5 Important Things to Know About Moving in New York City
Landed an apartment in New York City? Congratulations, it’s no easy feat! Now that you’ve got a new place locked up, it’s time to tackle the equally important step two of your relocation process: hiring a good moving company, mastering New York’s moving regulations, and figuring out where, exactly, a moving truck can park in one of the busiest cities in the world. With decades of experience moving individuals and families in the NYC area, we’ve put together a list of the most important things you should know about moving in New York City.
1. Get familiar with the moving truck parking requirements. Though most good moving services will understand where they are and aren’t allowed to park their vehicles, it’s wise to brush up on the laws yourself. According to New York City law, for example, it’s illegal to park a moving truck on the street for more than three hours. It’s also illegal to park a moving truck on the street at all between the hours of 9 p.m. and 5 a.m.
2. There are specific restrictions in certain neighborhoods. In midtown Manhattan, classified as anywhere between 14th Street and 60th Street, from First to Eighth Avenues, there are additional restrictions for parking and standing commercial vehicles from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. except Sundays. Laws include a standing limit of three hours, and rules that require trucks to be parallel parked against the curb and occupy no more than 10 feet of curb space. There are also additional restrictions in the Lower Manhattan Blue zone and in the Garment District.View detailed restrictions here.
3. Your mover should be licensed in the state of New York. In addition to being licensed by the Federal Department of Transportation, all moving services in New York City should be registered with and licensed by state DOT as well. To check if your mover is licensed, email nymoving@dot.state.ny.us. (American Movers is licensed on both the federal and state levels.)
4. Your buildings can impact when you move. Given the fact that most moves in New York City happen between apartment, co-op or condo buildings, it’s crucial to check with both the building you’re moving out of and the one you’re moving into to find out about allowed moving times, elevator availability, and any other rules or restrictions they may have. This will ensure you choose a move date that actually works with both buildings.
5. Avoid peak times if possible. There are millions of renters in New York City, most of them which sign leases that begin on the 1st or 15th of the month, making the weekends following these dates the busiest for moves. Waiting a week after your lease begins to actually move in or opting to move on a week day can have a host of benefits including lower moving costs, increased flexibility when it comes to reserving an elevator in your building, and faster response time and more availability from service providers for utilities, cable, and internet.
Moving in New York City? Get in touch with the area’s most experienced moving service, American Movers, to get a free custom quote.
