You need not be told, if you have ever been behind the wheel of an oncoming truck in Boston: the city is lovely, historic, and… a maze. The vintage brick beauty of Beacon Hill to the narrow, twisting streets of the North End can be like trying to fit the pieces of a puzzle that do not fit in moving in Boston. It is an experience that, unlike the open, spacious neighborhoods in the suburbs such as Waltham, Weston or Belmont, is drastically different and necessitates expertise, patience and a lot of strategy.
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Small Streets That Can Confuse the Most Experienced Drivers
Boston is a very old city and the oldest neighborhoods were not designed to accommodate moving trucks. Areas like:
- Beacon Hill, with steep cobble slopes.
- The South End, having few loading areas
- The North End, where people walk everywhere and the streets are like alleys.
turns driving a moving truck into a very difficult task. It is not a rare occurrence that movers have to park blocks away since the truck cannot get near the apartment entrance.
In the meantime, in the suburban towns like Belmont, Newton, Weston, and Waltham, where wide roads, high driveways, and open crossings are the order of the day, the traffic of the trucks can be home. Getting to properties is not a problem and movers are able to load and offload without having to struggle through city jams and narrow spaces.
Historic Buildings = No Lifts and Narrow Stairs
The struggles go on within the city. Boston is reeking with brownstones, triple-deckers, and walk-ups that were constructed way back before the invention of modern furniture designs. Movers often encounter:
- Spiral or curved staircases
- Narrow hallways
- Tight doorframes
- Low ceilings
- Awkward turns
There are even some moves which involve lifting furniture by the windows due to the narrowness of the staircase.
Most of the homes in the suburbs however are designed in open-floor plans, have wide stairs, and are able to access the front door with minimal difficulty. That is one of the reasons why the long distance moves or family moves to the suburbs are usually smoother and faster.
Parking Rules, Permits, and Ticket Risk
Parking is one of the greatest headaches in the process of moving in Boston. The city enforces:
- Resident-only parking zones
- Strict commercial hours
- Paid permission to block off street space.
- Ticketing and towing–even on moving day
Such neighborhoods as Back Bay, Charlestown, and Fenway nearly always need to book a moving permit several days before. Even in those times, you can come and find cars occupying your space that you have reserved.
This is the point at which the presence of experienced professionals will be of paramount importance. And that is why a lot of people prefer Safe Responsible Movers in Boston, a team which is aware of the parking regulations in the city, the requirements of the permits and the logistic problems. Moving movers with prior knowledge of where to park, how to escape fines, and how to manoeuvre restrictions can save hours of aggravation on the moving day.
Traffic, One-Way Streets & Tourists
The street map of Boston is known to be extremely disorienting–even to the time-long residents. Add in:
- One-way streets
- Random road closures
- Ongoing construction
- Big tour groups centred on Faneuil Hall or Boston Common
- Traffic around Fenway Park on game days
and even a 2-mile relocation may turn into a torture. Misdirected movement of a truck in motion may lead to going round several blocks before returning to the right path.
Suburbs, on the contrary, have predictable traffic, there is no mistaking the signs, there are numerous options of routes, and there are much fewer surprises.
Boston is Hit Hard by Winter Weather
It is already hard to move in snow and ice–and in the tight neighborhoods of Boston winter is an added complication. Snowbanks cut down the width of the streets. Brick pavements are greasy. Parking disappears. And hauling heavy pieces of furniture down icy steps is dangerous to all.
Driveways, garages and broader entrances in the suburbs make winter movements much safer and easier.
City Moves vs. Suburban Moves: A Totally Different Experience
By the end of the day, you need some sort of planning and precision when moving around Boston, which you just do not need in the suburbs. All aspects of the process such as maneuvering through the streets to transporting furniture up the stairs are accompanied by additional challenges.
Suburbs have space to work, more convenient parking, larger entrance points and less obstacles. The city relocations need the planning, time, familiarity with the area and the movers who understand perfectly how to work in these old cities.
Final Thoughts
Boston is a marvelous city, and it is characterized by logistical difficulties, particularly during transportation. Small streets, small staircases, little parking, and uncontrollable traffic, together with extreme winters, complicate the process even to experienced movers.
That is why it is important to select movers who have the real Boston experience. Their knowledge of the layouts of the neighborhoods, equipment and navigation skills in the city make it possible to make even the most complicated moves in the city feel a lot easier and even less stressful by the Safe Responsible Movers in Boston.
You are either moving into Beacon Hill brownstone or out of the South End to Belmont, having the right team on your side is everything.