International Removals to Washington DC or New York City – Which is Better?
Both Washington DC and New York City are famous the world over as two of the largest cities on the USA’s east coast – but which is the best city to move to? Here The Moving Partnership, who offer international removals to Washington and New York, take a closer look.
Getting There (and Getting Back)
Catching a flight to either city from the UK will take you about the same amount of time to each - roughly seven hours. In Washington, the closest airport (Ronald Reagan National Airport) mainly offers domestic flights, the main international airport (Dulles) is 26 miles to the west, but it does serve passengers from all over the world and is integrated into the city’s public transport system.
In New York, the main international airport (JFK) is in the borough of Queens and is much closer to the city centre; the next nearest is Newark Liberty in New Jersey. There is also a nearby domestic airport, LaGuardia, which is the closest airport to the island of Manhattan.
When it comes to public transport and getting around either city, the New York subway is more comprehensive, but the Washington DC subway system is much newer and cleaner.
Languages
Obviously, if you are interested in international removals to New York or Washington from the UK, there’s no real language barrier – English is by far the commonest language.
However, there are plenty of other tongues which are common in both cities – notably Spanish, Chinese, Russian, French, German and Italian. This reflects the immigrant history of both cities, and the fact that each nationality has its own flourishing community in both New York and Washington.
The Tourists
New York City is the most visited city in the USA, shortly followed by Los Angeles in California. Famously, it’s known as ‘The City That Never Sleeps’ and, according to the WorldAtlas website, more than 10 million tourists visit every year. In contrast, Washington DC is down in eighth place, with around 2million visitors per year.
Some New York residents don’t like the influx of visitors, as it can get extremely crowded in certain places at certain times, such as on St Patrick’s Day and Thanksgiving Day and at major tourist locations such as the Empire State Building, Central Park, Times Square (pictured at the beginning of this article) Broadway and The Statue of Liberty. However, these are all iconic places or events that people like to see.
The same applies – to a lesser extent – to Washington DC. In comparison to New York City, many of the top tourist locations in DC are related to American history rather than entertainment. There’s the Capitol Hill, pictured above, the White House, The Lincoln Memorial and all the various national museums found in the city.
The Cost of Living and Other Factors
In this regard, Washington DC definitely has the edge – the cost of day-to-day living is much lower than in New York City. House prices, rent, food, eating out are all cheaper in the capital city. The cost of utilities is one of the few things which is roughly comparable between the two cities.
However, it’s a common misconception that New York has a much higher crime rate – Washington actually has more serious violent crime statistics than its near-neighbour. As with all major cities around the world, it’s just a case of being careful and being aware of your surroundings, particularly if you are on your own at night.
Which is the Best City to Move to?
There’s no easy answer – each city has its own strengths and weaknesses.
If you have the choice, Washington DC may be the best place to move to if you have children, and have less disposable income, but if you are single or a couple, you’ll find more things to do and places to visit in New York City. However, if you’re a lover of American history, Washington DC has a wealth of monuments and museums for you to explore and appreciate.
Whether you are interested in international removals to New York City or Washington DC, The Moving Partnership can get you there, and at a competitive price; in fact we can move you to all parts of the USA, including California, Texas, Florida, Nevada and beyond!
We offer the choice of a dedicated service, where you have exclusive use of your own shipping container; a groupage service, where it is shared with other people’s belongings; and we can send smaller items via air freight. We can also pack and unpack your items for you and offer removals insurance. For more information about the packages we can offer, follow this link; you can also call us on 0800 772 3709.
