[.ca] Relocating to New York City and Surrounding Areas: ... (ISBN 076152567X)

Need more details about the MOVE:
This book might be pretty useful if you don't know anyone in NYC. But it bugs me that the chapters on the actual move process are labeled "By MonsterMoving.com", NOT by the author, and need more tailoring to be NYC-appropriate. Sentences like "If your new state collects income tax, you'll want to figure that into your salary calculations" are not very helpful. What I *wanted* was recommendations about whether I should start out in a furnished sublet and take time to really look for a good apartment. I WANT concrete tips like "It can be cheaper to have your moving company store stuff in your origin location than to store it in New York", "A 1.5 cubic foot box of items usually weighs 10.5 pounds but the same box full of books can weigh 50 pounds." I NEED to know, What are the pros and cons of making an advance apartment-hunting trip? How many weeks should I spend looking? What are the best times of year or weeks of the month to get apartments, sublets, etc.? How do I fill out a change of address form if I haven't found an apartment yet? How do I get estimates from my moving company if I don't know where I'm moving to yet? Will they hit me with extra prices if it turns out I rent a 5th floor walkup instead of a 1st floor apartment and, if so, what kind of price markup can I expect? The book answers none of my questions. Note that the only move-specific site mentioned in the book (and it is mentioned repeatedly) was MonsterMoving.com. I could've used pointers to other handy sites like www.movingscam.com. On the bright side, the neighborhood guide is well-organized and there is a list of local telephone numbers (more than 3 years out of date though). But I can't shake the feeling that I could have gotten a lot of this information online.

Moving to NYC for dummies:
That should be the title of this book. Although it claims to have everything you should know when relocating to NYC it focus more on advice on moving that common sense (most part). It doesn't give much information to help you choose the neighborhood. If that's what you're looking for, buy Zany's New York City Apartment Sales and Rental Guide instead.

Helpful but limited:
For all the aspiring actors, writers, and other penniless dreamers trying to make it to NYC, you would probably be better off with a good guidebook ("Let's Go New York" is the best I've found) and some solid internet research. "Relocating" is great for someone who has a job lined up in New York already; not so great for someone wondering how they can find an affordable room while they get on their feet.

Moving to NYC for dummies:
That should be the title of this book. Although it claims to have everything you should know when relocating to NYC it focus more on advice on moving that are common sense (most part). It may be helpful for first time movers. Neverthless, It doesn't give much information to help you choose the neighborhood. If that's what you're looking for, buy Zany's New York City Apartment Sales and Rental Guide instead.

Dismissal of non-WASP neighborhoods like Harlem limits value:
This book has the potential to be a very useful guide to NYC. However, the book's value to non-white, non-elite readers is questionable due to the almost complete lack of information about Harlem, one the NYC's largest and most historically significant neighborhoods. In two sentences, Shapiro totally dismisses it, stating that once you get north of Harlem, "you come back to relative safety and tranquillity." There is no excuse for this blatant bias. Harlem has a fascinating history and is a very livable neighborhood, even for single white professional women. It is also home to important historical landmarks such as the Apollo Theatre and the Schomberg Center for Research. However, the only Harlem "landmark" that Shapiro mentions is Patsy's pizza, but not without the warning, "It's a touch-and-go neighborhood, so plan your travel during daytime or with a group." This makes it sound as if visiting Harlem is akin to going on a jungle safari. The latest "Harlem Renaissance" has been going on since the mid 90s, and gentrification is now in full swing. In terms of quality of life, Harlem offers everything: affordable housing, proximity to several parks, Museum Mile, and midtown offices, as well as an array of restaurants, diners, churches, supermarkets, dry cleaners, jazz clubs and more. In terms of safety, I have never once felt threatened here and have been welcomed into this tight-knit community with true friendliness since the day I arrived. There are other minor problems with this book, but it is this dismissal of Harlem which is the most major oversight. For this reason, I would not recommend this book as it is. For future editions, I strongly recommend that Shapiro explore Harlem-alone-and see what's she's been missing.