Votes

The insanely talented Johanna Parker is in the running to win the Martha Stewart Doer of the Week contest.


Poll: Who is your favorite doer of the week?

Halloween Conductivity

My good friend Jon posed an interesting question - what are the best cities and towns to live in if you love Halloween? I guess this can also be stretched to ask: what sort of community/neighborhood/environment is the most conducive to the ultimate Halloween experience as a yard haunter? 

I've lived at a few different locations in a couple of states over the years, but I've always returned to the place where I grew up - my parents' house - to set up my display. At residences elsewhere, I've always asked new neighbors what the Halloween turnout was like and they always replied "we only get a few kids." My parents live in a pretty suburban (almost urban) location. Blocks and blocks of row homes and apartment complexes. People on top of people. The community decorates like it's an orange Christmas which is really cool. Lights and decorations everywhere. And tons of kids. The downside is that we get quite a lot of older kids trying to impress their friends by being rude and disrespectful. I filter that stuff out to remain sane, and for the most part it's over quickly and it sort of becomes background noise. 

A while back I wrote about Halloween 2002, the year I didn't set up my haunt. I ended up walking around some areas to see how other people celebrate the holiday. In particular, a colonial borough. Single homes, manicured lawns, and tons of Halloween decorations. The street was blocked off and it was a quiet and magical Halloween block party. I'd be in heaven on a street like that. Not a lot of trick-or-treat traffic, but a whole lot of Halloween spirit. Here are some pics of that neighborhood in the days leading up to Halloween. They take the Holiday VERY seriously. Getting back to Jon's question, what cities or towns are the best for Halloween fanatics? I'm thinking small towns. And ones that have annual Halloween parades (the ones with children) are a good start.  

There should be an annual top-ten issued along with the lists of "Worst for Crime," "Best for Employment," "Best for Housing Prices." "Best for Halloween." Anybody have any suggestions for the best Halloween towns? Probably not a good town to live in if you're looking for a quiet little Halloween.