What To Expect When Moving to New York City

There’s no other place like it in the world. As the most populous city in the U.S. the Big Apple is a global power city. It exerts a significant impact on everything from commerce to entertainment. New York City consists of five boroughs and is the city of immense diversity and endless opportunity. Here’s what you need to know about the New York City moving process:

1.     Pack very light. You should be prepared to live in a much smaller space. Space is a precious thing in New York, so you might try selling or giving away items that you don’t really need.

2.     Have a furniture plan. Know the measurements of your new space and plan accordingly. It’s likely that you won’t be able to take all your bigger furnishings with you. There’s a good chance your 92” sofa will not fit in the elevator.

3.     Be very clear with your movers about moving day. It’s important they are fully aware of all the items to be moved and all logistical info. If the movers are unaware with any of the above the move will end up taking longer and your moving charges will increase accordingly. Having the proper manpower and equipment is essential to a smooth, efficient move.

4.     Advise of any long walks. Find out the walking distance from the truck to the elevator and from the elevator to your apartment. If you are unable to determine the length in feet, relate it to something familiar. You can tell your mover whether the walk is a car length, bus length, or football field length.

5.     When you are moving to NYC, keep in mind city streets are not meant for moving trucks, so some good planning needs to take place. Your moving company might need to use a smaller “shuttle” truck to get through some narrow streets (another reason to have smaller and less furniture).

6.     You should try to scout out the best place for a moving van to park when unloading the truck. Unfortunately, NYC does not offer parking permits for moving so I would recommend asking the building manager for advice. It’s very common to get parking tickets while unloading at a cost of $115.00 each. Sometimes the movers will need to unload items in a hurry on a sidewalk or common area and find a distant place to park or in a worse-case scenario, the driver will need to circle around and unload in portions.

7.     Many buildings have strict move-in/move-out times as well as limited access to freight elevators, so be sure to check with your building about any restrictions.

8.     Most buildings in NYC require the mover to provide a certificate of insurance.  Get the required limits and verbiage sent to your mover well in advance. Your moving company must forward this request to their insurance company to generate the certificate.

If you’ve already planned your move to New York City, here’s a bit about what you can expect once you settle in:

1)   Lots of noise. At first, the sound of traffic and sirens will keep you awake at night. However, the sound becomes almost soothing and reliable.

2)   You won’t get as much bang for your buck on anything from food to rent. Things are expensive in New York City. The cost of living is much higher than really anywhere and you will be paying a lot for not very much space.

3)   The outdoors means a very different thing. While there are beautiful parks and open spaces scattered throughout the city, you will have to venture out to find them. Day trips to Upstate NY and Long Island are popular for residents of NYC.

4)   Don’t bring a car. The best way to get around New York City is by subway or taxi. The best part about it is you can read or bring your iPad along for the ride, which can greatly increase productivity. Try to learn the subway system as early on as possible, you won’t regret it. Try downloading an app that will help you become familiar with New York City’s transportation.

If moving to New York City, make sure to have all your ducks in a row. The more prepared you are, the better the moving process will be, plus you will begin your life there in a much more positive way. Consider All Jersey Moving & Storagefor your next move. We are a top rated NJ mover located in Bridgewater, NJ. We are residential movers, business movers, office movers, and well-known piano movers.  If you’re moving to NYC, we are the mover of choice. We offer local moving and direct, expedited long distance moving services within a 500-mile radius. Visit https://www.alljerseymovers.com/contact-ustoday for your free moving quote.