August is coming to a close and that can only mean one thing around here in Boston: it’s almost time for Allston Christmas!
What exactly is Allston Christmas, you make ask? This article from a couple years back is an excellent primer and a great read for those of you not familiar with this Boston phenomena.
Allston Christmas is the nickname for the days leading up to September 1, which is when most apartment leases in the city of Boston start. That means the streets are full of renters taking their furniture, clothes, kitchenware, and other home goods out of their apartments to make way for the people moving in. Some of those items will make it to moving trucks or be stuffed into the back of sedans to be shipped to a new apartment. Many other items will be abandoned on sidewalks. As such, Allston Christmas is like a hoarder’s heaven, with streets full of items for the taking. It’s like a city-wide flea market.
In addition to the abundance of “treasures” up for grabs in sidewalks and streets, the other, more frustrating aspect of this faux-holiday is the congestion and traffic all the U-Hauls and moving trucks will cause. It’s no surprise then that seasoned Allston Christmas veterans will generally avoid driving anywhere come September 1st.
What new incoming residents and college students may not realize is that many moving trucks are too tall to fit under the overpass along Storrow and Memorial drives and Soldiers Field Road. For this reason, there have been many incidents around Allston Christmas where these moving trucks have attempted to drive through the overpass and failed, causing major backups and delays.
If, for whatever reason, you do find yourself driving around the Hub that day, do yourself a favor and avoid Storrow Drive, Memorial Drive, and Soldiers Field Road. Trust us - we’re attorneys.
What are your thoughts about Allston Christmas? Any crazy stories to share? Comment below!
