If you’re one of the nearly 8.5 million people who live and work in New York City, chances are you could use a little extra room for your stuff.
The average apartment size in the Big Apple clocks in at a mere 919 square feet, according to Apartment Advisor. Once you bring in necessities like a bed, dresser and couch — and maybe a roommate or two — that doesn’t leave a lot of room for much else.
But short of navigating the city in search of a larger apartment, what options do New Yorkers have?
How about mini storage?
Whether you’re sharing a Brooklyn apartment with a cadre of roommates or a small business owner operating out of a crammed storefront in Manhattan, mini storage offers the additional space you’re looking for without the hassle of finding a bigger home or office.
New Yorkers Who Need Self Storage
You meet all kinds in New York — and they each have their own self storage needs. Let’s take a look at a few different types of New Yorker and share what storage options might make the most sense for them.
What kind of New Yorker are you?
Roomie Without Room
Living with roommates is a way of live in NYC, often leaving little room for your personal belongings.
Enter self-storage, specifically — the storage locker. This mini storage solution is the perfect way to find that extra bit of room to keep your personal belongings personal. For a fraction of the cost of finding (and paying for) a bigger apartment, a storage locker provides space for things like sporting gear, school stuff or your collection of band T-shirts you used to store in the oven.
Plus, with dozens of New York-area CubeSmart facilities, your stuff will remain close at hand without annoying your roommates.
Business Owner Without an Office
As the song goes, if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere. If you’re working to build a business in old New York, you realize space fills up pretty quickly — from setting up your office or storefront to storing excess inventory.
No matter what type of space you need to make your business grow, CubeSmart’s self-storage solutions can help you hustle. With storage units in a range of sizes, you can find space for marketing collateral, extra product or business documents.
Features like climate-controlled units ensure your business belongings remain safe and secure for when you need them. Some units even have electrical power, if you need a place to set up a printer or other equipment in a pinch.
Bike Messenger Always on The Go
Master navigators of NYC streets, bike messengers zoom across the boroughs like Mercury ferrying messages for the gods. These unsung heroes of NYC commerce are always on the go — through rain, sun or snow.
Braving the elements all day, every day creates a need for the occasional change of clothes and opportunity to freshen up. Our self-storage options give bike messengers a place to stash a spare outfit if they need to fight that inevitable funk from pedaling across the city.
Or in the event of a biking emergency like a flat tire or busted bike, our convenient locations offer the space to store spare equipment like a second bike or extra tires and chains to get back on the road quickly and safely.
Chef Without Kitchen Space
These gastronomical geniuses are concocting New York’s buzziest dining delicacies and destinations. But like their fellow New Yorkers, space in their restaurants and kitchens fills up easily, leaving little spare room for anything beyond the essentials.
In these instances, self-storage is the secret ingredient, providing ample room for extra equipment, dry ingredients and supplies. Storage units with drive-up access also eliminate the hassle of hauling items back to the restaurant by hand.
Some CubeSmart locations also provide extra security with bright lights, taking the stress out of an after-hours or late-night storage unit run during a busy weekend dinner rush.
Drivers Spinning Their Wheels
From iconic New York cabbies to mobile-era Uber drivers, these New Yorkers spend their days transporting visitors, tourists, professionals and families alike across the boroughs.
This life behind the wheel offers little personal space — even in a personal vehicle. And if they need to park for a hot minute? Fuhgeddaboudit.
But with self-storage, the city’s army of chauffeurs can lease some personal space that often offers drive-up access and storage units easily accessible between trips. They can keep a spare shirt for that inevitable sudden-stop coffee spill or extra cases of water, sports drinks and snacks for that much-needed energy boost before shift’s end.
Mini Storage: The Affordable and Convenient Way to Store Your Belongings
No matter what kind of New Yorker you are, CubeSmart offers an array of convenient, easily accessible self-storage solutions throughout the five boroughs that will give you the additional space you need for your belongings at affordable prices.
At CubeSmart’s NYC self-storage locations and facilities you’ll find storage lockers and units ranging in size to store whatever you need — from seasonal items such as clothes and Christmas decorations to bulky furniture and excess business inventory.
Our facilities also offer various amenities and features that go beyond the basics of storage to provide extra security and convenience. Amenities vary by location, but you can find New York-area locations with the features and amenities you need.
How to Find the Best Mini Storage Unit for Your Needs
Everybody’s needs are different when it comes to storage — especially in New York. But here are a few general guidelines to help you find the best type of mini storage unit.
- Determine the Purpose of Your Storage Unit: It’s always important to start with why you need mini storage in the first place. Are you a student or roommate who needs extra space for out-of-season clothing? Do you own a restaurant and need some place to store extra kitchen supplies? Figuring out the reason why you need mini storage will help you pick the right size.
- Measure Your Stuff: Whether you need a lot of space or just a little, CubeSmart’s mini storage locations around the city offer a range of size options to meet your needs, but it’s best to measure your stuff so you know exactly the amount of space you need. Plus, it’s not always easy to estimate how much space you need, especially if you’re storing bulky items like furniture. Help yourself out and measure your larger items before touring potential mini storage facilities.
- Consider Location: When finding the right mini storage unit for your needs, location is another key factor to consider. It’s best to pick one that is close enough to where you live that will make it easy to get to and access when you need it. With dozens of facilities scattered around greater New York, there’s a CubeSmart location near you no matter where you live.
- Ask About Payment Policies: Don’t forget to ask about how to make your mini storage payments. Not all storage operators are created equal and some even require long-term contracts. At CubeSmart, we offer no-commitment, month-to-month leases, as well as online and mobile payments to save yourself a trip to the facility.
Ready to Reserve Your New York Mini Storage Unit?
Living in New York can be a little cramped. It’s time to give yourself that extra room you’ve been needing. With nearly 100 mini storage facilities scattered across the greater NYC area, A CubeSmart storage unit will help you declutter your home or office without sacrificing your possessions. Got questions? Call us or use the chat feature to speak with a CubeSmart teammate. We’re here to help you with your storage needs!
