Yeah, NYC moving is a little bit different than when I've done it elsewhere.
I don't really trust used boxes by dumpsters like I might in other areas. You never know what they've been exposed to... Try craigslist. Maybe you'll see some listings of people getting rid of their used moving boxes. Or ask around at your work to see if you can take some boxes from shipments over the next few months.
I also agree it makes sense to just move with your furniture if you like it. Replacing it, especially without a van (like most of us in the city), can be just as expensive and annoying as moving what you already have.
Most of my friends rent a U-Haul for the day to move themselves. I see you don't have a license (and even with a license trying to drive a U-Haul in NYC can be terrifying), so it'd be great if one of your friends can help out. You can probably also negotiate with your buildings about the hours of the move. They all say they want the move done during business hours, but that's not realistic for a lot of people. I see plenty of moves happening at weird hours. I think as long as you're not trying to do it in the middle of the night and bother your neighbors with the noise they're usually okay with it.
If not, there are a ton of moving companies that range from cheap to ridiculously expensive. The last time I moved (7 years ago now), I had a good experience with Two Men And A Truck. It was reasonably priced and they did a good job, including carrying everything up the stairs of my walk up and maneuvering my bed through a too-small doorway.
Good luck!
Thank you!
I got my couch and dinner table for $650 total from my landlady, and the desk was a birthday gift. I'm thinking that since that's close enough to my moving estimate, it'd be worth it to get a truck just for the furniture -- if we were talking about a cross country move, I'd be singing a different tune.
It's possible that I could use a truck
only for the furniture. My job's fine with me changing my hours so I could move that, or even do it off-hours if it's just clothes, books, kitchen stuff, and computer stuff so I could recruit a friend for their car and pay them back or get them something in return.
My current building is a bit curmudgeony. I rent in a co-op where most own, there's very few other people under 40 or 45, and it's shockingly rare for someone to say hello back to me. I get along great with my landlady, it's just that they changed their laws to cap how long a renter can stay. All that said, I'd be very shocked if they were mad about a couple guys bringing cardboard boxes through the lobby on Saturday afternoon.
All in all I'm sure I'll be fine, but why waste $ when you can ask smart people for advice :)