Every guide on the site: the four big decisions first, then fitting and living with a piano, then buying and moving it.
The big decisions
Four Choices That Shape Everything Else
Each comparison opens with a table you can read in a minute, then explains when each side makes sense in a New York apartment.
AcousticvsDigital
- SoundStrings and a wooden soundboardSampled or modeled sound through speakers or headphones
- NeighborsHeard next door and belowHeadphones make early and late practice possible
- UpkeepNeeds periodic tuning and, over the years, regulation of the actionNo tuning
UprightvsGrand
- Floor spaceStands against a wallNeeds open floor on three sides plus room for the bench
- Getting it inMoves upright through doors, stairs and elevatorsLegs and lyre come off and the body travels on its side on a board
- SoundSoundboard faces the wallSoundboard lies flat and projects up and out
NewvsUsed
- ConditionKnownDepends on age, use, climate and past repairs
- WarrantyUsually a written manufacturer’s warranty you can read before buyingAnything from a dealer’s written warranty to none at all in an “as is” sale
- PriceHighest for the modelLower for the same size, with a wide range by condition
RentvsBuy
- CommitmentMonthly, or even a single day for an eventYou own it until you sell, give away or dispose of it
- Upfront costDelivery charge and the first paymentThe full price or a financing agreement, plus delivery
- Moving outThe company collects itYou arrange and pay for the move
The Big Decisions
Acoustic or digital, upright or grand, new or used, rent or buy.
- Acoustic or Digital Piano for a New York Apartment?Sound, neighbors, upkeep and moving: how the two compare when you live above and below other people.
- Upright or Grand Piano in a New York ApartmentFloor space, the route to your door, sound in a small room and what each shape asks of the building.
- New or Used Piano: What Changes When You Buy in New YorkWarranties, condition, rebuilt instruments, private sellers and the New York rules that apply to each.
- Renting or Buying a Piano in NYCMonthly rentals, rent-to-own and buying outright, plus what to do with a piano you no longer need.
Apartment Life
Fitting a piano into a New York building and living with it there.
- Will a Piano Fit in Your Apartment? Measuring the Route and the RulesDoors, stair turns, elevators, the board’s paperwork and the room itself, in the order movers meet them.
- Piano Noise and Neighbors in New York CityWhat the city noise code says, how complaints work and what the city’s own guidance suggests for quieter rooms.
- Caring for a Piano During New York’s Heat SeasonWhy radiator heat dries a piano, what conservators recommend for wood and a simple winter routine.
- Where to Put a Piano in a Small ApartmentFour common New York layouts and the spot that works best in each, balancing heat, sun, neighbors and space.
Buying and Moving
Where to shop, what to check, your rights as a buyer and how the piano gets home.
- Where to Buy a Piano in New York CityMaker showrooms, independent dealers, rebuilders, rental companies and private sellers, and how to shop each.
- Checking a Used Piano Before You PayA walk-through you can do yourself in twenty minutes, and what to leave to a technician.
- Your Rights When Buying a Piano in New YorkRefund policies, delivery dates, grey market warranties, federal warranty rules and sales tax, from the text of the rules.
- Moving a Piano in New York City: Licenses, Estimates and Damage ClaimsWhat New York State requires of movers, how estimates and payment at delivery work, and how to file a claim.