Moving From Boston to NYC: Movers, Costs, and Benefits

Boston is cold, crowded, and full of jerks. So is New York, but at least New York’s on a grid system. As more and more Californians start crowding the east coast, more and more people are looking to get out of town and start fresh somewhere else. And if you really want to play in the big leagues, New York City is waiting.

But with all the moving companies out there, it can be tough to find the right mover for the job. Fortunately, iMoving’s online marketplace has over 1000 vetted and verified long distance movers you can choose from - and we’ll narrow it down depending on what you need, when you need it, and where you’re headed.

Ready to hit the road? Tell us more about your Boston to New York move, and we’ll get you packed in just a few clicks. Otherwise, read on to learn more about what to expect on a moving day and meet a few of our favourite Boston to NYC movers.

It’ll cost you anywhere from $1,000 to $4,000 to move from Boston to New York City. It’s a pretty big window, but it all comes down to how far you’re traveling, and how much you’re taking with you.

The distance between Boston and New York is pretty set in stone (about 216 miles). Can’t do much about that. On the other hand, you can save some serious cash by downsizing and getting rid of your old, unwanted, or unused stuff. Pawn it off, hand it down, or just plain throw it out - just don’t pay to have it moved!

Long distance moving can take anywhere from 1 to 21 days - even for two cities as close as Boston and New York City. If you think your move will be quick just because you’re moving to a studio apartment, think again: smaller moves usually take longer.

If they can avoid it, moving companies won’t send a half-empty truck to point B. After all, if they’re paying for the gas, they may as well get the most for their money. Instead, they’ll bundle multiple smaller moves in the same truck and do a few pickups and deliveries along the way.

Don’t worry; they’ll keep everything safe, secure, and separated back there. And the whole practice keeps your prices down. Just don’t expect your studio to be moved in one day, unless you shell out extra for express delivery.

There’s a lot more to a moving quote than just loading and hauling. When you look over your estimate, the final price you see comes from a combination of several important factors:

1. Distance

When you’re moving out of state, the distance is one of the biggest factors behind your final price. It’s a simple equation: more miles means more money. Fortunately, Boston and New York aren’t too far apart.

2. Size

Aside from the distance, the physical size of your move is probably the next biggest factor behind your moving cost. Some movers assign a weight (in pounds) to all of your belongings, and others assign a volume (in cubic feet).

The more stuff you have, the more you’ll have to pay. It’s always a good idea to get rid of all your unwanted stuff before you shop for quotes.

3. Packing

Packing is an optional service, but we really recommend it. Aside from saving you the trouble of dealing with packing peanuts, tape, and boxes of all the wrong sizes, paying for packing is usually required if you want a mover’s full value insurance coverage. What you get is really worth the extra expense.

4. Specialty Items

Everyone’s got a few items that need extra TLC, but you might have several. Pianos, pool tables, artwork, the list goes on. If you need these items moved - and you don’t want them broken in the process - you’ll want to shell out a little extra for speciality moving services. This can involve anything from winching items out the window to building custom crates.

5. Insurance

Moving companies offer a basic level of insurance coverage, but it’s only good for $0.60 per pound of items lost, damaged, or destroyed. If you want to get the actual value of your items, you’ll have to pay for full value coverage. (You’ll probably have to pay for packing, too.)

6. Access Fees

When you walk from your front door to the street, do you have to deal with elevators, multiple flights of stairs, long hallways or driveways, or any other difficult obstacles? These obstacles will make life harder for your moving team, too, so expect an additional fee for the additional fun.

7. Shuttle Fees

Long distance movers will use big rigs to haul your stuff across state lines. Unfortunately, some major cities (read: Boston and New York) are a little touchy about where people can park those big trucks. Instead, your movers will have to park outside of town, and use a smaller shuttle truck to ferry your belongings back and forth. Expensive, inconvenient, and thanks to city hall.

8. Storage

Too much furniture? Not enough time to get everything unpacked? Don’t worry. A storage unit can give you some much-needed flexibility so you can unpack and get moved in at your own pace. Don’t take too long, though, because storage units typically come with a monthly fee.

Boston has a lot of pride, so you’ll need some way to shut your friends up when they ask why you’re leaving town. Take a look at some reasons people are moving to New York City:

• It’s NEW YORK CITY: Boston’s a great town, but ask the rest of the world about it, and chances are you won’t get a lot of looks. New York, on the other hand… the world revolves around NYC, so it’s a hotbed of culture, arts, and everything else.

• It’s not too far away: New York is also not too far away from Boston in the first place. It’s just a few hours, and if you’ve got the space, your friends will come to visit sooner rather than later. A free place to crash in NYC? That’s a huge magnet for friends and family.

• Not a lot of culture shock: Boston is a pretty big city in the Northeast. New York is a really big city in the Northeast. It’s not like making a move to Los Angeles or Miami or something. The vibe may be different, but it’s not HUGELY different.

• More opportunities: If you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere. Fortunately, there are plenty of job opportunities you can chase down while you’re trying to see if you can make it in the first place.

• You’re already used to the climate: You’ve got all the winter gear you need already. Moving to New York isn’t going to blow your mind in terms of sunshine or snow. In fact, it’ll feel downright familiar.

If we wrote out all the things to do in New York City, we’d need a lot more megabytes. Here’s a VERY BRIEF look at what you can get up to once you’re in NYC:

• All that touristy stuff: If you’re in New York City, you may as well knock out all the touristy stuff just to say you did. The Statue of Liberty, Times Square, Ground Zero… just get it over with so you’re not one of those weird New Yorkers who hasn’t done any of it.

• Watch a game: Two MLB teams. Two NBA teams. Two NFL teams. Why? Because New York, that’s why. Enjoy a game or two, check out what team’s hot, and hey - if a team’s not doing too well, there’s always a backup option.

• Eat: If a restaurant manages to stick around in New York City, it means they’re doing something right. There’s world-class dining throughout the entire city. You can stand in line for three hours for some instagrammy crap, or eat at a proper hole-in-the-wall.

• Museums: New York City is huge, so it makes sense that the museum scene is pretty in-depth. There’s the MoMA, the Guggenheim, the Museum of Natural History, and several others that are more dedicated to NYC itself, like the 9/11 Memorial.

• Central Park: Central Park is one of those places that everyone visits, whether they’re tourists or locals. When you’re living in a big city like New York, a slice of greenery and open space can be pretty inviting.

Boston was fun while it lasted, but now it’s time to move on to bigger and better things. New York’s not too far away, and with the right Boston to NYC moving company, it won’t be too difficult to move there either.

Ready to hit the road? We’ve made it easier than ever. Use iMoving to shop for movers, compare prices, and book your Boston to New York movers today.