Allston Christmas 2016 and Why We Love It

Another year, brings another September 1st and another one of our favorite holidays… Allston Christmas. Allston Christmas is the time when hundreds of thousands of college students move into and out of apartments in the area, leaving their belongings strewn about streets in student-rich sections of the city.

According to Urban Dictionary, Allston ‘Christmas’ refers to the bounty of “new” stuff that one can easily acquire free of cost simply by walking down to the sidewalk and running off with it back into your own apartment. Much of the items that are left on the sidewalk are free to take because people can’t fit them into their new apartment or don’t have enough space in the truck to move them. However, many of the items are simply left on the sidewalk temporarily and are rummaged (read: ‘stolen’) by the neighbors in the chaos that is the city of Boston on September 1st.

With over 70% of leases ending on September 1st, it’s no surprise to find the city alive with moving trucks and to find discarded belongings on every corner. What is surprising is the types of things you’ll find.

This year in honor of Allston Christmas, we at Olympia decided to pair with Flutter to give one lucky winner the gift of a free move. And,while Bridget didn’t have to deal with the stress of heavy lifting during her move, these people weren’t so lucky.

Whether you love it or hate it, here are some of our favorite accounts of Allston Christmas 2016:

allston santa

You know it’s Christmas when Santa shows up!

allston santa police

but an Allston Christmas wouldn’t be the same without an appearance from the BPD… bad Santa.

 

When you know you shouldn’t even bother trying to drive through Allston…

allston christmas traffic

traffic allston christmas

 

but you still appreciate the holiday’s roots!

allston christmas carol

allston christmas shoppingallston christmas campus

allston christmas moving

Allston Christmas is a deep rooted tradition that you won’t soon escape, even if you aren’t living in the area anymore.

missing allston christmas first allston christmas

Because despite all the frustration…

allston christmas drinkingallston christmas disssemblyallston christmas ikea

at the end of the day you (hopefully) have a new, furnished apartment, with some street finds and maybe a bedbug or ten…

allston bean bag allston bed bugs

allston christmas porch amy winehouse allston

and minimal damage,

allston christmas snow

or insights into the reality of how your neighbors live…

allston christmas csi

 

But most of all, it wouldn’t be Allston Christmas without the fun.

allston christmas elves allston christmas pups

Until next year, Boston!

merry allston christmas

If you’re planning a move and you’d like to save yourself some stress, give us a call at 800-222-4744.

 

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Surviving Moving September 1st in Boston

Sept 1st in BostonSeptember 1st has become an infamous day for moving in Boston. It is by far the busiest moving day of the entire year. The main cause is the city’s large population of students. Many leases begin just in time for students to move in for the fall semester. As a result, a significant number of leases in Boston begin on September 1st. A recent statistic released by RentJuice found that 79% of Boston’s rentals have availability dates at the beginning of September.

Relocating on this date can be a concern if you are moving downtown or in surrounding neighborhoods; such as Allston, Brighton, Cambridge, or Somerville. Commonwealth Avenue often becomes gridlocked with moving trucks. The time required to move into and out of apartment buildings increases as movers attempt to maneuver around other relocating tenants while elevators are at a premium. The city has even asked some universities to avoid scheduling dorm move-ins on this date.

In true Boston fashion, residents still find a way to make the chaos amusing. Those in the neighborhood of Allston have dubbed September 1st “Allston Christmas” because the sidewalks are littered with abandoned furniture. Check out this article on hilarious tweets from last year’s September 1st moving day.

Planning is the key to a successful move on September 1st. Be sure to secure a date with your moving company or reserve a rental vehicle as early as possible to ensure availability. Follow our packing tips to make sure you are fully prepared for when the movers arrive. Check with your building to confirm the rules for where the truck can park and usage regulations for the elevator.