Back in the day when I lived west of the wood, I made it a point to never have to pay for furniture for my apartment, since rich kids moving out of their old apartments left behind their nice stuff just laying on the streets. Every year around the middle (graduation) to the end (end of year-leases) of June, moving trucks and family vans packed the streets of Westwood, ready to shuttle off one generation of college students so the next generation can move into their first apartments.
There were many instances when these students just couldn't fit or just simply didn't need some of their larger furniture to wherever they were going next. This resulted in an abundance of couches, tables, desks, coffee tables, lamps, and many many many bookshelves littered on the streets of this college neighborhood. While the thought of this happening in any other community may be unthinkable, it was a beautiful time for my friends and I. We called this particular period of time "Christmas in Westwood," and it was during this time that we went "shopping" for new furniture, a practice that once resulted in the hoarding of 4 couches, 5 bookshelves, and lord knows how many random chairs into one apartment.
Good times.
Nowadays, as post-graduates and expatriates of the old college towns of yore, furniture is harder to come by. Suddenly, the idea of sleeping on a used and yellowed couch is no longer appealing or acceptable, so we've gotta make do by actually buying furniture ::shudder::
Tonight, I relived those moments when I helped carry a 6 foot tall bookshelf 5 city blocks to some friends' apartment (and San Francisco has really big city blocks, mind you). In return, I got some furniture that they didn't want anymore.
Old habits die hard.
I was telling my coworker about that too--he's 30 and he just found it so appealing because of all the money you can possibly save from getting furniture from the street. I thought it was appealing too until I GOT BEDBUGS! Something I forgot to mention in the convo but ugh...I won't ever get a used couch on the street or sleep on one! Or sleep in a dorm mattress from someone I don't know ever again. Actually the mattress I got is from a friend who had to move to Taiwan, the springs are popping up...but as long it's not bedbugs and I'm super careful, I'll be ok hahaha.
ReplyDeleteHaha actually my friend ran into the same problem with her mattress and boxspring. There were bedbugs living in her bed, so she was forced to live on the couch in the living room. The couch came from the streets too though, so it wasn't much better!
ReplyDeleteThe trick is to buy a couch cover or find a big enough blanket to cover the used couch. Add that in, and you won't even think twice about where you picked the couch up.