Things to know if moving from Manhattan to Brooklyn

Moving from Manhattan to Brooklyn can be very stressful. After all, many people believe Manhattan is the center of New York, if not the world. So, it can be difficult to believe there is life after Manhattan. But, Brooklyn is an amazing place to live, and shouldn’t be seen as a downgrade from Manhattan whatsoever. There are so many good things about Brooklyn, from the view, to the connection, to the rent – in comparison to Manhattan, at least. It’s a borough famous for it’s individuality and amazing, varied neighborhoods, from artsy ones like Gowanus to offbeat ones like Boro Park. But, there are some things you really should keep in mind to make sure your Brooklyn move goes over as smoothly as it can.

Moving from Manhattan to Brooklyn will make you healthier by force

Today’s pace of life is hectic, especially in New York. It can be downright impossible to find enough hours in the day for a healthy schedule that includes exercise! But, sedentary lifestyles are proven to have numerous health risks, and its practically guaranteed health problems later in life. That’s definitely a problem, but it can be difficult to motivate yourself to fix it. That’s where Brooklyn comes in – a startlingly efficient way to get around Brooklyn is by bike! Of course, you might puzzle at the logistics of keeping a bike in New York – you can’t leave it outside at night, you can’t lug it upstairs daily unless you want buff arms like Thor, what do you do with it? Easy – you don’t buy one. You look into companies like Citi Bike instead!

Of course, New York has a robust public transit system. And it’s far more worth it than cars, because upkeep is hell, unless you’re renting that too. But renting a bike – or buying one, if you want to get beefy from carrying it up flights of stairs – is way less expensive. Plus, bikes can go where subways cannot. You can take as many shortcuts as you can or want. And, nothing says New York confidence like biking through a crowd. Don’t be alarmed by the challenges of biking in a city as popular and intimidating as this – people do it all the time! Just tail some more experienced bikers for a while until you feel up for it. Not to mention that this gives you the perfect excuse when you don’t want to visit someone or go somewhere – you can’t, your bike is damaged or you’ve got leg cramps.

Plus, you can slow down your lifestyle

We all know the New York stereotype. Tired, overworked, inhaling coffee, grouchy from sleep deprivation. But does it have to be that way? Not in Brooklyn. You can relax, unlike in Manhattan. After all, Brooklyn hits the sweet spot between ‘boringly laid back’ and ‘hectic and frenzied’. So, if you’ve found stress gets you down and effects your quality of life, it might be time to move to a chill neighborhood. Nothing is worth losing your health over.

Moving from Manhattan to Brooklyn gives you a lot of apartment options

Ah, don’t you just love living in a shoe-box in Manhattan with ten of your best friends? Not anymore. Brooklyn prices are drastically low in comparison. Of course, they’re still pretty high, because New York is a costly city. But they’re not ‘break your bank for an extra foot of space’ high. However, most people try to avoid moving to Brooklyn because of their jobs – which is silly, when there are plenty of Brooklyn neighborhoods for commuting to Manhattan! You can have the best of both worlds. Not to mention that if most of your friends hail from Manhattan, you’ll get all party hosting rights forever because your apartment can actually fit everyone without contortionist tricks. Depending on what neighborhood you move to, you could even get a basement or an attic!

How does one move from Manhattan to Brooklyn?

With help, fairly easily. However, toughing it out alone would be very difficult, and possibly impossible. There’s a reason moving is a well-developed industry! It’s because there are so many things to do, it’s practically a  second job. You’d have to juggle your already existing obligation with a bunch of stuff, most of which is completely new to you. There’s a bunch of technical terms to handle, and that’s before trying to handle the city. Trying to trek across New York desperately clutching your stuff is just inviting failure.

• This should go without saying, but read your actual lease. Know what’s your obligation, and what the landlord needs to handle.
• Of course, there is a reason most people insist on local Brooklyn movers. They’re fast, reliable, trustworthy, and know the terrain beforehand.
• Moving from Manhattan to Brooklyn can be a disaster if you’re disorganized! So, make a moving checklist, and know exactly what you need to pack. Don’t forget to sort through your stuff beforehand, to make sure you’re only bringing what you actually care about.
• Trying to find the best apartment for you is gonna be stressful enough without also trying to find the best place to rent a truck, best place to find boxes, and so on. It’s much more prudent to hire a trustworthy moving company who can handle all of that for you.
• You’ll have to switch your medical records, your kids’ medical records if you have any, and your pet’s vet records to a vet clinic near you. That’s something to take into consideration sooner than later, because sickness doesn’t come on a set schedule.
• You might find moving to Brooklyn can sound overly stressful –  however, that just depends on your level of commitment!