<p>DS is moving into off campus housing along with thousands of other college kids in Boston on 9/1.
Someone on the school’s parent portal posted a question asking for move in tips. I had a few: </p>
<p>take a third person or a locking vehicle. In other words if you use an open pickup truck, someone will need to stay with the truck to ensure that things aren’t stolen as the other two are carrying them into the building/up the stairs. </p>
<p>Get on the phone ahead of time and arrange electric, cable, gas accounts. If none of the tenants have had accounts before you may have to cosign or send a deposit before things are turned on. </p>
<p>Be patient. Everyone is moving on that day. </p>
<p>Other tips from parents who have been there done that? </p>
<p>(PS I’m not totally stupid-DH is doing this move in with DS. I’ll be home alone in Sunny California )</p>
<p>Write both cell phone numbers ( I assume each person will have one) on piece of paper taped to dash, unless you are both absolutely postively certain you have the other ones memorized.</p>
<p>Charge cells night before. Even if they do not need it.</p>
<p>Have a piece of paper with phone numbers of landlord, gas, electric and your reference numbers.</p>
<p>Have water bottles in car. </p>
<p>Have plenty of singles. </p>
<p>Mark one box – OPEN FIRST – have toilet paper, paper towels, cleaning supplies, simple tools (hammer, screwdriver, duct tape), door stops (to prop any door open if needed).</p>
<p>I didn’t move my son when he moved into off-campus housing, but I did do four apartment moves in Boston on September 1st in the late 70s and early 80s. I think every single lease in Boston comes up on September 1st.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that it’s a long circle. Every single person who’s moving has to wait for the person before him/her to move out before they can move in… it gets insane and goes on until midnight and beyond.</p>
<p>Take LOTS of patience. If you can assemble a decent size group of friends to arrive at the new apartment with you, you can help the people moving out to get their stuff to the sidewalk. This is helpful because then they can tell you what kind of booze to bring the super when you need something fixed or want to get permission to paint over the hideous yellow in the bathroom.</p>
<p>Make sure you are at the site of the new apartment at 7 a.m. Otherwise you will have NO WHERE to park. This is especially true if you are using a truck or cargo van. DH moved DS into an off campus apartment about two blocks from BU on Sept 1. He insisted that the kids get up early and arrive by 7. They did and it was a good thing because by 7:30 the street was FULL. At 7, they just pulled up in front of the house.</p>
<p>And…my kid made fun of me…but I packed a HUGE box of cleaning products. The previous tenants moved out on August 31…so the rental company didn’t exactly have time to send in a cleaning crew. Despite my ridicule…they were very happy that the first box at the back of the truck was the cleaning things…including rags…as they REALLY needed them. If you are traveling from OOS…get the cleaning “stuff” the night before so you’ll have it at 7 a.m. when you arrive.</p>
<p>OH…most important thing…you need to arrange to get the keys!!</p>
<p>Yes, everybody in Boston seems to be moving out or moving in on the same day–September 1. DS is lucky that he has secured an apartment in a different area where the apartment company schedules a week or so between tenants so they can clean. We’re the ones who insisted on a shorter schedule, as S needs to be there early.</p>
<p>Tip for moving:
Take a toolbox along with the other supplies mentioned above,
Have an emergency kit (for when you bang your fingernail instead of the nail :().
Make sure that your child brings only clean laundry–s/he’ll be too tired to do it for the following days.
Label boxes clearly–so you’ll all know which ones to open first and which ones to leave for later.
Have a power strip and extension cords. Outlets are not always in convenient places.
Charge everything that can be charged ahead of time.</p>
<p>I recommend taking pictures of the rooms while the place is empty to avoid damage disputes at the end of the lease.</p>
<p>September 1 is on a Tuesday - I assume that the police are lenient with double-parked vehicles and moving vans that haven’t had the meter fed. I’m glad I never had to go through the OC moving thing in Boston.</p>
<p>Actually…they aren’t. Thus the reason to get there early with a bunch of folks so you can unload QUICKLY with one person IN the vehicle at all times.</p>
<p>DS’s street was one way with parking on both sides and ONE lane in the middle. If anyone had double parked, the police would have been right there as emergency vehicles would NOT have been able to pass…or even just cars wishing to drive through.</p>
<p>I don’t know what the height limit is on Storrow Drive but some of the small U-Haul vehicles are probably okay. If not, you get instant air conditioning.</p>
<p>I am not from Boston – do the on-street parking spots have meters – do you need coins? Or are they smart meters. </p>
<p>I’ld add to the list a toilet plunger (if you dont need it right awy, you will at some point), a flashlight and batteries and extra batteries for everything.</p>
<p>A ROLL OF QUARTERS!!! If you tell me the street (private message if ou want) I can let you know… I worked at Fenway Park, and in the Back Bay, so very familiar.</p>
<p>The meters are 25 cents for 15 minutes with a 2 hour limit. It is very hard finding parking, *** Red Sox are in town on August 31st, so it’ll be anightmre, but they are out of town for a few days after that. Meters are free on Sunday’s. </p>
<p>If you can, and I don’t know if anyone else posted this already, bring a dolly. If you are staying at a hotel, maybe you can ask to borrow their luggage cart??</p>
<p>Snacks</p>
<p>And THE POLICE WILL BE OUT TICKETING SPECIFICALLY THAT DAY!! DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE LENIENT!!! </p>
<p>Another tip… Pot an ad on Craig’s list to hire a “helper to carry things up”. My old boyfriend and I moved from both our homes to another condo he bought and hired two college kids for a total of $50 and they had couches, dining room set, 2 bedroom sets, etc. etc…</p>
<p>In NY, they will usually let you doublepark to unload (onto the curb, NOT carrying into building) then one person stays with stufff, other goes to park and walks back – does that work in boston? YOu can not leave truck.</p>
<p>The meter thing depends on the street. My kid lived in Allston. Parking was on the street by permit ONLY. BUT there were spaces during the day that could be used short term. When DS moved into his apartment there was NO DOUBLE PARKING permitted on the streets. They are simply too narrow. Like I said…DH insisted on a very early morning arrival so that they would have a parking space. THEN they also had a parking lot where they paid to park the truck when they were done unloading it. Unless you have a permit, you cannot just leave a car in a parking space in a residential area of Allston. Ditto Brookline. Ditto Boston proper.</p>
<p>You can, they won’t tow it and if you get approached by a cop, just move it… I would think that it is so slammed that u may have to drive around the block to let traffic get by if you’re moving into NE or BU or in that area… Watch out for all the crazy ONE way streets… </p>
<p>It should alternate, in my opinion, but no… You have 3 streets in row that are a certian way and then one the otehr… BRING A MAP</p>
<p>Only certain parts of Allston are like that, not all, and then some roads have visitor parking on a certain side of teh street…</p>
<p>A little tip an old boyfriend would KILL me for posting, but who cares… If you’re near an enterprise rent a car that is closed, go ahead and park there</p>
<p>What an awesome thread! D1 will be particpating in this madness for the first time (is graduated, but moved to Boston in December). I have a ton of questions/comments, etc., that will apply to her situation personally, but don’t have time to ask them all now. Will get back to all you moving savants.</p>
<p>also, feel free to check out
boston.craigslist and then they have links on the top left about community (that’s where you can also post an ad under gig’s to get help moving)… </p>
<p>Also, google boston to get the city’s site (obviously)</p>
<p>Feel free to message me any specific questions, I LOVE answering Boston ?'s</p>
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