Question: Looking at how this movie opens, it is the same night the first film ends. April's apartment burned down. How could she have a new, fully furnished apartment for the turtles to stay in? It's hinted that she has been there for a while based on the neighbor's comment about her "aerobics."
Rob245
Question: Does anybody know how soon this movie takes place after the first one? The foot soldiers are regrouping at the "fallback spot" and Shredder digs out of the garbage pile which would suggest anywhere from 2-24 hours later. Yet somehow April has a brand-new fully furnished apartment and it sounds like the turtles have been there for weeks by the manner in which the neighbor complains about the noise.
Answer: Shredder could have been unconscious for days before he even began to dig his way out. Also, some apartments come furnished. The neighbor is likely one of those neighbors that always has to complain about something, and exaggerate at that. It's probably been about a week or so.
That still doesn't explain the scene with the foot clan.
Answer: Maybe they went into hiding for a while before meeting at the junkyard. It's unlikely they'd be remembering where to go after a huge battle from the previous TMNT movie. It was hectic after all.
Answer: Who said or hinted it was the same night as the first one ended? It's a night shortly after the first movie. Regarding the new place, well that's what insurance does – provides you with a new place.
Rob245
I also think that it is the same night. The foot soldiers are still in their uniforms and show fresh signs of battle. Plus, when the garbage truck pulls away, we see Shredder lift his hand from that area, which tells us that he was just "dropped off" for lack of a better term. But mostly, the dialogue between April, the turtles, and Splinter indicates that they have been crashing at her place for an extended period of time, not just a few hours or days.