Manhattan New York City Relocation

Manhattan Relocation

New residents in New York City may be overwhelmed by the vast array of public services and municipal structure that they find upon arrival. The following information is a general guide for new New Yorkers who are trying to get settled.

Driver's licenses

For on-line instructions visit http://www.nydmv.state.ny.us/.

To register a vehicle for the first time or change registration

Bring the following to your local Motor Vehicle office:

Completed registration/title application
Proof of ownership
Proof of insurance in the registrant's name
Proof of inspection
Sales tax clearance
Proof of registrant's name and date of birth
If the registrant is not the owner of the vehicle, registration authorization from the owner together with proof of the owner's name and date of birth
If the vehicle was purchased from a dealer/leasing company, an odometer disclosure statement
Bill of sale
Appropriate fee

For more information, call 645-5550.

Keep in mind that unlike most other cities life in NYC is very livable without a car. Most New Yorkers walk and use mass transportation.

Utilities

There are a number of companies that provide the necessary services for a comfortable home. Con Edison Heat and hot water are included in the rent in most buildings, but not all. Gas is included in some.

Verizon for telephone service and DSL Call 212-890-2350 for new orders.
Time Warner for cable television service and Road Runner Internet service Call 212-674-9100 to order service.

Kids

For kids, moving can be stressful, especially if they don't know what to expect. And for older youngsters, few things are worse than being the new kid on the block. Here are some fear-easing suggestions:

Before the move:

Keep your children informed about your moving plans.
Take the kids to their new home as soon as possible.
Visit the neighborhood with your children to see what facilities will likely interest them, such as the library, shops and playgrounds.
Arrange a tour of your children's new school
Explain what moving day will entail and reassure your children that their possessions will be handled carefully.

On moving day:

Set up the children's rooms right away to give them a place to unwind and play while you organize the rest of the family's belongings.

Settling in:

Take a walk in the neighborhood to meet new neighbors and potential playmates for your children.
If your children have been active in any religious, sports, social, ethnic or cultural organizations, contact such groups in your new neighborhood.
Invite families on your floor or in your building for lunch so that kids can get to know each other in a relaxed atmosphere.

Education:

Public Schools

New York's public school system is one of the largest in the country, with more children enrolled in its public schools than 12 states and the District of Columbia have in total population!. Call the Board of Education for help in finding your way through the enrollment process:

Board of Education
110 Livington Street
Brooklyn, New York 11201
1-718-935-2000

or you can log onto http://www.nycenet.edu/.

To find out where you child should attend school (Elementary, Junior High, or High School) contact:

The Office of Zoning and Integration
28-11 Queens Plaza North
Long Island City, New York 11101
1-718-391-8000

Listings for New York's Public Schools appear by district under the heading "Education" in the New York City Government Offices section of the Blue Pages in the Verizon telephone book

Education: Parochial Schools

Contact: The Archdiocese of New York 1-212-691-3381

Education: Private Schools

For information about toddler groups, nursery schools and day schools, contact:

The Parents League
1-212-737-7385 or http://www.parentsleague.org/.

Dial 311 for all non emergency NYC customer service.

Helpful NYC Links

Here are some of the most helpful links to make living easy in New York.

CULTURAL
Ballet	http://www.nycballet.com/	212-870-5500
Broadway	http://www.playbill.com/	212-557-5757
Carnegie Hall	http://www.carnegiehall.org/	212-903-9600
Lincoln Center	http://www.lincolncenter.org/	212-546-2656
NYC Cultural Guide	http://www.nyc-arts.org/
Opera	http://www.nycopera.com/	212-870-5500
Radio City Music Hall	http://www.radiocity.com/	212-247-4777

EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE
Fire	http://www.nyc.gov/html/nyfd/home.html	911 or 212-999-2222
Poison	http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/poison	212-764-7667
Police	http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/home.html	911 or 212-374-5000

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES www.nyc.gov/html/dep/home.html 212-966-7500
Complaints about noise, sewers, air quality, asbestos and industrial waste
Water Quality	http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/home.html	888-426-7433
Potholes	http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/home.html	212-225-5368
Sidewalk Repairs	http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/home.html	212-255-5368
Sanitation	http://www.nyc.gov/html/dos/home.html	212-219-8090

FOOD
Zagat's	http://www.zagat.com/	800-333-3421

KIDS
Cultural	nyckidsarts.org	212-410-9780

LIFESTYLES
CitySearch	http://www.newyork.citysearch.com/	212-647-5700
Time Out	http://www.timeoutny.com/	212-539-4444

MUSEUMS
Metropolitan	http://www.metmuseum.org/	212-535-7710
Modern Art	http://www.momo.org/	212-708-9696
Natural History American Museum of Natural History
NEW YORK CITY (OFFICIAL) http://home.nyc.gov/
Housing Authority	http://www.nyc.gov/html/nycha/home.html	212-863-8000
Rent Laws	http://www.rentlaw.com/	Questions regarding Tenant Landlord rights should be posted to their message board.

POST OFFICE http://www.usps.com/ 212-967-8585

NYC BOARD OF ELECTIONS http://www.vote.nyc.ny.us/register.html 212-VOTE NYC
SCHOOLS (PUBLIC)
Abacus Guide	http://www.abacusguide.com/	212-712-2228
Board of Education	http://www.nycenet.edu/	212-567-3385

SCHOOLS (PRIVATE)
Educational Records Bureau	http://www.erbtest.org/	212-873-9180
Parents League of NY	http://www.parentsleague.org/	212-737-7385

SPORTS
Madison Square Garden	http://www.thegarden.com/	212-465-5800
Chelsea Piers	http://www.chelseapiers.com/	212-336-6666
Yankees	http://www.yankees.com/	718-293-4300
Mets	http://www.mets.com/	718-517-TIXX
Rangers	http://www.newyorkrangers.com/	212-465-6741
Knicks	http://www.knicks.com/	212-465-5867
Jets	http://www.newyorkjets.com/	877-747-JETS
Giants	http://www.giants.com/	201-935-8111

TELEPHONE
Verizon	http://www.verizon.com/	212-890-1550

TRANSPORTATION
Airports
JFK	http://www.panynj.gov/	718-244-4444
LaGuardia	http://www.panynj.gov/	718-533-3400
Newark	http://www.panynj.gov/	973-961-6000
Rail Service
Amtrak	http://www.amtrak.com/	800-USA-RAIL
Ferry Service
NY Waterway	http://www.nywaterway.com/	800-53-FERRY
Commuter Bus
Hampton Jitney	http://www.hamptonjitney.com/	(631) 283-4600 (800) 936-0440 from 212, 914, 201, 718
Long Island Railroad	http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/lirr	718-217-LIRR
Metro North
West/CT	http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/	800-METRO-INFO
PATH to New Jersey	http://www.panynj.gov/	800-234-7284
Subway
Maps	http://www.mta.nyc.us/nyct/maps/submap.htm
Metropolitan Transit	http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/	718-330-1234
Taxis	http://www.nyc.gov/taxi	212-692-8294

TELEVISION SERVICES
Time Warner Cable	http://www.twcnyc.com/	212-598-7200

UTILITIES
Con Edison	http://www.coned.com/
Gas leaks		800-752-6633
Steam		212-683-0682

Understanding (and loving) Manhattan, New York City

Before you come to love Manhattan, you must understand our peculiar housing market. Manhattan is a unique place in the real estate universe. Not only does it have a large rental market (75% of the available housing units vs. about 5 - 10% in other markets), but it has ownership and other important differences that are often puzzling to newcomers.

Approximately 70% of Home ownership in Manhattan is in coop apartments. The rest are condos, condops and townhouses. Most new construction developments are condos. Most pre-war apartments are co-ops. Manhattan apartments are either pre-war (WWII) or post -war (modern.) Most Townhouses or Brownstones were built in the 19th century.

Showings normally 9 - 6 p.m. (7:30 p.m. the latest)

Most co-ops have restrictions on showing times that vary widely, but must be adhered to. Some buildings do not even allow weekend showings.

Sunday Open Houses are the way to go.

Condos and some co-ops will allow public open houses on Sunday afternoons. That means that Sundays can be a good day to see a lot of properties.

Co-op ownership requires submitting a comprehensive Board application (called a Board Package), being interviewed by the Board, and being approved.

Co-op ownership means that you must decide not only whether you like the apartment, but also the building must decide if they will be willing to accept you. Passing a co-op board adds at least 6 - 8 weeks to the purchase process. A major part of my job is helping buyers prepare their packages.

Wear comfortable shoes and leave the car at home or park it for a few hours.

Shopping for a New York apartment is good exercise, so wear comfortable shoes and learn about the neighborhood at the same time. Taxis are hailed for longer destinations

Relocation Package:

Buying, Selling Renting and Moving To and From Manhattan, NYC