When my ship comes in.... We've used Brownstone Brothers with clients and they were GOOD. They make the nervewrackingness of moving fade away with their calm, precision and expert service. Call them on the phone and someone will pick up after one ring. This is high end at its best.
MUG has recommended them, NY Magazine has named them best mover of the year, and The Franklin Report gives them a top rating along with the tip that "many decorators and the carriage trade have been longtime customers of Brownstone Brothers."
While not stuffy, Brownstone Brothers is a long time Upper East Side moving company that recently relocated their offices to the South Bronx. But you don't need to know that. All you need to know is that if you have a big move, a difficult move or a fragile move and you are willing to pay a high amount for high end service, you only need to make one call to arrange for a free estimate. MGR
I loved Brownstone Brothers so much I switched my status from lurker to registered user just so I could comment on them. I recently hired them for a move out of my two-bedroom into a newly renovated three-bedroom, and I sprang for the whole deal: packing, moving, unpacking. When I was a student I moved twice a year for ten years, so it really means something when I say this was the most pleasant move I've ever had in my life.
The crew, which remained the same for the packing and unpacking, with a couple of extra lifter for the actual move day, was pleasant, professional, and really fun to talk to. They were the kind of people I'd like to have a beer with. And these people can pack. They took care of every detail, including figuring out what NOT to pack---extra parts and shelves for items that were to remain in the apartment. Unpacking was amazingly helpful; they helped me find places for stuff, arranged my books, and, most importantly, removed all the packing materials from the house so I wasn't tripping over empty boxes and crumpled paper.
Also, I don't know how to put this without sounding like a horrible xenophobe; I'm actually a naturalized citizen who immigrated here when I was a child. But as a matter of logistics and practicality, it really helps when the people handling all the things you own in the world can communicate effectively with you, and I've had some issues before with movers not understanding my requests, whether because of limited intellectual capacity or limited English. Neither was a problem with anyone working at this company. And as I chatted with them I found out that most of their employees have been with them for many years, a further testament to the high quality of this company and their staff. Many moving companies are staffed by clowns and supervised by thieves. What a relief to deal with hardworking, honorable, dedicated professionals.
I have a two-year-old, and they accommodated her needs, working around her nap time and even unpacking her room the day we moved so she'd have all her things around. As a consequence she slept like, well, like a baby our first night in a strange new home.
Now that our new home is (mostly) finished I hope never to move again. But if I do, I know who I'll call. They're not cheap, but if you can possibly afford it, they will save you priceless amounts of stress. I cannot recommend Brownstone Brothers highly enough.
view jbomama's profile