So I looked into taking the train in. All of the cheaper tickets that I can find for that day were sold out and tickets were in the $150 range. Amtrak from DC. So the U-Haul cargo van plus a train ticket would be more than renting a minivan.
I’m thinking the cheapest option now would be to rent a minivan for the day. I’ll get in touch with niece to see what she wants to do, we can take our car and get a rooftop carrier or strap the mattress to the roof. Everything would fit in the minivan (enterprise says a dodge caravan, I can confirm that and caravans have stow and go seats). She needs to figure out parking for our car.
I think when I present these options to her, she is going to decide against the mattress. Buy one when she gets there.
Again, thank you so much. I really really appreciate it.
The mattress will likely fit inside the minivan standing up between the seats. If not, we’ve bought mattresses from Amazon that have been quite comfortable and reasonably priced. They come in a relatively small box and don’t require any special elevators or moving arrangements.
In terms of the dresser, while it is easiest to carry empty, that wastes a lot of space. If there is a way to position it so that the drawers can be filled after you load it into the van, you will make a lot more room for other stuff.
Often the car rental place will have roof racks and roof carriers that you can rent. But, it sounds like if you have a van plus your car, that should be enough space for everything.
There are apps for locating the closest/cheapest parking garage to a given location. I’ve had good luck with SpotHero.
Ikea also has some mattresses that come rolled up… they would absolutely fit in a SUV. (Of course, the benefit to the Amazon idea in the previous post is that she can have it delivered to the apartment, so it wouldn’t take any room in the car!)
Agree with everyone abut confirming the building’s rules and requirements before even reaching the logistics stage. I’ve moved my daughter into a doorman building and we could not do the move on weekends and this was in Brooklyn.
If she absolutely needs to move the dresser and mattress (agree with those who say it may be easier/cheaper to replace them), which seem like the “big” items, and they cannot fit in the Outback (though you’d be surprised what a car can hold if packed properly…pack the drawers and put them back in the dresser) a one-way, small u-haul or rented mini-van or large SUV might be the answer. Depending on where she is moving, it may be easier or harder to drop off said rental or park it overnight. Actually, though there is often a premium for parking a large SUV in a lot, I still think I’d rent that (Suburban or the like) rather than a u-haul.
Sorry but I think I forgot to mention. We have to move her in during the week. She has obligations both weekends so it will have to be midweek. Harder for traffic but that can’t be changed.
I’ve sent a message to niece about scheduling the move with building management so I should hear back from her. Also her preference for what she wants to do, bring mattress and dresser or not.
Also sorry if any confusion, only one vehicle will be driving into the city. Either ours or a rented minivan.
I would keep it much simpler. Do not rent any vehicle. Use the outback to bring all three people plus your niece’s stuff (but not the dresser or the mattress) as early as possible in the morning. You would not need a freight elevator to move up several small boxes, a few pieces of luggage and an air mattress. Than use the same outback to drive to IKEA (there are several of them nearby) to buy a small dresser (disassembled in a box), maybe a rolled up twin mattress and some essentials, which she would undoubtedly need. Again, you most likely would not need a freight elevator to move up a box or two. If she cannot buy a mattress that day, she can order one, and use the air mattress in the meantime. Overall, it should be much easier, less expensive, less hassle and involve much less planning and scheduling (it may be difficult to stay on the schedule while driving around)
Not to NY…but we have moved two kids into apartments far from here.
Kid 1. We still had our small van. We took out all the seats except the front two…and filled it with the things he needed…not wanted…needed…for his place. We also crunched the numbers, and really, it was cheaper doing this and buying things there than renting any vehicle at all.
Second kid…we rented a cargo van. We no longer owned our minivan, and we were actually taking some smaller pieces of furniture with us (woohoo…getting rid of stuff in our house we didn’t need). First let me say…a cargo vannis noisy and uncomfortable…but there is lots of space.
In both cases, only two folks traveled in the vans.
We bought beds at the new locations, making sure we were the first ones in line when the stores opened for same day delivery. In both cases, we took inflatable beds which we left with the kiddos. The second kid didn’t have same day delivery for her bed.
There are a LOT of places where you can order things, even mattresses and furniture, and they will be delivered to her building. Places like Wayfair, for example, deliver. You would need to find out the process with a doorman building, but I thought one of the benefits was having someone always there to receive packages.
We got both kids small tool kits so they could assemble things.
We once rented a minivan expecting the roof rack (which had been the case the other times I rented) and it didn’t have one. Ack! Be sure to indicate in the notes for the reservation if you want one.
If you’re putting a roof top carrier on your car and plan to park overnight, be sure to investigate what lots will have the height allowance you will need. Not all lots will accommodate a carrier. Same with large SUVs like Suburban/Escalade etc. Not all lots will have spaces large enough.
I think if we get a roof top carrier, I’ll just go with a soft sided one that can be bunge ed to the top. Much cheaper and it can be stored in the car afterwards.
Our nephew actually hired a couple of guys to help him unpack a uHaul truck full of furniture. It was a smart move.
He had to coordinate with his building management for a time. Parking the truck overnight (couldn’t unload until the following morning) was not an easy thing.
One person can take the bus to NYC. It’s a lot cheaper than the train. In fact, especially during the week, a plane is usually a lot cheaper than the train. There are a number of bus lines that leave from Union Station in DC.
That’s a great tip @jonri that I didn’t know about. And thank you @oldfort for the parking website. This information is so valuable, thank you everyone
I have a message to my niece, haven’t heard back yet. But I know she’s super busy right now.
I’ve done the DC-NYC bus ride, too. It was fine – not luxurious, but one could read or listen to music. WiFi is generally available, but not always functional. One-way ticket BoltBus for Friday ranges from $21 to $29, depending on the time of day. Trip takes 4.25 hours.
Niece got back to me. We are going to move whatever fits in our car and leave any of the big items that don’t fit. We are going to play it by ear so we will know when we get there how much she has. Her mom will take some stuff with her to her house to take to niece later. And I will mention the bus option also.
Thank you so much for everything. I feel much better about everything now.
If you ever think you would use the car top carrier again I think that could be a good option for extra space with your current plan. I’ll bet you could fit a good bit in one of the collapsible ones.
Amazon delivers - everything and anything. I think you’re wise to take the car you used to driving, without any attachments (trailer or roof top carrier) and limit yourself to what fits inside and is essential for the first few days (like an air mattress). D has had a Q mattress delivered to her apartment (in a different city) that came compressed and grew after she opened it. Even IKEA delivers. Since she’s in a doorman building, there will be someone there to receive the packages and help her deal with them. Simple is less stressful, IMO.