A Park Slope brownstone is beautiful to live in and tricky to move. The front stoop, the narrow stairs, the tight turns at each landing and the original woodwork all shape how a crew works. Most problems on moving day come from one big piece that does not make a turn, so plan for that first.
Know your floor: garden, parlor or upper
- Garden apartments are usually a few steps down under the stoop. The entrance can be low, so tall pieces may need to tilt.
- Parlor floors are up the stoop, often with high ceilings and wide rooms but a tight front door.
- Upper floors mean the main staircase, which gets narrower near the top in many houses.
When you ask for an estimate, say which floor you live on and send photos of the stairs and the tightest turn.
Big furniture: measure the turn
Measure the width of the stairs, the height under any low ceiling at the landing and the depth of each turn. Then measure your largest sofa, bed frame and dresser. Many pieces only need legs, doors or drawers removed; others are easier to take apart. We take furniture apart and put it back together in your new home.
Protect the house
Point out what matters to you: a carved banister, a marble mantel, a fragile door frame. The crew pads furniture and covers what it carries past. Clear the stoop, the vestibule and the hall the night before so nothing slows the carry.
Street and timing
Park Slope side streets are lined with parked cars, so the truck stands where it safely can. An early start helps on busy streets. If your block has alternate-side parking, the day of the week can make the curb easier or harder; mention your block when you book.
Moving out of Brooklyn
If the new home is outside the city, the truck uses interstates and truck routes, not parkways. New York closes its parkways to commercial vehicles (NYSDOT: highways for commercial traffic), and inside the city that includes the Belt Parkway and Ocean Parkway (NYC DOT: parkway restrictions for commercial vehicles).
Packing a brownstone apartment
Brownstone apartments often have deep closets and built-in shelves full of books. Pack books in small boxes, and label every box with the room and the floor in the new place. If you are moving into another brownstone, mark which boxes go to the garden floor and which go upstairs; it saves a lot of extra climbs.
What to put in your estimate request
Tell us the floor on both ends, the stoop, the tightest stair turn and your three largest pieces, with photos if you can. The estimate is free and in writing.
Two weeks before
- Change your address with USPS and allow at least 7 to 10 business days (USPS: change your address).
- Pack books and kitchen items in small boxes for the stairs.
- Tell your landlord or neighbors the date so the hall is free.
Questions we hear
Will my sofa fit up a brownstone staircase?
Measure the tightest turn and the doorways and send photos. Many sofas fit with legs off, and some furniture can be taken apart and put back together.
Do you take furniture apart?
Yes. We take beds, tables and other big pieces apart and put them back together in the new home.
Can a moving truck use the Belt Parkway?
No. NYC DOT lists the Belt Parkway among roads closed to commercial vehicles.
How do I get a free written estimate?
Call (929) 339-6014 or use the quote form on our home page.
Free written estimate: call (929) 339-6014 or use the quote form on our home page. Family business since 1999 · U.S. DOT No. 967970 (MC-432549) · NYSDOT 34875 · NJPM 000930 · Company facts
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