The bridge town
Fort Lee sits at the New Jersey end of the George Washington Bridge. For commuters, that is the reason to live here. For a moving truck, it is the main thing to plan around. The streets near the bridge approach back up at rush hour and on many weekend afternoons, and a loaded truck feels every minute of it. So every Fort Lee plan we write starts with the clock.
From upper Manhattan, the Bronx and most of Queens, a truck bound for Fort Lee usually crosses the bridge. From lower Manhattan or Brooklyn, where our trucks start, the Lincoln Tunnel and a drive north along the ridge is sometimes quicker. We choose the crossing for the day and hour of your move, not by habit. Our NYC to New Jersey page covers the routes from each borough. There are separate guides for Manhattan to Fort Lee, Brooklyn to Fort Lee and Queens to Fort Lee.
Co-op and condo towers
The high-rises along the cliff are the Fort Lee most people picture. Many are co-ops, and co-op boards tend to set firm move rules. Here is what a building usually asks for, and what we do about it:
| The building asks for | What we do |
|---|---|
| A COI with the names it gives you | We issue it and send it with your contract. On request, we send it to management directly. |
| A reserved freight elevator | You book the slot. We plan the drive to arrive at its start. |
| Moves only in set hours or on set days | We fit the date and start time inside them. |
| A list of large items | We can prepare an inventory of what goes and what stays. |
For the full picture of building paperwork, see our high-rise moving guide.
How a Fort Lee tower move runs
- A free estimate, in person or by video, any day of the week, day or evening. Show us closets, the balcony and anything heavy or fragile.
- A written price, based on what you showed us.
- You ask management for the move rules. We send the COI with the contract.
- Packing, if you want it: we pack everything, only the kitchen and fragile rooms, or we deliver materials and you pack.
- Moving day: the crew takes apart what will not fit the elevator, loads at the dock and crosses the river on the planned route.
- At the new home, furniture goes back together and boxes go to the rooms you name.
How pricing works: your hourly rate and terms are in writing before moving day, and the total follows the actual hours. If you add items or services, we confirm the change in writing first.
Fort Lee beyond the towers
Walk a few blocks west of the cliff and Fort Lee changes. There are garden apartment complexes with a long walk from the parking lot, two-family houses on quiet streets and single-family homes with driveways. These moves have no elevator but often have more stairs and more furniture. A house also tends to come with a garage, a basement or a piano. We move upright and grand pianos, and we build crates for art, mirrors and glass when a box is not enough.
Checklist for a Fort Lee move
- Ask whether your co-op board must approve the move date, and how far ahead.
- Moving within Fort Lee? Book the freight elevator in both buildings.
- Measure your largest sofa against the elevator door and the height of the cab.
- Avoid the Friday before a long weekend if you can: bridge traffic is heavy.
- Put balcony furniture, planters and storage-room items on your list. People forget them.
- Keep fobs, garage remotes and mailbox keys together for the handover.
Heading a little north to a house? Read our notes on Englewood Cliffs, just up Route 9W.
Fort Lee questions
Bridge or tunnel: which is faster from Manhattan?
Usually the bridge from Washington Heights, Harlem, the Upper West Side and the Bronx. From Midtown and below, the Lincoln Tunnel can be quicker at some hours. We check traffic on the day.
My co-op allows moves only on weekdays. Is that a problem?
No. We move on any day the building allows. Estimates are available seven days a week, day or evening, so you can plan around work.
Can I speak Russian with you?
Yes. The phone is answered in English and Russian. Our crews speak English and Russian and move customers of any language.
My closing date is two weeks after my move-out. What then?
We can hold your things in short- or long-term storage through affiliated, clean, secure self-storage facilities, and deliver on a scheduled date.