Advice/resources for a rushed exit from Maine dorm room to NYC?
April 7, 2019 3:36 PM Subscribe
A friend of mine (and their hamster) with few resources (financial, family, otherwise) is taking leave from school, and needs to 1) empty their room, and 2) travel to NYC post-haste. I'm willing to help with money to cover mini-storage or travel costs, but I know nothing about the area, and posting to craigslist is about all I can think of. Location: Near Bangor.
I guess I'm looking for recommendations on moving services, man w/van, storage, etc.
I guess I'm looking for recommendations on moving services, man w/van, storage, etc.
If it's only a dorm room amount of stuff, I suspect they'll be better off packing their most important stuff to carry on the bus, and replace the rest at some other time. i.e. that'll probably be cheaper than moving or storing it.
posted by metasarah at 4:51 PM on April 7, 2019 [11 favorites]
posted by metasarah at 4:51 PM on April 7, 2019 [11 favorites]
The postal service will be happy to have the business of mailing things, but greyhound is much cheaper for boxes. All furniture should be sold or given away. If your friend wants help finding a furnished room in Brooklyn I can offer some tips. I can also offer a cheap grocery tour of the city when your friend is ready to set up a kitchen.
Megabus from Boston to NYC will have a baggage allowance as well, and possibly ability to pay for extra luggage (which can be boxes). If you can buy a week or more in advance megabus is very inexpensive.
posted by bilabial at 6:35 PM on April 7, 2019 [1 favorite]
Megabus from Boston to NYC will have a baggage allowance as well, and possibly ability to pay for extra luggage (which can be boxes). If you can buy a week or more in advance megabus is very inexpensive.
posted by bilabial at 6:35 PM on April 7, 2019 [1 favorite]
You say nothing about the budget for housing. Every other option and strategy for finding housing in NYC flows from that variable.
posted by spitbull at 6:54 PM on April 7, 2019
posted by spitbull at 6:54 PM on April 7, 2019
Response by poster: Sorry, I think I'm a bad explainer, or I'm just grasping for straws, in a manner.
The belongings involve a hamster, which aren't allowed via most transit.
There's no furniture, it's largely clothing and small items, so metasarah is probably right on.
Their family is in NYC. Able to house them, just not so able to help them out in this unexpected circumstance. I am, sorta, just don't have any ideas aside from telling them to just use craigslist, which makes me uneasy.
posted by Jack Karaoke at 9:09 PM on April 7, 2019
The belongings involve a hamster, which aren't allowed via most transit.
There's no furniture, it's largely clothing and small items, so metasarah is probably right on.
Their family is in NYC. Able to house them, just not so able to help them out in this unexpected circumstance. I am, sorta, just don't have any ideas aside from telling them to just use craigslist, which makes me uneasy.
posted by Jack Karaoke at 9:09 PM on April 7, 2019
I'd be tempted to conceal the hamster for transit (container obviously needs to be suitable).
For fastest disposal of anything that isn't wanted try Goodwill or Salvation Army; they may come pick up and take all.
posted by anadem at 9:13 PM on April 7, 2019 [1 favorite]
For fastest disposal of anything that isn't wanted try Goodwill or Salvation Army; they may come pick up and take all.
posted by anadem at 9:13 PM on April 7, 2019 [1 favorite]
You could probably sneak a hamster on board a bus (Greyhound runs between Bangor and NYC).
If it's truly an emergency, anything I could stand to lose I would leave behind. The college is probably accustomed to clearing dorm rooms of abandoned items at the end of term anyway. It's somewhat anti-social, so I wouldn't do it just to escape the responsibility, but if the kid is in a bad way, yeah.
posted by praemunire at 9:29 PM on April 7, 2019
If it's truly an emergency, anything I could stand to lose I would leave behind. The college is probably accustomed to clearing dorm rooms of abandoned items at the end of term anyway. It's somewhat anti-social, so I wouldn't do it just to escape the responsibility, but if the kid is in a bad way, yeah.
posted by praemunire at 9:29 PM on April 7, 2019
Hmm well it's good they have housing. Not too sure what specifically you want to help them with besides that. Like the others, I would sneak a hamster on a megabus any day without batting an eye. Craigslist is fine, but mostly answers the housing question which it sounds like your friend doesn't need help with.. I take it no one can drive a rental car? Sometimes if you have a lot of stuff that is easiest but perhaps it's a non option ..
What else do you hope to help them with?
posted by elgee at 11:58 PM on April 7, 2019
What else do you hope to help them with?
posted by elgee at 11:58 PM on April 7, 2019
In a similar circumstance, I did actually pay some guy off criaglist who was moving from location to location a bit of cash to drive my stuff and picked it up in the truck he'd already rented.
This actually worked.
I mean, I did risk losing it and like I had his ID and the license plate of the U-Haul just in case but eh, it worked.
I wouldn't recommend it to anyone though.
The hamster is likely the hardest part of this.
posted by AlexiaSky at 12:20 AM on April 8, 2019
This actually worked.
I mean, I did risk losing it and like I had his ID and the license plate of the U-Haul just in case but eh, it worked.
I wouldn't recommend it to anyone though.
The hamster is likely the hardest part of this.
posted by AlexiaSky at 12:20 AM on April 8, 2019
The belongings involve a hamster, which aren't allowed via most transit.
I think you are over complicating this aspect at least. She should take the train as it's 12 hours and travel during the daytime. She should put her stuff in a backpack so she can have two hands free and put the hamster in a small cage in a tote. If there is no wheel the noise will be minimal.
Given the number of colleges on the North East Corridor train line, I guarantee you this will not be the first hamster to make this journey.
posted by DarlingBri at 3:42 AM on April 8, 2019 [4 favorites]
I think you are over complicating this aspect at least. She should take the train as it's 12 hours and travel during the daytime. She should put her stuff in a backpack so she can have two hands free and put the hamster in a small cage in a tote. If there is no wheel the noise will be minimal.
Given the number of colleges on the North East Corridor train line, I guarantee you this will not be the first hamster to make this journey.
posted by DarlingBri at 3:42 AM on April 8, 2019 [4 favorites]
Seems to me the save/move/store/throw away question also depends on a variable we don’t know: is this student going back to their campus and if so how soon? If it’s next fall, local storage might be worth it and I can guarantee there is a storage business or two in the area that routinely markets to and deals with students, likely offering pick up service. There’s one (at least) near every college.
If they’re done with that college, storing it locally just adds to the sunk cost.
If they’ve got $1000 worth of stuff, is it worth $500 to preserve it?
Having once in my life worked a summer “dorm crew” after the students left my campus, you’d be stunned at what the rich kids leave behind, throw away, and just replace. On the plus side, the kids who had to clean up after them cleaned up in another sense. I acquired hundreds of dollars worth of audio gear and enough weed to last all summer that year — yes, they left huge bags of weed behind. Ah the 80s.
posted by spitbull at 4:22 AM on April 8, 2019 [2 favorites]
If they’re done with that college, storing it locally just adds to the sunk cost.
If they’ve got $1000 worth of stuff, is it worth $500 to preserve it?
Having once in my life worked a summer “dorm crew” after the students left my campus, you’d be stunned at what the rich kids leave behind, throw away, and just replace. On the plus side, the kids who had to clean up after them cleaned up in another sense. I acquired hundreds of dollars worth of audio gear and enough weed to last all summer that year — yes, they left huge bags of weed behind. Ah the 80s.
posted by spitbull at 4:22 AM on April 8, 2019 [2 favorites]
If they are old enough to drive a rental car (some allow 21+) a one-way rental is often not as expensive as one would think. Bangor to NYC is about a seven hour drive at conservative speeds and stopping for a quick break or two.
posted by Gev at 5:54 AM on April 8, 2019
posted by Gev at 5:54 AM on April 8, 2019
« Older Interesting musicals in Chicago right now? | Shikibuton + mattress topper -- one cover, or two?... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
1) Large, very clean, climate controlled building run by a company with multiple locations.
2) Regular preventative spraying for bugs. Monthly if possible. Any history of bugs, floods, building instability, mold/mildew in online ratings?
3) Check out crime rates nearby. Also, are there restaurants, grocery stores, or something else that attracts pests on the same block?
4) Does the facility require or offer insurance?
5) Inspect the actual unit before renting it. Are the office staff friendly and helpful when you do so? Do they seem to have anything they keep talking about, like spontaneously repeating how often they clean (the place had bugs)?
6) Convenient office and access hours, a location that a truck can get to and load/unload at easily. Bonus if they have a covered loading zone, but that's not common.
7) Good security system and a gate that only unlocks per vehicle. Ex, if the gate is open all day when someone is in the front office, that's not great.
I personally like being on higher floors for pest avoidance, but a clean ground floor room is fine too. Just know that it's easier for bugs to wander in.
It's very tempting to get the cheapest storage place possible. Unfortunately, cheap storage units are cheap for a good reason.
posted by Ahniya at 4:10 PM on April 7, 2019