<p>Also a TON of kitchen stuff, nicely designed and CHEAP, at IKEA, on the Marketplace level.</p>
<p>Thanks oldmom, I am going to copy and paste this to send to him!</p>
<p>I’m with NJmom regarding mattress shopping. I posted a lengthy post about this on the pillow top thread…and the company was sleepys. I felt like I was buying a car. I’m not going to write the same post again…but go read the other post I wrote…then be prepared to walk out when they try to sell you overpriced junk.</p>
<p>This is one reason I’m going with him–I’ve developed a pretty good crust of sales resistance, and salespeople are just less likely to BS me than him. We may still get ripped off, of course.</p>
<p>I second those who are advising against a box spring. Buy a mattress and then buy an inexpensive bed from IKEA that will come in flat, thin boxes that you can get up stairs easily and assemble in the apartment. Every bed I looked at at IKEA didn’t take a box spring, just a mattress and when you buy the bed you buy a bundle of wooden slats for support.</p>
<p>Also, Home Depot, it there’s one around there, rents trucks for $30</p>
<p>A lot of people essentially use the box spring as the bed–with feet you can screw into it, or a really simple metal frame. That is probably cheaper than mattress plus flat bed.</p>
<p>Don’t discount going down to Elizabeth (NJ) to IKEA. The sales tax there is 3%, while in NYC, I believe it hovers around 7%.</p>
<p>But I have heard terrible things about customer service in Elizabeth. Plus $13 (one-way) toll to get there by car and no free ferry!</p>
<p>Mattress shopping in a furniture store or ‘sleep’ store is the pits unless you enjoy butting heads with smarmy sales reps. Anybody want to stand up for mattress sales people, be my guest. The last 3 mattresses I have purchased have been from IKEA, where you couldn’t find a sales rep to talk to you about mattresses if your life depended on it. That’s the way I like it.</p>
<p>I am pretty sure I wouldn’t buy a used mattress in New York, but for the rest of the furniture there have got to be some used furniture stores and thrift shops on the Upper West Side if you don’t want everything to look like it came out of a Swedish teenager’s bedroom. I think there are a couple on or just off Broadway in the mid/high 90s, and I’m sure there are others.</p>
<p>Isn’t wonderful to be a parent? Just thought I should applaud all the dedicated ones who believe raising kids is a cradle to grave affair. :)</p>
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That I don’t know. We’ve never had trouble with their customer service, but I’ve always had a car.</p>
<p>I’ve bought several mattresses and box springs at Sleepy’s and never had a problem, delivery came on time and the guys set up. Do buy a mattress bedbug protector which Sleepy’s offers but you can get cheaper at Bed, Bath. We have bought many things at Ikea in Red Hook as have the d’s on their own, but we’ve always gone with car so no idea about their delivery. When d was still in college, I bought her a lot of kitchen things for her apartment in Bed, Bath and shipped to her via UPS or priority mail. You can get inexpensive kitchen things at IKEA and also at Target. In addition to Target in Brooklyn, there is one on the East Side off the FDR Drive, not certain of the street but maybe 113th or 116th street.
Don’t forget Macy’s because in addition to their sales, if you are a charge customer you usually have coupons for extra discount. I’ve bought a lot of stuff there.</p>
<p>In NYC because of bedbugs you really don’t want to buy used mattresses or furniture from Craigslist.</p>
<p>I’m going to discourage them from buying any used upholstered furniture.</p>
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<p>I actually think it’s very close to equal on the cost part of things. Just went shopping for mattresses and a bed for S1 two weeks ago, so the experience is pretty fresh in my mind. The mattress and box spring were priced separately, not as a set, so you do have to pay for the box spring and it was less, but not a lot less than the mattress. S1 ended up with a bed from IKEA that was $250 (the box spring he passed on was $210). Nice things about that setup were 1) headboard which keeps pillows from falling down between the mattress and the wall and 2) Box springs are SUCH a logistical pain, can’t be folded, easily damaged, etc.</p>
<p>Agree with Overstock. com…I bought two college kids memory foam mattress and bed frames…delivered to their door…</p>
<p>…and they basically have everything very reasonably priced with low cost shipping</p>
<p>If you can buy the air mattress ahead of time. They are incredibly stinky fresh out of the box. I had a very miserable Christmas holiday one year when my sil decided that was the way to put us up. We’d much, much rather have forked out the money for the local motel. My son has also had good experiences with Ikea shipping.</p>
<p>[IKEA</a> Elizabeth Home Page - IKEA](<a href=“http://www.ikea.com/us/en/store/elizabeth]IKEA”>http://www.ikea.com/us/en/store/elizabeth)</p>
<p>IKEA in NJ has a Free Shuttle Buses from Manhattan!</p>
<p>• On Saturdays and Sundays, the free IKEA Elizabeth(round trip only) shuttle bus, operates out of the Port Authority Terminal located in New York City, at Eighth Ave and 42nd St. Buses will depart from Gate #5 on the lower concourse near Academy Bus line.
• Departures are on the half hour with service available on Saturdays & Sundays between 10:00am - 2:30pm.
• Return trips are also on the half hour with service available from noon to 6:00pm.</p>
<p>I’ve never had a problem with this store. My only complaint is they wind you around lots of sample rooms before you get to the warehouse!</p>
<p>IKEA as has very cheap kitchen stuff and some ‘kitchen in a box’ packages.</p>
<p>D bought a lot of furniture for her place on line at Wayfair.com ( I’ve bought everything from sinks to outside light fixtures from them too!), and most everything shows up within 2 days, free delivery and no tax. Her platform bed, 10" memory foam mattress, dresser and chest came in at under $600! They just bought a leather couch with custom slipcovers from a downstairs neighbor for $300 ( a year old, Pottery Barn new at $1200) so it pays to ask around. Many schools also have online student boards where items are listed for sale…</p>
<p>Craigslist! There are many listings, and some good prices. Not for a mattress, but for other furniture items.</p>