Two buildings, one moving day
Many moves from Manhattan to Jersey City run from one elevator building to another: a doorman building in the Financial District, Battery Park City or Tribeca to a tower on the Jersey City waterfront. The drive is short. The hard part is that each management sets its own window, and your move has to fit inside both. We build the day around those two windows.
What each side usually asks for
| Item | Manhattan building | Jersey City tower |
|---|---|---|
| Approval | Notice to management, sometimes a move-out form | Move-in approval, often tied to your lease |
| COI | Names set by management | Its own names, usually different from the Manhattan ones |
| Elevator | Service elevator booked for a slot | Freight elevator and loading dock booked together |
| Hours | Set by the building, weekdays only in some | Set by the tower, and they may not match |
We issue the Certificate of Insurance (COI) each building asks for and send it with your contract. You pass it on, or we send it to management directly on request. Our high-rise moving guide lists the questions to ask each building.
Lining up the two windows
- Ask both buildings which days and hours are open before you commit to a date.
- Pick a day that works at both ends. A morning slot to load in Manhattan and an afternoon slot to unload in Jersey City is one pattern that works.
- Send us both windows. We size the crew so the loading fits inside the first one.
- We plan the crossing between them, with room for tunnel traffic.
- At the tower, the crew is planned to reach the dock at the start of your second slot.
If the two windows cannot share a day, ask about short-term storage through affiliated, clean, secure self-storage facilities and a scheduled delivery into the next open slot. It goes into your written price before you decide.
The crossing
Downtown Jersey City is where the Holland Tunnel surfaces, which makes it the usual choice from lower Manhattan. Coming from Midtown, the truck may use the Lincoln Tunnel and run south along the river instead, depending on the hour. Rush hour fills the tunnel approaches on both sides of the Hudson, so when the truck leaves matters as much as which way it goes. The NYC to New Jersey page shows the usual crossing from every borough.
Not every Jersey City move is a tower
West of the waterfront, around Van Vorst Park and up in the Heights, many homes are brownstones and rowhouses with stoops and narrow stairs. A move from a Manhattan walk-up into one of these has stairs at both ends and no elevator anywhere. We ask about every flight on the estimate. Our Jersey City movers page goes through the city area by area.
Who usually makes this move
People who work downtown and want more room with a PATH ride to the World Trade Center. Couples who need a second bedroom. People who would rather look at the Manhattan skyline than live inside it. And people whose employer moved across the river to the Jersey City side.
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.
On an hourly job, the written rate and terms do not change; the total depends on the hours worked. Both kinds of price are explained on moving prices.
Manhattan to Jersey City questions
Both of my buildings allow weekday moves only. Is that a problem?
No. We move on weekdays, weekends and holidays. When your buildings do allow weekends or holidays, those days cost nothing extra.
Why does the Jersey City building want its own COI?
Each building names itself and its management company on the certificate. Send us both sets of requirements, and we issue both.
Can you pack the Manhattan apartment for me?
Yes. We pack everything or only part, or we deliver materials and you pack. Boxes that are closed before the elevator window opens save time inside it.
Can I get the estimate by video after work?
Yes. Estimates are free, in person or by video, seven days a week, day or evening.
Get your free written price
Tell us about the move. A mover calls you back, confirms the details and sends your price in writing.