How many times have you moved?

many

Twice in 15 years.

Twice in (very slightly) over a half century in NYC, including the address that I didn't . That does not include a few periods "in exile" when my housing behavior was more typically American.

The scary thing is that I those three addresses are with two or three square miles of each other and I'm now living a half block from the hospital in which I was born.

Then again my mother lived in the same building for 70 years so its highly unlikely I'll match her record (maybe inertia is genetic).

Eight places in the NYC area in the past 20 years.

ali

Seven in 33 years here: five places in first two years (W 70s and once in Washington Heights,)
then the RS place in Yorkville for 12 years, and then bought this place 19 years ago. This one I'll be leaving in a body-bag.

3 apartments in the last 10 years

7 years in a rent-controlled 1 br in the Village, 13 years in a rent-stabilized 2 br on West End Ave, 18 years in 3 br coop on West End Ave, now in a rental in Wburg (less than a year) waiting to move again when we close on a condo.

One year in hell's kitchen rental, five years in gramercy coop, three years in Chelsea condo, six years in pcv. before that so many my head spins just thinking about it. and I enjoy moving.

OMG I had no idea I was surrounded by so many gypsies.

Maybe I should get into the moving business.

5 places in 5 years - ugh!

what do you think has, and will, keep the brokerage community alive? everyone says new hires, new hires. new yorkers move constantly, and most don't have the time or inclination to figure it out for themselves.

Four times: Three months in Clinton Hill (or Clinton Hell, as I called it), 7 years at 2 addresses in the East Village, and a year ago to BPC. Prior to my arrival in NYC I had moved 11 times in 7 years, so it seems comparatively stable - I had done several partial-year stints abroad. What with broker fees it's hard to justify moving very often in NY.

3 times in 20 yrs

5 times in the past 25 years

5 times in 12 years. it sucks

Twice in 33 years

I'm on my 9th apt. in 17.5 years in NYC (mostly Columbia-land & UWS, with one period of exile in Hoboken). Will be looking for no. 10 when my lease runs out next spring.

Never -- still live with my Mom and my no-account alcoholic bachelor uncle.

7 times in 14 years and looking for my 8th. no place more than 3 yrs.

For those of you who have moved around a lot, has it ever became an issue when you went through a background check for a new landlord, background check for a new job, credit check for a loan, etc.?

twice in 16 years

No, as long as everything else in your credit history is good.

And renters, except those benefitting from government regulation or subsidy, move less frequently than owners.

six times in 17 years (Manhattan four and Westchester two).......... and gonna move again soon.
Hey, it keeps the blood flowing ........

9 times in 13 years.

JimJones: new yorkers move constantly, and most don't have the time or inclination to figure it out for themselves.

I've only paid a broker fee once (2002). I think most of my friends have been able to not pay broker fees as well (last year it was OP). While I like the theory of how a broker saves you time, etc. The truth is weeding out the lies and deception of brokers you really don't save anymore time.

10 times in 14 years. lived in upper east side, thompson/bleeker, union square, hell's kitchen, uws, tribeca, financial district (blech), ft greene and brooklyn heights. do not try this at home.

"The truth is weeding out the lies and deception of brokers you really don't save anymore time."

Amen to that. My first 2 moves were sublets, so I only got rooked into paying a fee once, but was not an aboveboard situation at all. Stayed long after I'd outgrown the apartment just because I didn't want to pay a fee again.

I lived for 15 years (1985-2001)In the village then moved 4 times from 2000-2010=chelsea, murray hill,murray hill, peter cooper

4 times in nine years - family's house in queens, cpw bet 107 & 108, alphabet city # 1 and alphabet city # 2.
on the move - true to form!

born uws---2 apts. moved to post-college railroad UES, back to UWS 3 yrs, loft rental downtown 23 yrs. Condo loft NoHo, 20 years. Why move? great neighborhood----if they ever finish the subway construction.----Also, various summer, graduate school, other abodes along the way.

If I were willing to give up my story of still living with my Mom and my no-account alcoholic bachelor uncle, which I'm not, I'd admit to having lived in 10 NY apartments ... and never EVER paying a broker fee.

Glamma, two moves ago for me was the corner of CPW and 107th, so we must have crossed paths ... I apologize for my behavior.

4 apts in 12 years

One move in 12 years this time around. No moves (other than arriving and departing) in a previous NYC stint of 3 years

"I'd admit to having lived in 10 NY apartments"

Holy crap!

> OMG I had no idea I was surrounded by so many gypsies.

Some folks like improving their lot in life... some are content to live under the bqe.

i tell my wife "Since we don't do spring cleaning, we move at least every 3 yrs to get rid of the clutter." lol

ab, there's a fair amount of truth to that, i used to be ruthless when it came to item retention. living in a space that's just a bit too small tends to help some people purge as well (although not all people, and that can get ugly).

Agreed, it is a benefit.

I'm not saying moving can't be a pain, but there is a satisfaction in starting things anew. A new pantry to fill, a new closet, new furniture arrangement, etc.

When I switched from a huge apartment to a smaller one, I had to get rid of a lot, but I realized that most of what I had gotten was stuff I didn't care about but bought to "fill space".

The point, I think, is that when it's time to clean the oven or fridge, it's time to move. About three years sounds right.

"The point, I think, is that when it's time to clean the oven or fridge, it's time to move. About three years sounds right."

You let THREE YEARS go by before cleaning the oven or fridge????

8 apartments in 22 years all in NYC

Living in 5th place over the 27 years since graduating from college (including the move from midwest to here 22 years ago). We had the dream house(town) for 14 years (and no mortgage) and didn't think I would ever move again until the golden years. But funny how her midlife crisis and her shrink and then the lawyers changed all that......

"The point, I think, is that when it's time to clean the oven or fridge, it's time to move. About three years sounds right."

Sounds good to me.

3 times in the burbs (in 15 years) but only 2 times in NYC (in 8 years). Switched towns in burbs, but have not left my nabe in NYC.

The sad thing is Alan some people who will go nameless (except to say they have strong affinity for felines, a certain Bronx based baseball team and bad American beer) use the "time to clean the oven or fridge rule" and then don't move for 25 years.

Actually the fridge had to be cleaned, defrosting the freezer was an annual exercise with an ice pick, spatula and blow dryer.

I'm with you. Fridge is years, unless something spills. Oven once in 19 years, only because an apple pie boiled over. Even then, it'd turned to ashes by the time I got to it, so needed just a whisking.

I've lived in 9 apartments (all rentals, most with roommates) in 11 years in NY. Absolutely ridiculous - this is one of the reasons we want to buy in in the not-too-distant future and live in the place we buy for 7-10 years at least.

But I had reasons/excuses every time: Graduated college with no money, found cheapest rental situation. Then made a little bit, wanted a nicer place/hood. Then moved in with girlfriend. Then broke up with girlfriend and moved out. Then went to grad school and needed to save money again. Then graduated, got a better-paying job, and wanted a nicer place. Then got married, moved in with wife.
Then had kids, needed a bigger place. I might be missing a couple moves in there, but you get the idea.

3 times in 1 year. The first was when I first moved to hte city and i had a 6 mth sublet. but hated the neighborhood (harlem, and I really wanted to like it. then i signed another sublet that was supposed to be 2 1/2 years but the rent was outrageous and roommate situation akward (UES). Now I am on a lease for 1 year in Washington Heights. And at the very least, if I have to move out of this apartment when my lease is up I hope to stay in the neighborhood.
No broker's fee. This last time I moved I found that while broker's are supposed to save you time they actually consumed more time. I was constantly having to rearrange my schedule to see apartments when they could take me to them.

I work for Divine Moving ( http://www.divinemoving.com ) and we see that most renters move every 2-3 years on average, and home owners of 1BR move every 4-5 years.
The 2BR and 3BR apartments move less often every 3-6 years on average.

3 times in 6 years. I always sign 2 year leases and move after every one expires.

Well, I'm taking comfort from this thread. I thought I was the only unsettled flibbertigibbet who moved a whole hell of a lot. Now, here's the thing ---- i always think: NOW I'm going to stay in this place forever!!!! But that feeling always dissolves for a whole variety of reasons.

5 times in 18 years although it seems like more. 4 times in UES, once in Murray Hill. I'll be moving again in the fall and am truly unhappy about needing to pack up everything and move again. The only saving grace is that this time I'll be moving to an apartment with an in-unit washer-dryer which will make the move worthwhile to me.

2 years in a rental in Inwood.
1.5 years in a rental in Hell's Kitchen.
1.5 years in a coop in Kew Gardens.
3 years in a coop in Sunnyside.
1 year in a rental on the UES.
Now going on 2 years in a rental in Midtown.

I guess that's six moves in 11 years, counting the initial move into the City.

2.5 years in Long Island (Nassau)
3 years in Financial District
3.5 years in Hell's Kitchen
3 years in Brooklyn Heights

next stop...DC (don't laugh)

would be interesting to overlay this with ages and family status.
wonder if the landlords have that data.

similar thread: http://streeteasy.com/nyc/talk/discussion/32639-number-of-years-in-your-current-or-next-apartment

I have lived in Manhattan full time since 1990. I have lived in 14 locations. That includes purchasing/selling three coops and one condo along the way. The rest were rentals....

Always lived on UES. 4 different apartments over last 15 years.