When winter rolls around and the temperature starts to drop, the time comes once again for the annual migration southward. Snowbirding is a long held tradition among Northerners who can’t, or don't want, to handle the ferocity of winter. While most snowbirds are retirees who can afford to split time between north and south, there has been an increase in younger snowbirds in recent years. With winter right around the corner, now’s the best time to highlight our top snowbirding locations.

Essentials of Snowbirding in Florida

Before we dive right into our top snowbirding locations, we should discuss the must-have elements of a good snowbirding spot. First and foremost, the weather needs to be warm year round. If you have to worry about snow and ice, what’s the point of snowbirding? Florida is the most popular state for snowbirds for exactly this reason. 

You’ll also need places to stay, such as rental communities or RV resorts, that fit with your personal lifestyle. For the extroverts out there, you’ll also want to make sure you have plenty of access to community activities near the place you’re staying. When you’ve settled on the way you want to stay, you can begin looking for the ideal locations for your snowbird adventure.

Bradenton, FL

On the Manatee River as it flows into Tampa Bay, Bradenton is one of Florida’s Gulf Coast communities. Bradenton has several rental communities and RV parks that give options of how you stay as well as having many different options for things to do. The South Florida Museum is a one stop destination for many different educational opportunities. In recent years, downtown Bradenton has become an art district with sites like the Village of the Arts. You can also easily visit the city of Tampa if you’re looking for big city thrills. For an excellent coastal city, Bradenton is a great place to stay for the winter.

Cortez, FL

Cortez is a village by Bradenton in prime position for beach access and fishing. Gulf Coast beaches are just a few minutes drive away from Cortez, and the marinas and fishing charters mean that you can easily find some great spots to cast a line. The Florida Maritime Museum is also in Cortez if you would like to learn more about maritime history. You can find great locations to stay right on the water or further inland.

Seffner, FL

Seffner is a quiet suburb of Tampa on the route to Plant City. It offers several rental options both in the village and in neighboring Mango. It borders Lake Weeks and Lake Hooker, with Lake Weeks in particular being well-known for its fishing and its Spanish Moss. While Seffner isn’t coastal, it is close to Tampa, so you’ll still have easy access to the beach and ocean. You can also find six public parks and a local animal conservation center. Seffner is an excellent choice for fishermen as well as snowbirds looking to be near a big city without being in the middle of things.

Tamarac, FL

Tamarac is located in the Miami metropolitan area near Fort Lauderdale. It features several RV parks as well as rental options for snowbirds. If you love golf, Tamarac is a great place to winter with multiple courses within the limits of the suburb. You can also easily access the rest of the Miami area and visit the beaches of Fort Lauderdale. For soccer fans, DRC PNK Stadium, home of Inter Miami CF, is also nearby down Commercial Boulevard. If you’re looking for a place to spend the winter near Miami and Fort Lauderdale, Tamarac is an ideal choice.

Largo, FL

Largo is another city in the Tampa Bay area with a wide range of various housing options. With RV parks and multiple housing communities in the area, you can find a location that fits your specific needs for proximity or amenities. Largo has been named the Arbor Day Tree city 32 times as of writing due to its sheer amount of urban vegetation. With golf courses, beaches, botanical gardens, and more, Largo is an excellent location to hole up for the winter. 

Snowbird Storage with Safeguard Self Storage 

Bringing your belongings back and forth from north to south every year comes with the territory of being a snowbird. What if you could lessen the load by leaving behind some of the items you only use at your winter home? Safeguard Self Storage offers storage solutions in each of the best snowbird locations in Florida. When you pack up to return home, leave some of your belongings with us and save yourself the hassle of bringing them back every spring. We provide a wide selection of storage unit sizes and types, allowing you to find the right unit for you. Find a Safeguard storage facility near you today!

For some, working from home during the pandemic has been a blessing in disguise. From eliminating long commute times and increasing productivity levels to taking control of more aspects of daily life, remote work has proven to be a positive experience for quite a few employees during this unusual year.

Unfortunately for many others, the long-term departure from the office (on top of the anxiety-inducing effects of the pandemic) has left them feeling isolated, unmotivated, and mentally cluttered.

Much like junk drawers, kitchen cabinets, and storage closets, our minds can easily become a cluttered mess—which means they need a bit of tidying from time to time to maintain a balanced headspace.

Fortunately, if your thoughts are in a chaotic jumble due to COVID-19 and your new remote work environment, Safeguard Self Storage is here to help. With this guide, we will teach you how to declutter your mind while navigating your work-from-home experience. By doing so, you can stay mentally and emotionally sharp as we wait for society to return to normal.

1. Start a Journal

One of the easiest ways you can start decluttering your mind is to keep a journal. Whether you reach for a pocket-sized notebook or a few sheets of ruled paper, hand-writing your negative thoughts—including jotting down quick notes or creating a bulleted list—will help you get rid of mental baggage and clear your mind for daily work-related tasks.

According to the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, journaling reduces intrusive thoughts about negative events while improving your working memory. In fact, researchers believe these improvements free up cognitive resources for other mental activities, including our ability to effectively cope with stress.

Other benefits of journaling include:

• Prioritizing problems, fears, and concerns in a clear manner.
• Tracking and recognizing triggers while learning better ways to control them.
• Identifying negative thoughts and behaviors, as well as opportunities for positive self-talk.

You don’t have to be an expert writer to get the mental health benefits of journaling, either—so don’t hesitate to write whatever you feel without worrying about proper sentence structure or grammar. 

2. Reduce News and Social Media Consumption

While staying informed about the pandemic is a good thing, too much news and social media consumption can leave your mind in a cluttered tailspin. Between spending multiple hours online each day for work and a constant flow of content from every angle, it’s easy for negative news cycles and social media posts to clutter your thoughts and even trigger depression.

Thankfully, many smartphones offer features that allow you to limit social media app use daily. For example, on iOS devices, you can use the “Screen Time” feature to set app time limits—making it easy to track how much you are interacting with platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, or any news application every day.  

In addition to spending less time with social media platforms, it’s important to make the right decisions when it comes to media consumption. Only follow reliable news sources for important updates and avoid click-bait articles with catchy headlines that are from unknown sources. Also, unsubscribe from unnecessary news subscriptions in your email, and do your best to organize your inbox.

3. Take On One Task at a Time

While working from home, you likely have a lot on your mind. With work-related tasks on top of looming household chores or personal errands, it can be easy to get lost in multitasking projects that do more harm than good.

If you are constantly bouncing back and forth between different tasks in an effort to complete them faster, you could be adding additional clutter into your mind—meaning your limited attention span will make it difficult to focus and absorb information. In fact, according to research conducted by the Stanford Memory Lab, heavy multitaskers actually have a reduced capacity for memory. 

Rather than allowing unnecessary multitasking to cause you to stress or impair your cognitive control, try to focus on a single task at a time. To help get you started, make daily checklists that begin with your most important task and end with your simplest task. This will allow you to devote all your mental brainpower to each item on your to-do list while avoiding debilitating mental clutter.

4. Streamline Your At-Home Workspace

When it comes to mental clutter, your physical workspace plays an integral role in your ability to maintain a well-balanced headspace. If your at-home office or workstation is filled with excessive stimuli, unorganized clutter, or physical distractions, your mind could be working overtime—even when you’re trying to complete simple tasks.

No matter if you are working from a kitchen table, desk, or breakfast bar, you should declutter your main workspace as soon as possible. Begin by getting rid of all unnecessary or non-essential items from your work area, as well as giving your essential items a proper place.

Clear up unruly piles of paper, take old coffee cups to your kitchen sink or dishwasher, and make sure you have plenty of space for your computer and other essential work materials. As you continue to work from home, make it a point to organize and clear your workspace every day prior to tackling your assignments.

Let Safeguard Help You Declutter Your Mind

At Safeguard Self Storage, we know the importance of having a clutter-free mind—and oftentimes that starts with having a clutter-free workspace. If you are new to working from home and you don’t have a designated, organized office area, our selection of contact-free self storage units can help you clear out space for one today.

Find your local Safeguard facility today and start taking control of your remote work environment during the pandemic.

When it comes to the COVID-19 pandemic, new societal rules have taken a toll on all of us. From wearing face coverings in public spaces to working from home becoming the new normal, people across the country have changed their daily routines to curb the spread of this dangerous virus. Consequently, one group of youngsters has had to adapt to these major changes practically overnight: students.

With new regulations being implemented in schools—such as adding sneeze guards around desks or minimizing physical interaction between peers—many students have been introduced to hybrid learning for the first time. Hybrid learning combines online and in-person education into one curriculum, meaning some students can learn remotely while others learn in a traditional classroom setting simultaneously.

While hybrid learning has been around for some time, many teachers and parents are just now adopting these remote learning strategies to keep students’ exposure to a minimum while ensuring learners are still getting the education they need to succeed. But if you are a parent who is new to hybrid learning, you may be wondering how to provide your child with the best at-home educational experience possible.

At Safeguard Self Storage, we know the first step to ensuring your child stays on track while learning from home is creating an organized hybrid-learning environment. Fortunately, with these easy at-home classroom organization ideas handy, you can rest assured your child will remain focused, motivated, and excited to learn during these unusual times.

Choosing the Right Hybrid Learning Space At Home

Establishing a healthy learning environment for your child goes hand-in-hand with their ability to absorb subject matter and think critically. Rather than having them complete their coursework in common areas around your home (such as at the kitchen table or on the living room sofa), it’s important they have a designated space that’s quiet, is well-organized, and provides all of the learning tools they need in one place.

 Once you have an area picked out that’s perfect for remote learning—like a spare bedroom or office space—then you can focus on keeping your kid’s workspace clutter-free.

4 Classroom Organization Ideas for Remote Learning

From creating an easily digestible class schedule to establishing a designated area for materials, here are a few classroom organization ideas you can use to turn your child’s at-home classroom into an organizational oasis.

1. Supersize Your Child’s Class Schedule

While not a physical item, your child’s class schedule is one of the most important things to organize right away. An easy-to-read and streamlined schedule will allow your student (and you) to stay on track with their curriculum while they are out of the classroom. A fun and easy way to create a visually appealing class schedule is to dedicate an area of your wall to chalkboard paint.

 With chalkboard paint, you can create a daily calendar above your child’s desk or learning area, which makes it easy to refer to as they work on their studies throughout the day. Plus, when you need to make edits, you can easily wipe away old text and write in new. If you would rather not dedicate an area of your wall to chalkboard paint, you could also hang a large whiteboard, bulletin board, or a traditional chalkboard. 

2. Create a Curriculum Control Center

When your child’s school supplies are unorganized, it can be difficult for them to stay on track—not to mention it can be a waste of their school time if they are constantly looking for materials they need. Instead of leaving things like textbooks, notebooks, folders, and craft supplies lying around, create a curriculum control center that is a focal point for your student. Large bookshelves with extra space for individual storage bins will work perfectly for your control center.

Moveable Control Centers

If space is limited in your child’s hybrid learning environment, it might be difficult to create a permanent curriculum control center. Instead, you can create multiple moveable control centers on rolling storage carts. As a bonus, these carts can easily be wheeled away into a closet or other storage area on the weekend to free up space. 

3. Give Each School Subject Its Own Color

Speaking of keeping things organized in your curriculum control center, it is best to designate individual storage bins to each subject your child is studying. No matter if you use small plastic tubs or file holders, assign a specific color to areas of study like English, science, history, and math. Then create labels for each subject so they are easy to remember and spot on the fly.

4. Minimize Distractions with Help from Safeguard Self Storage

If your child is new to a hybrid learning environment, at-home distractions can quickly pull their attention away from getting schoolwork done—especially if you are unable to designate a dedicated learning area in your home due to limited space. Thankfully, Safeguard Self Storage is here to help your child get the most out of their remote learning experience.

Whether you need to transform a spare room or a section of your child’s bedroom into a makeshift classroom, our convenient storage solutions are here to help. With a wide selection of unit sizes and types, you can rid your child’s at-home study space from things like seasonal sports equipment, unused belongings, or clutter with ease.

Create the perfect hybrid learning environment for your child; find your local Safeguard Self Storage facility today to start saving valuable space!

When it comes to fast fashion, there are few benefits for you or our planet. Although these clothes may be affordable and on-trend with high-end fashion retailers, they are cheaply made and eventually contribute to a significant amount of waste in landfills around the globe.

While we all want to dress in a way to express our personalities, there is a global price to pay when you choose to shop at fast-fashion retailers—and that price is contributing to more carbon emissions, greenhouse gas emissions, and waste.

At Safeguard Self Storage in Brooklyn, NY, we all want to do our best for the planet while expressing our individuality, which is why we wanted to take a closer look at how you can get the most out of a fashionable wardrobe without impacting the environment.

Why Is Fast Fashion Bad?

It's hard to resist the latest trends when you can buy three affordable versions at a fast-fashion retailer. And, while it can be fun to invest in easily accessible, trendy clothes for a diverse wardrobe, that joy wears off quickly due to changing trends or items falling apart from poor craftsmanship. Speaking of changing trends: as styles change with the times, fast fashion houses are forced into manufacturing new articles of clothing to keep up, which contributes to significant global carbon emissions.

Cheap materials quickly wear out. Once those new jeans fade or lose their shape, you move on. Think about the expense of stuffing your closets with fast fashion. Replacement costs add up, and replaced items end up in a landfill if they are not disposed of properly or donated. Remember, quality lasts, and that's better for your long-term budget and the health of our planet.

Stop Before You Toss

It may seem easy to throw out inexpensive items, but make sure to stop before you toss. Remember that fabric decomposing in landfills emits toxic greenhouse gases, and clothes are always better off being donated. If an item is torn or damaged, sew it up yourself or support a local business that offers mending services.

Choose Quality Over Quantity

Invest in your wardrobe and our planet by making quality clothing purchases, even if they have a higher up-front cost. These items will be wearable and durable for years to come and can be easily mended if damage occurs.

Additionally, try to source ethical, trustworthy clothing companies that work hard to reduce carbon emissions and treat their employees fairly. And always follow the recommended care instructions to ensure your washing machine doesn’t harm them.

How Clothing Storage Can Help

Rather than tossing out or donating the clothes you already own, you can make room in your closet for high-quality items by adding additional storage space with Safeguard. With our wide selection of climate controlled self storage units, you can keep the items you’ve already purchased out of landfills, save space at home, and come back to them whenever you desire.

When you organize clothes for self storage, you can also clear up cluttered home storage spaces and donate things you don't want to keep. In addition, you can monetize extra items by selling them to a used clothing dealer near you. The idea is to give old clothes a new life instead of throwing them away, allowing you to transition from fast fashion to a wardrobe that lasts—and that's good for you and the planet.

Store Extra Clothes at a Safeguard Facility Near You

Safeguard Self Storage can help you protect our environment by giving you affordable storage solutions that always fit. We offer climate-controlled clothing storage in Brooklyn in a variety of sizes (including units the size of a standard closet), and our leasing options are flexible, too. You want the best clothing storage available, and Safeguard is here to help. Call us today to rent a unit or reserve a space online!

Every year, art lovers in Miami Beach and across the globe look forward to exploring the unique world of Art Basel. This international art fair celebrates fine artists and leading galleries from North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia, as well as art collectors and sellers. It's a unique opportunity to see some of the world’s most masterful modern and contemporary artworks, meet emerging artists, and build your personal art collection. At Safeguard Self Storage in Miami, we are here to help make it all happen—whether you’re a vendor who needs temporary art storage during Art Basel or you’re a Miami resident looking to protect your investments.

How to Protect Your Fine Artwork

Knowing how to store art lets you easily expand and rotate your home gallery, as well as keep your work safe before and after events like Art Basel. Prints, canvases, and photographs are made of delicate materials that can’t withstand drastic fluctuations in temperature and humidity, and that’s why they need to be in a storage space that’s climate controlled.

Here at Safeguard in the Design District, we provide a wide selection of climate controlled self storage units in Miami. Not only do our units maintain consistent temperatures and humidity levels to combat the hot, muggy environment in Florida, but our secure units also shield valuable art from damaging UV rays.

But climate controlled spaces are just the first step to guarding your art, and these tips will help you add extra layers of protection to each type of art in your stored collection.

How to Store Art Prints

If you’re a collector, securing prints of your favorite artist’s work can be an affordable and exciting experience. And, if you’re an up-and-coming artist, selling prints is an easy way to get your name out there and your work on peoples’ walls. Regardless of what role you play in the art world, knowing how to properly store art prints is crucial for their long-term integrity:

• Art prints should be matted and backed with acid-free materials.
• Safely store framed prints by sandwiching them between acid-free mat boards.
• Protect loose paper prints with archival glassine, and store in sturdy folders.

How to Store Canvas Paintings 

Canvas paintings, no matter how large or small, are captivating works of art that can elicit emotion and turn a bland living space into an exciting experience. But canvases, like many other materials, can become damaged if they are stored in the wrong space:

• Keep canvases from cracking by storing in a climate controlled space.
• Avoid directly touching canvases while preparing for storage.
• Never cover a stored canvas painting with glass or Plexiglass.
• Protect canvas surfaces with cotton or muslin sheets.

How to Store Photographs

Photography is a stunning medium that can convey a message and create emotion in the blink of an eye, no matter if they are journalistic or abstract. But the papers used for photography prints are sensitive to UV light and fluctuations in temperature, so it’s important they are stored or shipped properly to ensure high quality and color retention:

• Wear cotton gloves when arranging, storing, or shipping photographs.
• Place acid-free paper between photos boxed for storage.
• Store individual photographs inside archival sleeves.

The Best Ways to Store Art in Your Miami Storage Unit

At Safeguard Self Storage in Miami, we want to be your ideal solution for holding artwork. Our climate controlled storage units regulate temperature and humidity, and our facility-wide surveillance keeps your priceless works of art protected. With these art storage tips, you can turn your unit into a secure archive:

• Store framed art upright and separated with sheets of acid-free mounting board.
• Use wood pallets to elevate stored artwork and boxes off the unit floor.
• Extend vertical storage with wheeled shelving units that can handle the weight of frames and boxes.
• Leave clearance between shelving units and walls to ensure fresh air circulation.
• Make sure frames and boxes don't overhang shelf edges creating bumping hazards.
• Give yourself wide pathways and easy access for moving artwork in and out of the unit.

Protect Your Art with Miami Self Storage

No matter if you’re a Miami art collector or an artist traveling to Miami Beach for Art Basel, knowing how to properly store your work will ensure it stays in good shape. At Safeguard Self Storage in the Design District, our climate controlled self storage units in Miami are here to help you keep your art intact daily. Give us a call today to reserve your unit, or feel free to reserve your space online at any time!

So What is May Day?

You have heard of May Day, and you know it is on May 1^st every year, but do you know what it is?  Do you know why we call May 1^st “May Day”?  There are a number of reasons, and they all are reasons to celebrate!

The Beginning

In ancient Ireland, the Celts measured the year by the path of the sun.  They divided the year into four quarters, called Quarter Days (the solstices and equinoxes), then divided each section in half, which gave them cross-quarter days.  These divisions not only echoed the four seasons, but they fit the sequences of their farming cycle.

What we now know as May 1^st was the Celts Beltane, which marked the halfway point between spring equinox and summer solstice, and was considered the beginning of summer.  Seeds had been planted and were beginning to sprout, so May Day became a day to celebrate. 

May Day Traditions

After Roman Catholicism swept through Europe and the British Isles, May Day evolved into more than just a celebration of the sprouting crops.  As the old saying goes, “April showers bring May flowers”, so the first day of May became a day to celebrate the beauty of spring flowers.  Dancing around the maypole was part of festivals, which would include plays, dance performances, and the crowning of a “May Queen”.

Christianity also introduced the “May crowning”, where artists would create works featuring the Virgin Mary wearing a crown of flowers.  In 1955, Pope Pius XII chose May Day as a feast day to honor St Joseph the Worker. 

Another tradition, which has faded over the years, is the tradition of giving “May baskets”.  These small baskets were filled with flowers or sweets, or a combination of both, and left on a neighbor’s doorstep anonymously.  The person giving the basket was to knock on the door and yell, “May basket!”, then run off.  If the neighbor caught the person as they were fleeing, the recipient was entitled to a kiss.

How Will You Celebrate May Day?

Now that you know what May Day is and how it was observed in the past, what will you do to honor this long-standing holiday?  If you are an outdoor enthusiast, you could go for a walk and enjoy all the beautiful flowers in your neighborhood.  Maybe this year would be a good time to bring back the May basket tradition.

Another option to welcome summer is to pack up all of your winter items and pull out the summer stuff! If you need a place to put those coats, skis, and sleds, look no further than Safeguard Self Storage.  We have a variety of sizes available to suit just about any need and with over 73 locations, we are likely located in your neighborhood. 

At Safeguard, we do our part to help our planet every year by expanding our number of green storage centers, including our self storage facility in East Williamsburg. But we’re here to tell you that it doesn’t take expensive solar panels, LED lighting or major life changes to make a positive impact on our planet. If you're wondering how to celebrate Earth Day on April 22, we have some great, environmentally friendly ideas for you. Join us in making these 10 earth-friendly resolutions, and we promise you’ll leave the world a better place.

1. Choose Green Transportation

Whether you’d like to ride a bicycle or hop on the public transportation system, the less you drive a car, the better. Individual passenger vehicles contribute multiple metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year. By choosing green transportation, you are eliminating a significant portion of greenhouse gas emissions. Plus, if you ride a bike, you will get a great workout, too!

2. Grow Your Own Food

Have you ever thought about why the non-native produce you eat is in season all year long? The answer is simple: transportation. Because the produce industry relies heavily on fossil fuels to transport food all over the country, it contributes to a significant amount of carbon emissions. By growing your own produce—including things like tomatoes, cucumbers, or peppers—you can incrementally reduce the amount of shipping that’s necessary to get those ripe veggies to your local grocer.

3. Plant a Tree

Trees are like nature’s filters, not to mention they provide habitat to 80% of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity. By planting a tree, you’re helping to clean the air we breathe, as trees absorb harmful pollutants and release clean oxygen back out into the atmosphere. Plus, if you plant one near your home, you can enjoy watching it grow over the years and take pride in your accomplishment.

4. Create a Compost Bin

If you start to think about the amount of trash humans produce, you can get overwhelmed extremely quickly. As the third-largest source of human-related methane emissions in the United States, landfills are contributing to the degradation of our planet rapidly. Rather than tossing out food waste or organics for them to end up in the nearest dump, you can create a compost bin at home. You can put things like fruit scraps, old vegetables, and coffee grounds in your compost bin, which will benefit the soil and prevent harmful greenhouse gases from damaging the atmosphere.

5. Shop Smart

At this point, you know how bad plastic is for the environment. Plastic has become such a widespread problem that most wild-caught seafood has microplastics inside them! Fight plastic pollution by shopping with reusable bags, avoiding plastic take-out containers, and choosing not to use plastic straws. Buy fresh, non-packaged food at the grocery store, and support local organic farmers markets that don’t pack their foods in plastic wrap.

6. Bottle Your Water

Don't contribute to the 50 billion water bottles headed for our landfills and oceans every year! Resolve to always use reusable water bottles. Make sure to keep a backup with you in your office or car so you’re never without one.

7. Save Energy

If you have a faulty, outdated HVAC system or improperly sealed windows and doors, your home is contributing to higher-than-average carbon emissions; not to mention you’re likely paying a fortune in utility bills. Consider servicing or upgrading your HVAC system, installing an energy-efficient thermostat, and ensuring all the openings in your space are properly sealed.

8. Pick Up Trash

Trash is everywhere, and many of the discarded items you find on the street are recyclable. If you see litter, do your part by picking it up and placing it in the nearest trash can or recycle bin. There’s strength in numbers, so try to organize a litter patrol in your neighborhood. Your team could offer to pick up trash around a local school or adopt a nearby park. Remember, try to recycle as much litter as applicable!

9. Make Connections

Connect with local organizations that support earth-friendly activities. Learn about events happening online or ask neighbors for information about groups that need your help.

10. Create Awareness

Start your own Earth Day awareness movement with a catchy hashtag. Mobilize social media to promote planting trees, recycling, and showing our planet the love it deserves. It’s important to let others know that even small acts of earthly kindness will go along away, and there’s no better way to promote this message than on Earth Day!

Our Green Self Storage Solutions

Since 2014, Safeguard Self Storage has done our part to celebrate Earth Day in a big way. That's when we transitioned to green solutions with solar panel installations at our storage facilities in New York and New Jersey—including our East Williamsburg self storage facility.

Ongoing, we're committed to this green policy, as solar panel installations at our self storage sites continue to expand with our Illinois facilities being next in line to go green. Our solar panels meet over 90% of our energy needs with clean, renewable power, which makes us the perfect place to store your belongings while protecting the environment.

If you’re in need of self storage in East Williamsburg, NY, Safeguard is proud to provide you with energy-efficient storage solutions. Join us in celebrating Earth Day this year!

What is Fleet Week? New York City marks this celebration at the end of May by honoring our nation's maritime services. Let's take a closer look at the details, and find out how Safeguard Self Storage goes the extra mile to help our active military personnel and veterans across New York and all our services areas.

What Is Fleet Week?

It became official in 1982. New York City Fleet Week was designated as an annual recognition of maritime military members deployed on the high seas. The celebration stood as a salute to those serving in our country's Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. During 1988's NYC Fleet Week, military ships in New York harbors were open to the public. Onboard tours showcased the expertise of the different branches of our country's maritime services, and Fleet Week became a favorite city tradition.

Where Does NYC Fleet Week Happen?

It kicks off with the annual Parade of Ships starting out from Battery Park. As military vessels head toward the George Washington Bridge, crew members are cheered by thousands of New Yorkers lining the shore. You don't have to look far to find a docked vessel. Many of the ships, cutters, and patrol boats dock at the New York Passenger Ship Terminal. Other pier locations can include the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, Homeport Pier, and Kings Point.

How Do We Celebrate NYC Fleet Week?

Fleet Week offers a wonderful variety of activities that bring civilians and military personnel together. All New Yorkers are invited to enjoy free tours of the docked ships. Military performances and displays take place at Miller Field, Fort Hamilton, Washington Square Park, and Times Square. Members of our maritime service visit area schools, volunteer in soup kitchens, and help at senior centers. From local parades to revitalization projects, thousands of marines, sailors, and coastguardsmen take time to give back to the citizens who appreciate their hard work.

How Does Safeguard Support Our Military?

Maritime service members regularly deal with cramped quarters and sudden relocations. At Safeguard, we do our part to help with affordable military storage options and secure storage units across the city. Our self storage solutions provide both active military personnel and veterans with convenient online account management, automatic payment programs, and just the right amount of space for your belongings. Whether you need to store your vehicle or the contents of a one-bedroom house, we have a variety of storage unit types and sizes to ease your deployment or living situation.

Choose Safeguard for your Military Storage Needs

The men and women in our military services deserve our support during NYC Fleet Week and year-round, too. If you’re in need of self storage solutions you can trust in New York City and the surrounding boroughs, Safeguard has your back while you have ours. All of us here at Safeguard Self Storage salute the brave men and women who selflessly serve our country every day.

We are all living in a different world now. Social distancing and self-quarantine are today's norms. Wearing gloves and a mask to the supermarket is as common as wearing shoes and a shirt. The value of hand sanitizer and antibacterial wipes has never been greater.

Safeguard Self Storage completely understands the worries and concerns that this pandemic has caused, and as society is changing, so is the way we are doing business. We have always approached self storage a bit differently than others in our industry, but today, more than ever, our differences are lending themselves to a better storage experience.

Contactless Storage Unit Rentals

Safeguard has always felt that business should be conducted in a manner that is the most convenient for our customers. Now, we are taking it a step further. For over a decade, we have offered the ability for our customers to rent a storage unit on our website. Out of an abundance of caution, we are now urging all customers to rent online. When you complete your rental online, your rental agreement and all appropriate forms will be sent to you electronically. There is no need to ever step into the office.

If you’re not comfortable renting your storage space on our website, simply call us and we’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have, recommend the perfect unit for your storage needs, and complete your rental on the phone. Again, your rental documents will be sent via email, so there are no required face-to-face interactions.

Touchless Entry

At all of our facilities, we offer touchless access to the building and each storage area using an access fob. The fobs are sold in our office and are programmed with a unique code, which will provide access to the building and allows access to the storage area where your unit is located. Our system also records the access activity of each entry for security purposes. 

At some of our facilities, we have gone a step further by installing the latest Bluetooth or iCloud access. All our newest locations are being built with new access systems that allow customers to use an app on their smartphones to gain access. These high-tech systems can be found at the following locations:

• Valley Stream, NY
• East Rockaway, NY
• Chicago – Edison Park, IL
• Metairie – I-10 Service Road, LA

Property Cleaning

We have always held cleanliness to a very high standard. Now, it is more important than ever.  We have added greater focus to cleaning processes and frequency, making it our top priority.  Directives have been sent to all our facility personnel with new and improved cleaning duties, all to keep our customers and our team members safe and healthy.

All personnel has been instructed to wash their hands at least once an hour and after every exit from the office. We have provided antibacterial soap to each facility for both the manager’s service area and the customer restrooms. We have also placed hand sanitizer in every office for customer and manager use.

In the storage facility, we have instructed that any common areas be wiped down with disinfectant wipes, especially frequently touched places, such as keypads, cart handles, and elevator buttons. While customers are at the facility, managers are urged to stay in the office with the doors locked and to conduct as much business as possible through locked doors.  Whenever that is not possible, social distancing is to be practiced by keeping all individuals a distance of at least 6 feet apart.

Our Commitment

Even during these trying times, we remain open and available to solve the essential storage needs of our community. At Safeguard Self Storage, we are committed to the safety and well-being of our customers and our staff. Please remember to stay safe and together we will make it through these tough times.

Homeownership is a major step in your life, especially if you've never bought a home before. Buying a house isn't always a simple thing to do, and the costs can skyrocket and drive buyers away. Thankfully, it's the perfect time to buy a home in the Chicago, IL, metro—whether you're doing it for the first time or you've purchased one before. Safeguard Self Storage on North Northwest Highway has a few reasons why buying a house now is in your best interests.

Why Buying a Home Now is a Great Idea

Homes cost less right now.

That's one good thing about the housing market: It fluctuates. One year it's down; the next year it's up. If you want to get the best deal on a home, now's the time to buy. You can find a great deal on a house and finally stop renting an apartment or someone else's property.

Renting means throwing your money away.

That's right. Renting someone else's house or an apartment is like giving your money away. You're not actually paying someone for something that will eventually be yours. You can lose it at any time. When you mortgage a home, you're paying for something that will be with you and your family for generations.

You'll make a profit in the future.

One good thing about buying a house when the market is just right is the fact that you can make money in the future. Since the market is down, you can purchase a home for much less than what it would normally be listed at. If you plan to sell later and the market is just right, you can list it for much more and make a profit. It's a good idea to speak with an agent to make sure you're making the best purchase for a future home sale if that's why you're buying now.

Ready to Move? Get Moving Storage With Safeguard

Homeownership is wonderful but does come with its own share of ups and downs. No matter if it's your first or fifth home, we can help with affordable moving storage when you plan to make the jump to a new home. Our storage facility on North Northwest Highway in Edison Park is a fantastic place to get storage whether you’re renting or buying. Stop by and reserve a Chicago storage unit today!