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How to Find Free Furniture for Your Apartment in New York City

Ever hear the phrase, "one man's trash is another man's treasure"? Well, it still holds true today, especially in New York City. There's even a term for it: dumpster diving. Don't worry, you don't actually dive into dumpsters to retrieve the goods, because in New York City it's basically there on the street ready for the taking. With all the stuff you may find, you may be able to furnish you whole apartment.

Things You'll Need

Walking shoes
Large enough vehicle
Heavy duty gloves
Baby wipes
Grocery bags or trash bags

Instructions

- 1
  Find out where the trash is deposited from your building and other buildings in your neighborhood. Depending on the building and the street, the trash is either placed in the front of the building or somewhere in the back. It might even be worthwhile to befriend the superintendent of your building to find out when and where they place the good stuff.
- 2
  If you're looking for items to fit a small apartment, check out the East Side of Manhattan from 33rd Street and First Avenue to 57th Street and Third Avenue. In this part of town a lot of young people tend to live in tiny studio apartments, so the items you find here will be sofa beds, futons, 19-inch TVs and small dressers.
- 3
  If you're looking for bigger, "antique" pieces, then head to the Upper East Side (60th Street and First Avenue to 86th Street and York Avenue). In this area of Manhattan there are upper-middle to upper class families who live in 1, 2, and 3 bedroom apartments. Here you may find an assortment of items--everything from an Aubusson rug to an Ikea table.
- 4
  If you're looking for big yet funky pieces, then head to the Upper West Side (65th Street and Broadway to 86th Street and Riverside Drive). Here the apartments tend to be bigger, pre-war, and the folks tend to be artsy, creative types. The furniture you may find here will be big, a little shabby, but definitely chic.
- 5
  If your taste is contemporary, elegantly understated and slightly quirky, then head to Soho in lower Manhattan. Here you will find cutting edge sofas, lighting fixtures and chairs.
- 6
  Waldorf Astoria. The Plaza. The Sherry Netherland. All elegant, fancy New York City hotels and all occasionally renovate their rooms. So if you have the time and inclination, scope out these hotels and try to find out where they deposit the stuff they're getting rid of.
- 7
  Check out the Meetup website for when the next NYC Dumpster Diving Meetup will be. (Yes, there are actually meetings and a website for this!)
- 8
  Check out the Freegan website for tips on how to forage for everything from furniture to clothes to, yes, even food. "Freegan" comes from the words "free and "vegan." The followers are people who forage for all of their material needs, instead of buying them, in order to avoid being wasteful consumers.

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