Allston Christmas: Thousands move out of apartments leaving behind trash, furniture
BOSTON - Recent estimates found that roughly two-thirds of the city's apartment leases turn over on September 1st. That means thousands must move out before new tenants can move in. The chaos has been coined as "Allston Christmas" with most of the student-filled apartments changing hands in a 24-hour period.
The sidewalks in Allston and Brighton become lined with relics of previous tenants. Lamps, couches, desks, dressers, toasters, microwaves, and mattresses are up for the taking. The adage about one man's trash is put to the test here.
For those looking to throw their mattresses away, the city of Boston changed their pick-up policy within the last year. The days of leaving your mattress on the sidewalk for trash pickup have gone to bed. Residents must call 311 to schedule a free pickup time with the city or run the risk of facing fines.
"I am exhausted," said Adonis Cheng, a rising junior at Boston University who just experienced his first Allston move-out. "This is my first time. I don't want to go through this again," he said following seven hours of work.
Cheng is one of 2,400 moving permits the city said they approved for the September 1st turnover. Boston leaders also said they had collected an additional 38 tons of excess trash, along with 1,700 mattresses since last Saturday.
