A Moving Plea
I'm of a mind to move to a new place--something suitable for an adult human being. I took this place back in January because I needed to leave my old place and it was the only thing I could afford. But now I've got a little socked away (thanks, This American Life! Thanks, Time Out New York!) and I'd like to go back to living the way oher people do--with monthly rent instead of paying by the week, and with actual coequal rommates, not as the squatter in a boarding house. I also really want a kitchen again.
The downside: I don't actually know how to move in New York. I moved here from Tallahassee by strapping everything to my car. In every move before that I lived in large but tight-knit communities (English grad students, Hallmark creative staff) who were all centrally located and could be called upon to help out. Here I'm basically on my own (my co-workers and friends are flung all across the island), and I no longer have a car. The good news is that the move should be easy and short--my current place was furnished, so I'd only be moving two bookshelves, a bunch of clothes, a computer and a TV. When I moved back in January, I literally trundled everything one load at a time on a dolly. That was a pain, but the move was only twenty Manhattan-sized blocks. The thought of moving anywhere else (there are lots of affordable places in Jackson Heights and Astoria) and taking one load at a time on the SUBWAY...well, that's just crazy. But I'm not sure driving in the city is something anyone wants to see me do. What do normal people do in this situation, and how much does it cost?
(Note: I've got about $2000 to spare, and $1000 will presumably go to the new place--$500 a month, first and last.) Whatever's left over is what I live on for the next two weeks before payday. Any ideas?
The downside: I don't actually know how to move in New York. I moved here from Tallahassee by strapping everything to my car. In every move before that I lived in large but tight-knit communities (English grad students, Hallmark creative staff) who were all centrally located and could be called upon to help out. Here I'm basically on my own (my co-workers and friends are flung all across the island), and I no longer have a car. The good news is that the move should be easy and short--my current place was furnished, so I'd only be moving two bookshelves, a bunch of clothes, a computer and a TV. When I moved back in January, I literally trundled everything one load at a time on a dolly. That was a pain, but the move was only twenty Manhattan-sized blocks. The thought of moving anywhere else (there are lots of affordable places in Jackson Heights and Astoria) and taking one load at a time on the SUBWAY...well, that's just crazy. But I'm not sure driving in the city is something anyone wants to see me do. What do normal people do in this situation, and how much does it cost?
(Note: I've got about $2000 to spare, and $1000 will presumably go to the new place--$500 a month, first and last.) Whatever's left over is what I live on for the next two weeks before payday. Any ideas?
Labels: Dave Update
posted by Cowboy Dave Dickerson | 1:30 PM
2 Comments:
I, too, feared disastrous results from renting a Uhaul when I moved from Washington Heights to Sunset Park. I ended up hiring the chaps at nycitystuff.com and they were quite handy. It was $250 for them to drag the bulky things down five flights of stairs (I handled the boxes to cut back on costs a bit) and drive everything to my new blissfully-first-floor place. I imagine a two-guys-and-a-van, pay-by-the-hour operation might've been a bit cheaper, but these guys came highly recommended and I'm easily freaked out about these sorts of things.
(I found your blog after hearing you on TAL, and I must say, as the irritated daughter of a born-again Southern Baptist, I'm really looking forward to the rest of the book!) Good luck finding a place, craigslist is your friend!
I don't live in new york but I know someone who does, she's a blogger too! check out her blog ktzpage.blogger.com and maybe post a few times - I know from reading she recently moved as well, maybe you could get good advice?
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