studio space in Lower Manhattan: 16 local businesses with addresses and the rates they publish.
Rent from your neighbors instead
Leen is taking waitlist signups ahead of its launch in Lower Manhattan.
Own tools you rarely use? See how to rent out your tools in NYC.