Brooklyn Heights and DUMBO are two of the most beautiful places to live in the city and two of the slowest for a moving truck. The streets are narrow, some are cobblestone, many buildings are historic or converted warehouses, and the most famous bridge nearby is not open to moving trucks.
Historic houses in Brooklyn Heights
Many homes in the Heights are 19th-century brownstones and row houses with stoops, narrow stairs and delicate details. Tell the crew what needs extra care: a banister, a mantel or old floors. Large pieces that do not make a turn can often be taken apart; we take furniture apart and put it back together.
Converted buildings in DUMBO
DUMBO’s converted warehouses often have big freight elevators, which helps, but they come with building rules: a reserved time, a certificate of insurance (COI) and sometimes a loading dock. Ask management for the move rules and the COI sample early; we send the certificate your building asks for.
Cobblestones and narrow streets
Cobblestone streets are slow for dollies and hand trucks, so the crew pads and wraps carefully before rolling anything. On narrow streets the truck may stand a little away from your door. Tell us the exact entrance used for moves.
Which crossings a moving truck uses
The Brooklyn Bridge has restrictions for commercial vehicles, according to NYC DOT: parkway restrictions for commercial vehicles, so a move from the Heights or DUMBO to Manhattan crosses another way. Inside the city, the crew plans around the parkways closed to trucks and uses the truck routes (NYC DOT: trucks and commercial vehicles (truck routes)). A move into Manhattan at or below 60th Street also passes into the Congestion Relief Zone (MTA: Congestion Relief Zone); your written estimate should say how tolls are handled.
Packing for historic homes
Older homes often have plaster walls and original floors. Ask the crew to pad door frames and corners on the carry path, and roll up rugs before the move starts so the floor stays visible. Mark fragile boxes and keep art and mirrors separate.
What to put in your estimate request
Send both addresses, the floors, the entrance used for moves, any building rules you have, and photos of large or delicate pieces. The estimate is free and in writing; call (929) 339-6014 or use the quote form on our home page.
Before moving day
- Get both buildings’ move rules and COI samples.
- Change your address with USPS; online requests need an identity check (USPS: change your address).
- Clear the stoop or the lobby path and reserve the elevator.
Questions we hear
Can a moving truck cross the Brooklyn Bridge?
No. NYC DOT lists the Brooklyn Bridge among roads with commercial-vehicle restrictions, so moving trucks use another crossing.
Do DUMBO buildings require a COI?
Most managed buildings do. Ask management for the sample and send it to your mover a few days ahead.
Are cobblestone streets a problem for movers?
They slow down dollies, so the crew wraps furniture well and plans a little more time.
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
More moving guides
- Park Slope Brownstone Moves: Stoops, Parlor Floors and Tight Stairs
- Moving Into Williamsburg and Greenpoint Buildings: Move Reservations, COIs and Loading
- Moving in Bay Ridge and Bensonhurst: Two-Family Houses, the Belt Parkway Rule and the Verrazzano
- Bushwick and Bed-Stuy Walk-Up Moves: Rowhouses, Narrow Stairs and Planning the Carry
