Can you feel the excitement? You’re finally all clear to make the move to New York City. You’ve got a place lined up and you probably landed a job. If not, no worries. That will come later. But for now, at least you got a place and enough to get you through the next few months. Another question for the ages is: What do I take with me?
The answer is it depends. It depends on the kind of living space you’ll have. There may be some advantages and disadvantages. If you are renting a room, odds are you won’t be stuff everything into it. If you’re renting an apartment, you better hope you have enough space for it. Either way, you either leave it behind, sell it, or store it. Simply Moving not only offers to help move the stuff you need, but offers storage solutions for the things you can’t move in with, but can’t detach yourself from.
If you haven’t had a chance to pack yet or haven’t figured out what to add to your “what to pack” list, here are a few ideas you can start off with.
What To Move In With
Clothing: This is just stating the obvious. Unless you intend to just live day by day with nothing on (which we strongly recommend you don’t), pack enough clothing that will at least get you through the month or thereabouts. You don’t even have to pack a whole wardrobe. Also, once you’re all moved in and need more, take a look at any thrift stores nearby. You will always be able to get clothes that will fit you on the cheap at thrift stores.
Pictures: Sure, we live in the world of the smartphone. We take pictures with our friends, family, the places we visit, and so on. Then we post them on Facebook or Instagram. But if you have printed photos, bring them with you. If you’re moving to New York City from far away, the feeling of homesickness will settle in. It’s not a fun thing. But having some pictures hanging up in your room or apartment will help you reinforce those positive feelings you had in the moment with your friends and family. They might be far away, but they’re closer to you in your thoughts and memories. And they’re one phone call or FaceTime (or Skype) conversation away. Speaking of which…
Smartphones and/or computers: Most of us love our current technology. Others loathe it. If you happen to have a smartphone, computer or both, be sure to pack them with you. If you have a laptop, you’re actually better off. While you move into your new place, there’s a good chance that you won’t have your own Internet and Wi-Fi yet. Thankfully, we live in the age where Wi-Fi can be accessed just about anywhere in the world. While not having Wi-Fi in your new home will be a temporary theme, you can slip into a coffee shop or any place where public Wi-Fi is available.
One of the apps that you should have handy is Skype. This is definitely a must have if you want to keep in contact with your friends and family back home. If you own an iPhone or Apple computer, then it’s FaceTime. Either way, keeping in regular talk with friends and family is important. They’ll want to know how things are going in your day to day life in the Big Apple. Plus, you’ll get to send them some sweet pictures of your room and the places you happened to have stumbled upon.
What To Store In New York City
Bear in mind that depending on the size of your living space, you may or may not be able to move everything you want inside. We know that there is a lot of us who don’t want to let go of some of our prized possessions. The good news is you can still pack it. But you have to store it. Here are a few things that while it’s nice to have, it’s better to just keep it in storage for the time being:
Books: Yes, we live in the era of ebooks and Kindle. But that doesn’t mean that the good ol’ fashioned age of paperback is dead and gone. You may be a book lover with a ton of books. You love them so much that you’ll read them over and over again. If you cannot seem to let them go, pack them in a box. When you know you have enough space, you can grab them from the storage facility.
Collectables: Action figures? Comic books? Things that are valuable but don’t want to sell on eBay? If you have any or at least all of them, these are some things that you can safely pack and store away. These are the things that are just too hard to let go. If you’re the kind of person who wants to preserve the condition of these collectables, be sure that they are packed in a proper way so they don’t move around or get scattered.
Large Objects: Let’s face the music (possibly intended pun ahead): You’re not going to fit a grand piano inside a one-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn. If you have any large objects that is going to take up a lot of room in your living space, you’re better off putting them in storage. Once you are able to afford larger space, then you can be able to move that type of stuff in there. Just make sure you have enough space available before doing it.
Conclusion
Figuring out what to pack and what to store away can be a brain boggling task. It is important to take some of the essentials and at least a few of your favorite things with you. But if you feel like you’ve packed more than you needed, don’t fret and consider it a wasted effort. You’ll have a storage space available for you to use whenever you need it.