First solo apartment in the city, Washington Heights, prewar walk-up. Management says no packages left at my apartment door or in the vestibule, but there's no doorman and no package room. I work in the office three days a week and can't be home for FedEx. My first Chewy order already ended up as a 'sorry we missed you' sticker. What do people actually do for packages here? Do I bribe the bodega? Use a locker? Send everything to my office until they hate me? I know this is NYC 101, but my old place had a leasing office with a package shelf.

Relatable. I moved to Bed-Stuy first-time this year and my building has the same rule. I sent a few things to my office, but they got weird when the box was big and the front desk had to store it all day. I looked up UPS Access Point but haven't tried it yet. Are bodegas really okay with this? I don't want to just walk in and ask like it's a favor.

Very common. For a longer settle-in checklist, see the earlier thread Swapping Pennsylvania plates for Queens after a move: how fast do I actually have to go to DMV? about swapping Pennsylvania plates for Queens after a move: how fast do I actually have to go to DMV?—different chore, same 'who forgot to tell me this' panic. Packages are manageable, but you have to set up a system.

The short version: do not let carriers leave things in the vestibule. Even if your lease says no door drops, most carriers ignore it until the building complains, and you're the one who gets blamed.

Options, in order of least friction:

• Use carrier holds: FedEx and UPS let you route to a staffed pickup point. This is best for expensive stuff or huge boxes.
• Pharmacy/access point lockers: They're fine until a busy week, then lockers fill up. Choose one on your commute, not just closest to home.
• Bodega or laundromat: Ask during a quiet time, not the morning rush. Some will say no. If they say yes, confirm what they'll take (small boxes only, no furniture, no cold food). Put your name on packages and pick up within a day or two.
• Work delivery: Fine for a few things, not for cat food or toilet paper if you have a long commute.

A small cash thank-you or monthly gesture matters if you use a bodega regularly. These guys are not obligated to hold your stuff.

Oldyork is right. The bodega move is not that deep once you're a regular. I bought breakfast there three mornings in a row, then asked if I could send small packages. He said yes. Now I text him tracking when it's something big. Just don't be the person whose box sits in the vestibule for four days.

If you're by 161st and Broadway, there are a few access points on the avenue, but they fill up in December.

Appreciate it. I'm near 161st and Broadway, so pharmacy pickup is possible but the line is always wild after work. I'll ask the bodega on 162nd this week. Do people tip per package or just a handshake and cash at the end of the month?

Also, my lease says no door drops, but the FedEx guy left one in the vestibule anyway. I grabbed it, but now I'm paranoid every time I miss a delivery.

Wait, same thing happened to me. I got a note under my door saying a box was in the vestibule, but the tracking said delivered. Is that on me even if I didn't ask them to leave it?

I tried the pharmacy Access Point once and it closed before I got there. Bodega might be the move if they have later hours. What do I even say when I ask?

Yes, if a carrier left it in the vestibule, the building will usually blame the resident unless the package disappears and you file a claim. You didn't ask for it, but you're the one with the lease. Set carrier preferences in the app and put the access point as default.

For asking a bodega: go at a quiet time, buy something, and keep it simple. 'Do you ever hold packages for people in the building?' If they say no, don't argue. If they say yes, ask what they'll accept. Small boxes are usually fine. Big stuff, cold stuff, or anything you need same-day should go to a hold.

Tipping: a monthly cash thank-you is easier than per package. The amount is less important than being consistent and not leaving stuff there for a week.

One more caveat: don't send medications, passports, or anything you can't replace to a bodega. Use the carrier's hold at a staffed location or a private mailbox.

If you have a regular schedule, you can also talk to your super. Some supers will take small packages if you ask politely and don't expect it when they're off. The key is not treating it like an amenity you're owed.

Bodega guy said no at first, then I ate a BEC from him three mornings straight and he changed his mind. Now I tip cash monthly and he texts me when something looks like it got wet.

If you're at 161st and Broadway, there are a couple of access points along the avenue, but around the holidays they're full by noon. Just pick a bodega and become a regular. That's the NYC way.

Okay, I asked my corner bodega this morning. Owner said small boxes only, nothing heavy or cold, and I have to pick up within two days. He said don't send furniture, which is fair.

I'm at two or three packages a week. Is that too many? I don't want to be annoying. Thanks for the advice, genuinely.

Update: asked the bodega on 162nd after work. Owner said yes if my name is on the box and I grab it within two days. I also set my UPS default to the pharmacy hold for anything big. No more vestibule roulette.

This was the most confusing part of moving and it turned out to be a five-minute conversation plus regular coffee. Thanks for the blunt advice.

Good outcome. For the next first-timer reading this: package delivery in a prewar walk-up is mostly about creating a routine before you miss something expensive.

A few final things:

• Update your address with banks, insurance, and anyone who sends tax or legal stuff first. USPS forwarding does not catch everything, and important mail can sit in the old building's vestibule longer than you think.
• Put the access point in your carrier app now, not after the first missed delivery.
• If your bodega starts holding packages, don't take advantage. Pick up quickly, don't use it for big freight, and keep a small thank-you regular.
• If packages get stolen from the vestibule anyway, report it to management and file a claim with the carrier. The building saying 'no door drops' can help you with the carrier, but it doesn't automatically make you whole.

It's one of those NYC things nobody tells you until you're standing in the hallway with a 'sorry we missed you' sticker on your door.