Crown Heights and Prospect Lefferts Gardens sit side by side east of Prospect Park, roughly split by Empire Boulevard. On one block you find rowhouses with stoops. On the next you find a large prewar apartment building. On Eastern Parkway, apartment houses face a landmark boulevard. Each of these moves a little differently, so it pays to know what you are working with before moving day.
Rowhouses and historic blocks
Much of this area is protected by the city. The Landmarks Preservation Commission lists three Crown Heights North historic districts and the Prospect Lefferts Gardens Historic District (designated in 1979) among its Brooklyn districts (NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission: Brooklyn historic district maps). For a move, that mostly means old houses: stoops, narrow stairs with tight turns, and original woodwork and banisters you do not want scratched.
- Measure the turns of the staircase, not only the doors. A sofa that fits through the front door can still get stuck at the second landing.
- Tell the crew which details matter to you, such as a carved banister or an old glass door, so they protect those first.
- In a two- or three-family house, tell your neighbors the day and the time. The hall and the stoop will be busy for a while.
Beds, tables, desks and many sofas can be taken apart. We take furniture apart and put it back together in your new home. On a tight stair, that is often the difference between an easy carry and a damaged wall.
Prewar elevator buildings
The larger apartment buildings in both neighborhoods are mostly prewar, with small elevators and a super who controls the schedule. Ask the super or the managing agent three things early: which hours moves are allowed, whether you can reserve the elevator, and whether the building needs a certificate of insurance (COI). If it does, ask for a sample and send it to us. We send the COI your building asks for. Our list of 5 questions to ask your building covers the rest.
Eastern Parkway: three roadways and side roads
Eastern Parkway is a New York City Scenic Landmark. The Landmarks Preservation Commission designated it in 1978, from Grand Army Plaza to Ralph Avenue, and describes it as three roadways divided by two broad, tree-lined malls (NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission: Eastern Parkway Scenic Landmark designation, 1978 (PDF)). If your building is on the parkway, the truck usually loads on the side road in front of your door, where the posted signs allow. Tell us the building number and which side of the parkway it is on, so the crew plans the right approach.
The same report notes that the parkway is the site of many important parades and festivals, including the West Indian-American Day Carnival Parade. If your moving date is close to one of them, check for street closures before you confirm it.
How a moving truck reaches your block
A moving truck has to follow New York City’s truck routes. Under the city’s traffic rules, a truck with a stop in Brooklyn may leave the truck route only at the intersection nearest its stop, go the most direct way to the door, and then return the most direct way to the nearest truck route (NYC Rules: adopted truck route rule, 34 RCNY 4-13, effective October 4, 2026 (PDF)). The Brooklyn list was last updated on October 4, 2026 (NYC DOT: truck route changes effective October 4, 2026 (PDF)).
In this part of Brooklyn, the listed truck routes include Atlantic Avenue, Nostrand Avenue, Utica Avenue, Rogers Avenue, Flatbush Avenue, Empire Boulevard between Flatbush Avenue and Utica Avenue, and Troy Avenue between East New York Avenue and Empire Boulevard (NYC Rules: adopted truck route rule, 34 RCNY 4-13, effective October 4, 2026 (PDF)). Eastern Parkway is not on the list. The truck comes off the nearest listed avenue and takes the shortest legal way to your door, so the crew plans that last part of the drive before moving day.
Parking and timing
- Walk your block a week ahead. Note the parking signs, hydrants, bus stops and driveways, and tell us about them.
- Check the alternate side parking calendar. On days when street cleaning rules are suspended, parked cars often stay put all day, so an early start helps (NYC DOT: alternate side parking calendar).
- Change your address with USPS before the move (USPS: change your address).
- Keep keys, documents and medicine with you, not in the truck.
Questions we hear
Can a moving truck park on Eastern Parkway?
Buildings on the parkway are usually loaded from the side road in front of the building, where the posted signs allow. Tell us the address and which side of the parkway it is on.
Do moving trucks have to use truck routes in Brooklyn?
Yes. City traffic rules require trucks to use the listed truck routes and to leave them only near their stop, by the most direct way.
My building is a prewar co-op. What should I ask first?
Ask about the allowed move hours, the elevator reservation and the certificate of insurance (COI). Send us the building’s COI sample early.
How do I get a written estimate?
Call (646) 588-1374 or use the quote form on our home page. The estimate is free and in writing.
Free written estimate: call (646) 588-1374 or use the quote form on our home page. Family business since 1999 · Licensed and insured · U.S. DOT No. 967970 (MC-432549) · NYSDOT 34875 · NJPM 000930 · Company facts
More Brooklyn moving guides
- Fort Greene and Clinton Hill Moves: Brownstones, Stoops and Historic Blocks
- Moving in Flatbush and Ditmas Park: Freestanding Houses, Prewar Apartments and Truck Routes
- Change of Address Checklist for Your NYC Move: Who to Notify
Official sources
- NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission: Brooklyn historic district maps
- NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission: Eastern Parkway Scenic Landmark designation, 1978 (PDF)
- NYC Rules: adopted truck route rule, 34 RCNY 4-13, effective October 4, 2026 (PDF)
- NYC DOT: truck route changes effective October 4, 2026 (PDF)
- NYC DOT: alternate side parking calendar
- USPS: change your address
Rules and city services change. We checked the official links on this page on October 11, 2026; please confirm on the linked page before you book.