The New Yorker’s New Apartment Shopping Plan
New York has everything you could ever want, need, or dream of. The only problem is that oftentimes, all of those things can be scattered across the city, making shopping for essentials decidedly more difficult than the process would be if your were simply driving to the local mall. This scavenger-hunt style shopping can be especially tough if you’ve just moved into a new apartment and are in fast need of some home essentials like an AC, paint, or a new coffee maker to replace the one that broke during the move.
The key to getting everything you need with the least amount of hassle: Have a plan. Knowing where your shopping resources are beforehand, and what places you can tackle in a single cab or subway ride will help immensley. Below, we’ve put together a handy New Yorker’s Apartment Shopping Guide.
For the urgent necessities:
Home Depot (40 W. 23rd st at 6th Ave.) then Bed Bath & Beyond, TJ Maxx, and Marshall’s (19th St. & 6th Ave.)
All of these new-mover meccas are conventiently located a few blocks from one another (B,B, & B, Marshall’s and T.J. Maxx are all in the same building). The Home Depot on 23rd St. is the only one in Manhattan, so chances are you’ll need to stop by if you plan to paint, change out light fixtures, buy an air conditioner, etc. After you finish up, head a few blocks south to Bed, Bath & Beyond on 19th & 6th for things like hangers, laundry baskets, trash cans, shower curtains and cooking supplies. Round out your trips by browsing the home decor sections of T.J. Maxx and Marshall’s (both in the same building) for sheets, towels, lamps, and wall decor.
For storage
Ikea, Red Hook, Brooklyn
If your new closet is a lot smaller than you remember or you need to organize your kitchen drawers within and inch of their life in order to have everything fit properly, IKEA is going to be your best bet. Get there first thing in the morning on a weekend, or if you have the luxury, go on a weekday afternoon to beat the crowds. Take advantage of the free water taxi or shuttle from the Borough Hall subway stop on the way there, but plan for an Uber to get home if you’ll be carrying your new purchases.
For furniture & decor:
Crate & Barrel (W. Houston St.), CB2 (Broadway), Dwell Studio (Wooster St.) and Room & Board (Wooster St.), SoHo
SoHo is one of the best areas to shop for apartment-sized furniture in Manhattan. Take the train to Bleeker St. and start with the basics at Crate & Barrel on Houston and Broadway. Then, head southwest a few blocks to Room & Board on Wooster St for midcentury style finds and trendy modernist decor. Stop by Dwell Studio on your way south, and then jump back over to Broadway to finish off at CB2.
Need help planning your move? Get in touch with New York City’s moving experts, American Movers, today.
