MOVING DAY
Moving can be a very stressful experience with all the expenses, packing, and unpacking that comes with it. However, imagine having to do all of this with thousands of other people on the same day. This was the case in mid-18th century New York City when every lease, both residential and commercial, expired all at once on May 1st. This annual event, known as Moving Day, caused chaos in the city as renters scrambled to find new accommodations.
Moving Day was linked to Rent Day, which occurred on February 1st. On that day, landlords informed tenants of the rental price for the following year. The prices went into effect in May. With few rent regulations in place, landlords could increase rent steeply, leaving most tenants with no choice but to move.
In those days, moving was not an easy task. Imagine having to stuff all your valuable possessions into horse-drawn carriages without the luxury of bubble wrap or moving boxes. The jerky movements of the carts on bumpy roads and the occasional spring rain only added to the stress of the day.
Moving Day originated during the colonial period and lasted until after World War II. The first day of May held special significance for Dutch settlers who marked it as the day when they departed from the Netherlands to settle in the wilderness of North America. In Dutch New Amsterdam, May 1st became a pivotal day for social and business activities. It was the start of the trading season known as Handelstijd.
May 1st is a date that holds significance in many cultures around the world. The French tradition of Moving Day observed in Montreal, Canada (which later shifted to July 1st) is a version of Moving Day that continued into the 21st century. Even with the transition from Dutch to English rule, the tradition of Moving Day persisted in Manhattan due to the popularity of May Day celebrations in England. Moving Day remained ingrained in colonial life even after the departure of the British in 1783. In 1820, an official law was passed, long after it was already an accepted custom.
The practice of Moving Day lasted over 100 years but became less chaotic as time passed. In 1890, new laws discouraged price gouging among carriage drivers who transported renters' belongings. By 1905, the New York Times declared that "modern methods" had "reduced the operation to a science," and that the "once troublesome domestic problem" of packing up all your belongings was solved with the proliferation of professional movers.
Moving Day began to fade away in the 1920s as tenants gained new protections under the law and residents began to spread to the outer boroughs. By World War II, there was a second moving day, October 1st, as many families spent their summers outside the city. Since most men were off fighting overseas during the war, moving companies experienced worker shortages. In 1945, the post-war housing shortage and rent control laws finally ended Moving Day.
Today, thankfully, there are no laws that force us to move all at once on a specific day anymore. However, as a remnant of the practice, commercial leases still expire on May 1st.
from: https://untappedcities.com/2024/03/07/moving-day-nyc/
