BOSTON (WHDH) - In Allston, couches, mattresses, and piles of furniture line the streets: telltale signs of the time of year when one person’s trash becomes another’s treasure.
Locals know it by name: Allston Christmas.
“I’ve been here for a week and I’m just looking around for some furniture because my apartment’s been unfurnished,” said Ena Koidl, who moved to Boston from Austria.
As many Boston apartment leases end and college move-in season gets underway, some new tenants score secondhand furniture and appliances to put the finishing touches on their new homes, all left behind by
“I already have some new dishes, so let’s hope I find some more,” Koidl said.
College senior Estee Langbord said it’s her fourth year participating, and said it’s also a great way to get rid of items that are no longer needed at the end of the school year.
“When you’re in college you buy so much stuff that you’re never gonna use again, like makeup mirrors or things that would be so beneficial in a dorm, but you don’t need it past that,” Langbord said.
With Boston’s numerous colleges and universities, moving in can be chaotic, with streets backed up and blocked by moving trucks.
The city issued 2,500 moving truck permits for just the four days of Labor Day weekend.
The city also launched a new furniture pickup pilot program to donate items no longer needed and to clear sidewalks for new students.
“At the end of the day it feels very communal,” student Giulia Alberti said. “You have all the students here, it’s just really nice to see all the students and everyone doing their own thing.”
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