How to move to Philly in one day.

May 2, 2009 7:22 AM

Can you recommend a professional moving company that can get my stuff from NYC to Philadelphia in one day? Or barring that, two days?

I am moving from NYC to Philadelphia in August. I am already stressing out about it. This is my timeline:
August 14th: last day of work
August 18 or 19: my (very nice) mother flies up from Florida to help me pack all my stuff and generally give support.
August 20 or 21: Hopefully, movers come! (that sounds like I'm not going to make an appointment and I'm just going to sit in my apartment and wait and hope. But no.)
August 21: I have to pick up the keys to my new apartment in Philadelphia. My mom and I will take Amtrak down to Philadelphia.
August 24: I start a pre-semester class. I want to be settled in by this time.

When I was a kid, we moved around a lot and I know it always took several days for the movers to get our things from one place to another. We solved that problem by staying in hotels or by driving from the old city to the new city, which took some time. And as an adult, I've moved around a lot within NYC, and of course, it's always been a thing that happens within one day. I don't know if any company can and will do the one day move when leaving the city (even if it's pretty close, as Philly is)--am I being unreasonable by wanting this? I want to avoid staying in a hotel. I would be okay with a company that could do it in two days, too. I just want to avoid waiting seven days for my furniture. I want to be settled in by the time I begin my pre-semester class on August 24. I cannot move in before the 21st.

Also, renting a truck and driving is out of the question. My furniture is too heavy and I'm moving from a 4th floor walkup to a second floor walkup, and my mother and I are both small and nervous people who won't do well carrying giant dressers or driving trucks through New Jersey.

So does anyone know of a moving company that does this? I have about a 1br apartment's-worth of stuff.

posted by millipede to travel & transportation (9 comments total)

Flatrate. I've moved three apartments' worth of stuff from NYC to Boston, all same day. Obviously, it helps if you pack your stuff beforehand--though they will box it all for you at lightning speed in any event. I highly recommend them.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 7:37 AM on May 2 [1 favorite]

www.citymove.com lets you post your move job, and have movers bid to move you, and after the move you post a review. I used one of the top rated movers (MoveMaster) on the site for a short move in NJ 3 years ago, and had no complaints.

Even if you don't go with citimove, I do recommend getting a flat-rate mover (paid by the job, not the hour). Many of the mover horror stories I have heard involve paid by the hour movers.
posted by fings at 7:54 AM on May 2

These guys are pros
http://www.yelp.com/biz/college-educated-movers-brooklyn
posted by sswiller at 9:23 AM on May 2

You might want to check out the forums here for recommendations:

link
posted by sharkfu at 9:58 AM on May 2

When I moved back to Philly from NYC I used Moishe's and they were fine but that was about seven years ago.
posted by The Straightener at 10:29 AM on May 2

Give A-Team Movers a call. They're really nice guys, and they'll certainly move you in one day if they are available. They formerly worked for Mambo, which is also a fine local moving company here in Philly. I've used both several times.
posted by desuetude at 10:47 AM on May 2

Yeah, I just used Mambo two months ago and they were good and cheap, didn't even think of that.
posted by The Straightener at 10:52 AM on May 2

We used this company recently for a short-distance move within the Philadelphia suburbs, but they mentioned they had just moved someone from Philly to Brookyln. We found them considerate, helpful, on-time, good prices - we were absolutely THRILLED with the service.
posted by bunnycup at 11:05 AM on May 2

Seconding Mambo. You will have to pay gas too (and they will be starting in Philly to NYC) but they will do it in 1 day on the cheap.
posted by tozturk at 10:06 PM on May 2