TDY in New York City for contract investigators?

INVESTIGATORS
1

My question is directed to investigators who have worked in New York City. I’m sure others have HOT TAKES, but I am looking for insights from investigators who have actually worked there, be it salaried or contract.

I am a contract DCSA investigator. NYC has been offered a lot lately as a lucrative TDY location – I’d get about twice per item as what I get at home. I can gross about $1,500 a week without working super hard at home, a basic major league sport city that is not super hard to drive in.

I love NYC, I think I know it pretty well - been there more times than I can count, spent a lot of time in all five boroughs - but I worry that I’d roll a lot of RT/UC donuts with buildings I can’t get into and that I’d burn a ton of time on the subway. OTOH even if I did just an ESI a day I’d still come out ahead.

Thoughts from NYC folks?

2

I have done TDYs in NYC, as long as you are zoned properly then it’s a piece of cake. I walked to most of my interviews.

3

I worked in northern NJ and spent a few months helping out in NYC. Its a good experience. Just keep in mind during the summer it gets wicked hot/stagnant, especially in a suit.

4

thanks for the on point replies, guys. I appreciate it. For the TDY stuff do they give you just one borough? One neighborhood? my nightmare scenario is a ton of in-person RESI attempts all in various faraway places

5

If you can get Brooklyn over Manhattan, it’s MUCH easier. Manhattan was a nightmare on a TDY and I’ll never do that again.

6

If this is DCSA contract TDY sources and records can still easily be obtained by phone. All you need to do is ask the source/providers if they prefer a phone or in person interview and for the last 6 months I have found 90 percent of them prefer phone.

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7

I may be wrong but my belief is that no TDY fees are paid for telephone testimonies. Only for in person work.

8

I did a TDY to NYC and it was great. I had mostly upper Manhattan, 3-4 items in lower Manhattan and one Staten a island item. The state island item was a ESI and he came to me and I took and Uber to lower Manhattan twice to get everything done. Most other items were walking distance from my hotel, if not I took an Uber. I also looked at all my work prior to going and tried to pick a hotel that was close to a lot of my work. If I had a chance to do it again I definitely would.