For Renters:
Getting Settled

The following information is a general guide for fledgling New Yorkers who are trying to get settled.

Driver's licenses

For on-line instructions visit http://www.nydmv.state.ny.us/.

Application forms for a Learner's Permit, a Driver's License, or Non-Driver ID card are available at all Motor Vehicle offices. See the list below for offices in Manhattan. If you are transferring an out-of-state license to a New York license, both written and road tests may be waived if you hold an out-of-state license that is valid, or expired within the last 12 months. The out-of-state license must be surrendered to obtain a New York license. The out-of-state license must have been in effect for six months to qualify for a test waiver. To transfer your license, you must bring proof of your name and proof of your date of birth. An eye exam is also required. Eye tests may be taken at Motor Vehicle offices or you may bring in Form MV-619 (Visual Acuity Report) completed by a medical doctor, registered nurse, optometrist, or optician within the last six months.

To register a vehicle for the first time

Bring the following to your local Motor Vehicle office:

• Completed registration/title application
• Proof of ownership
• Proof of insurance in the registrant's name
• Proof of inspection
• Sales tax clearance
• Proof of registrant's name and date of birth
• If the registrant is not the owner of the vehicle, registration authorization from the owner together with proof of the owner's name and date of birth
• If the vehicle was purchased from a dealer/leasing company, an odometer disclosure statement
• Bill of sale
• Appropriate fee

To change a registration and/or title

Provide the following to your local Motor Vehicle office:

• Completed registration/title application
• The current registration receipt
• For vehicles newer than 1973, the certificate of title
• Proof of registrant's (or new owner's) name
• The appropriate fee
• For a change in name, partnership, vehicle year, vehicle identification numbers or registration class, also provide:
  • Proof of insurance in the registrant's name
  • Proof of change to be made

Motor Vehicle Offices

• 141-155 Worth Street (between Center and Baxter, across from City Hall)
• 2110 Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard

For more information, call 645-5550

There are a number of companies that provide the necessary services for a comfortable home. The most commonly used are:

• Gas and Electric: Con Edison at(800) 752-6633, or call our Concierge, Dana Williams, at 212-327-1200, x235 or e-mail her at dwilliams@coldwellbanker.com. (Heat and hot water are included in the rent in most buildings, but not all. Gas is included in some).
• Telephone: Verizon at 890-2350.
• Cable: Time Warner at 674-9100.

For kids, moving can be stressful, especially if they don't know what to expect. And for older youngsters, few things are worse than being the new kid on the block. Here are some fear-easing suggestions:

Before the move:

• Keep your children informed about your moving plans.
• Take the kids to their new home as soon as possible.
• Visit the neighborhood with your children to see what facilities will likely interest them, such as the library, shops and playgrounds.
• Arrange a tour of your children's new school
• Explain what moving day will entail and reassure your children that their possessions will be handled carefully.

On moving day:

• Set up the children's rooms right away to give them a place to unwind and play while you organize the rest of the family's belongings.

Settling in:

• Take a walk in the neighborhood to meet new neighbors and potential playmates for your children.
• If your children have been active in any religious, sports, social, ethnic or cultural organizations, contact such groups in your new neighborhood.
• Invite families on your floor or in your building for lunch so that kids can get to know each other in a relaxed atmosphere.

Public Schools

New York's public school system is one of the largest in the country, with more children enrolled in its public schools than 12 states and the District of Columbia have in total population! Call the Board of Education for help in finding your way through the enrollment process:

Board of Education
110 Livington Street
Brooklyn, New York 11201
1-718-935-2000

or you can log onto www.nycenet.edu.

To find out where your child should attend school (Elementary, Junior High, or High School) contact:

The Office of Zoning and Integration
28-11 Queens Plaza North
Long Island City, New York 11101
1-718-391-8000

Listings for New York's Public Schools appear by district under the heading "Education" in the New York City Government Offices section of the Blue Pages in the Verizon telephone book.

Parochial Schools

Contact: The Archdiocese of New York 1-212-691-3381

Private Schools

For information about toddler groups, nursery schools and day schools, contact:

The Parents League 1-212-737-7385 or www.parentsleague.org.