Last year my family went across town for Halloween. It was a Brooklyn neighborhood known for an abundance of children (and therefore kid-friendly homes) and we met up with our friends who resided in the area for some awesome trick or treating. Still, when I overheard one of our friend's neighbors complaining about the "interlopers," I knew we were included in that gang of unwanted kids who just didn't belong on the sweet streets of Park Slope.
In addition to wanting to hang out with my daughter's BFF, our block wasn't particularly kid-friendly in the trick or treat-o-sphere. So should my kids have to suffer low candy levels because our neighbors would rather party than stock up on mini Crunch bars? Heck, no!
But when the Park Sloper stiffened as another group of rowdy kids he didn't recognize ran up to his door, it made me feel like perhaps we deserved the neighborhood we got -- no matter how barren of candy.
Now that I live in a house, instead of an apartment building, I wonder if I too will resent the kids whose parents drive up and drop them off in front of my house, then pack up and drive to the next block. Will I be a Halloween neighborhood scrooge?
Barbara Schulz, an upstate New York mom, told me that even though she lives in a small town, she always prepares for 100 kids or more, double if Halloween falls on a weekend. Most of which aren't from around there.
"I like to guess who is at the door. We have a lot of repeat visitors from other neighborhoods, and I always enjoy seeing how much they have grown up."
If Barbara can be excited about 100 kids or more who don't even live in her neighborhood, I think I can stock up for out-of-towners too. They just better be wearing a costume.
How do you feel about other kids coming into your neighborhood and taking your candy?
Image via di_the_huntress/Flickr
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Comments 18
Haha, I NEVER do trick or treating in our neighborhood! We always take our son back to our hometown, which is only 35 minutes away, because our families live there and other friends with children trick or treat there. People are so uptight its ridiculous.
i live right out of NYC right now and our street has the best candy. i used to live in rural upstate NY and would always go down the hill (yes, we lived on a freaking mountain that was called "the hill") to the cute little town at the bottom to trick or treat. most of the people on the hill did that and it was no problem.
This is our first year in an apartment complex and my neighbors told me no one does candy here.... so this will also be our first year of crashing someone else neighborhood for candy, lol. Of course our apartment is surrounded on all sides by a nice suburb neighborhood so we're just walking over there. Is it still considered crashing if you can walk there?
When we lived it a blink and miss it town, where we did not know anyone. We would go to my husband's mother's neighborhood, which was were my husband grew up to trick or treat. I don't mind if kids from outside come in but everyone should act like guests and mind their manners and be well behaved. I understand some people do not live in areas that provide for or are safe for trick or treating and that they are coming to a place where it is safe. I really don't care as long as they mind their manners.
I live in the sticks..lol..If i went my son to trick or treat we HAVE to go somewhere else. If i didnt live in the sticks i would be glad to give anyone candy. No matter where they lived. In the town i grew up in there was the main town, and then 2 other naighborhoods. We would do the main town, and then sometimes if our parents felt like it we got to go to one of the other neighborhoods, but not usually..lol I htink people need to lighten up. They are kids just having fun and getting candy. They arent asking fro money. Know what i mean :)
We live in the country & there are very few houses around us, so to get any amount of candy we have to go to other towns.
Sounds to me like the Park Sloper is a snob, lol. I love living in a 'destination neighborhood' on Halloween - year before last, it was perfect weather, and I handed out almost 250 pieces of candy (I usually do 2 per kid). Last year the weather wasn't great, and I still had about 80 kids come to the door. This year I'm watching the weather - because it's on Sunday, if the weather is nice, we're going to be slammed, and I can't wait!
Oh those Park Slopers, they're a nasty bunch. I don't mind the kids coming from other town, but I do mind the older kids who don't even dress up - just ring the bell and expect candy.
If my son is going to trick or treat we have to be crashers.Our apartment complex has a no trick or treating rule. Thanks to all of you that don't mind the rest of us barging in.