Residents looking to spruce up apartments take advantage of Allston Christmas

The weekend of Sept. 1 in Boston marks the arrival of Allston Christmas. And residents looking to spruce up their apartments are among many who participate in the annual streetside shopping holiday.

Nicole Bray, who was moving into her apartment in Allston Saturday morning, told MassLive that she looks for “anything to make my room more spiffy.”

“I already have the bare essentials like a dresser and a nightstand, but if there’s anything like an ottoman or a rug or a trash can, I’m game,” she said.

Allston Christmas happens every year on Sept. 1st, the day when 70% of leases begin in Boston.

This year, according to Nicholas Gove, the city’s deputy chief of transportation, more than 3,400 moving truck parking permits were requested in August.

He believes that’s only a “small fraction” of residents moving into new homes — or moving out — this weekend because not everyone uses a moving truck, and even for those who do the permits are not required.

• Read More: Moving to Boston over Labor Day Weekend? Here’s what you should know

As people move in and out of apartments in Allston and other parts of Boston, tons of household items, furniture, clothing and food are tossed out.

This results in overflowing trash bins, dumpsters filled to the brim, and streets covered in furniture that is often in salvageable condition.

MassLive roamed around Allston Saturday morning and found several mattresses, dining tables and chairs, office chairs, desks, luggage, kitchen items and clothes.

But most items were in pretty rough shape.

So when it comes to scavenging, Bray said it is important to find items that are in “good condition” and “not scratched up or anything.”

• Read More: Allston Christmas 2024: A guide to finding your pick of the lot

Francesca “Ches” Ely-Spence, who was helping her partner move out of her Allston apartment on Gardner Street Thursday afternoon, has also taken part in Allston Christmas in the past.

Items that Ely-Spence found in good condition include coffee tables, a mini-fridge, paintings, decor, and even a pricey food item.

“I did find, once, a box of groceries and it had $47 Mānuka honey in it and so I just took that,” she said.

“You don’t know what you’re going to get. It could be garbage or it could be something that works for you and not for the person that had it originally,” Ely-Spence added. “It could also be something really great that just gets picked up by the garbage people and taken to a landfill.”

• Read More: Don’t wait until Sunday to take advantage of Allston Christmas, locals say

Ely-Spence added that the best items are often found in the dumpster. That said, shopping for Allston Christmas can be hit-or-miss.

“Because of all the students, there’s some really great things like mini-fridges and couches and stuff that’s in good condition, but they don’t want to move with it or they’re going somewhere else, so they just sort of leave it out on the street,” Ely-Spence said.

While most people will move on Sunday, Ely-Spence said it is better to get your Allston Christmas shopping done sooner rather than later.

“You kind of have to go before everyone moves, before [Sept.] 1 because that’s when everything good is out,” she said. “If you go on [Sept.] 1 or after, it’s all kind of junk.”