Coronavirus

An Allston Christmas Unlike Any Other

While some searched through the trash — keeping COVID safety measures in mind — others showed up to find out their apartments had already been trashed

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It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Allston, with stacks of unwanted furniture and other items left on the street by Boston students moving in and out of their apartments.

But with the COVID pandemic still present, returning college students are taking extra precautions this year.

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Forest Doherty furnished most of his living room by swiping items off the sidewalk, including a couch and a TV stand.

He said the rain forced them to move fast so their treasures would not be soaking wet once they brought them into the new apartment. They are also sanitizing them due to COVID-19.

"We wear a mask and we clean stuff up a lot more before we put it inside," Doherty said.

While some searched through the trash, others showed up to find out their apartments had already been trashed.

Declan Duffy and his roommates were stunned to find their place on Linden Street was left in deplorable conditions. They spent hours trying to clean up the broken glass and filthy furniture left behind by previous tenants.

"I'm disgusted, to be honest. It's very stressful. We have classes tomorrow and I don't know how were supposed to focus on our studies when we don't even have a place to put our head down," Duffy said.

NBC10 Boston was there as they flagged down city officials to help. Within minutes, inspectors arrived to hold the landlord accountable.

"We are not going to have deplorable conditions here. No one deserves to live in squalor," Mayor Kim Janey said.

She estimated that 50,000 people are moving to Boston this September. Given the influx, she said, the city will also be monitoring its COVID-19 cases closely.

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