Halloween in the hood.

bkshopr_IHB

bkshopr_IHB

New member
Out of the entire OC Santa Ana was hit the hardest due to the blue collar trades affiliated with the construction related industry. Tonight was a special time to see the smile back on so many of the families.



Once a year many children and parents come into Floral Park for treats. Car and foot traffic were grid lock. We thought we were well prepared with $40 worth of candies and we ran out by 8pm. Both parents and children put so much effort in their costumes.



I drove to Target to purchase a few more bags but we could have tape a note on our door instead. We just don't want to disappoint the kids. After all they looked forward to this after a very difficult year.
 
Things were hopping in Park Santiago also, probably no where near to Floral Park though. Really fun, the kids were so cute. We have a little left from our $40 in candy, plus everything our kids brought home. We went out in shifts with the kids so we could be home to pass out candy. My daughter was so cute at my son's school Fall Festival this afternoon, she won a best costume trophy, she was so proud. We just love Halloween around here :)
 
Kids in Irvine were pretty active too. My younger one refused to wear her costume and stayed home, forcing older one to stay also.

But they had fun distributing the candies. Only once we had a glitch when the younger one wanted to trade the Hershey she had with the Twix in a boy's basket.

Two bags of Hersheys were good enough for us- there are a few left. Kids are too modest here- they pick only one from the bowl. I still can't stop at one if I see a lot of them..
 
[quote author="Cubic Zirconia" date=1257082818]Kids in Irvine were pretty active too. My younger one refused to wear her costume and stayed home, forcing older one to stay also.

But they had fun distributing the candies. Only once we had a glitch when the younger one wanted to trade the Hershey she had with the Twix in a boy's basket.

Two bags of Hersheys were good enough for us- there are a few left. Kids are too modest here- they pick only one from the bowl. I still can't stop at one if I see a lot of them..</blockquote>


All of the candy seems to be the same this year. There's usually a huge variety but this year I think we have 20 snickers, 20 M &M's, 20 Skittles and a bunch of Tootsie Pops. These also happen to be what we were passing out. I think everyone got the same bags from Smart and Final.
 
It was an absolute zoo in our neighborhood....and so much fun. Great to see so many groups with the whole family (and in many cases the extended family) out together. Maybe one of the benefits of the down economy is people will turn back to the simple family pleasures. It was so busy we never even closed the front door. We were lucky enough to have Princess Mulan come over and pull her chair right up to the door to handle the rush:





<img src="http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs003.snc3/11033_1266149818934_1385450215_773127_616922_n.jpg" alt="" />
 
[quote author="MojoJD" date=1257124347]My wife and I were excited for trick or treaters this year - our first year with our own front door.... and nothing. Just 4 kids, all after 8:00pm. We thought there would have been kids for sure because a lot of our neighbors here in Camden put up great decorations. Also, if I were a kid, I would come here right away as you can hit so many front doors very rapidly.



We were sad... oh well. The kids that did come got 2 handfulls of awsome candy each.</blockquote>


Too bad Octomum and her brood didn't stop by!



<img src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/10/29/article-1223727-06FDBB3F000005DC-264_468x338.jpg" alt="" />
 
[quote author="MojoJD" date=1257124347]My wife and I were excited for trick or treaters this year - our first year with our own front door.... and nothing. Just 4 kids, all after 8:00pm. We thought there would have been kids for sure because a lot of our neighbors here in Camden put up great decorations. Also, if I were a kid, I would come here right away as you can hit so many front doors very rapidly.



We were sad... oh well. The kids that did come got 2 handfulls of awsome candy each.</blockquote>


I had the same experience! We put jack-o'-lanterns out from our garage leading to the front door, and we only had three trick-or-treaters :(. Actually, we had six, but it was the first group of three for the second time. My boyfriend was out front and flagged them down to visit the door again. I bought a bag of little Play-Doh containers for little tikes, and there were none.



The previous two years, we lived in Fountain Valley and probably had 200+ trick or treaters each year. The first year, I had to run to the grocery store by 7:15 p.m.(!) because we had about 50 trick-or-treaters in the first 30-45 minutes. We lived on a busy corner then, as opposed to a street deep within a tract. Oh well, my nephews are going to get a big bag of Play Doh in the mail!
 
there has to be a direct correlation between halloween trick or treaters and a sense of community, and connectedness with your neighbors... it's almost a litmus test for "genuine community"... it's one holiday where you are expected to meet your neighbors and their kids... we as usual had to call it a night at 5 for bath time, but I saw a couple of family already starting to walk around Woodbury with their kids... as expected we certainly didn't hear any doorbells, or see families waking around the apartments, but I wonder how the rest of Woodbury fair?
 
I do think neighborhoods that reflect a more traditional setup than the newer home alcoves work better for Halloween.



We did the mall thing this year because my youngest is still scarred from ToT 2 years ago when one of those battery operated motion detector hands terrified him. South Coast Plaza was packed and most of the stores had "No More Candy" signs out (we got there at 6pm). We went over the bridge to the Crystal Court side and it was much better, not crowded and every store had candy to give out (some were really generous as it was 7pm by the time we go there and they were closing at 8pm).



There were no Halloweeners before we left, and none came by after (around 8:30pm)... but we live in a strange neighborhood that is a bit secluded. When we lived in Westpark, we had more kids come around. Usually when we leave to do our own treating, I leave the bowl of candy out, but last year, I had to go home earlier to arrange for dinner and before I could move the bowl inside, some boys took it all in one visit. I heard them laugh and run before I could open the door... darn Irvine thugs.



The mall thing was fun and the kids really enjoyed it as it was lighted, warm and not scary. They also enjoy giving out candy (although that would have been zero this year), so next year we may hit the mall earlier in the day and then do the neighborhood thing later (if my youngest is up to it) and we can give out candy too (will probably have to move to CK's or bk's neighborhood).
 
[quote author="irvine_home_owner" date=1257214144]I do think neighborhoods that reflect a more traditional setup than the newer home alcoves work better for Halloween.



We did the mall thing this year because my youngest is still scarred from ToT 2 years ago when one of those battery operated motion detector hands terrified him. South Coast Plaza was packed and most of the stores had "No More Candy" signs out (we got there at 6pm). We went over the bridge to the Crystal Court side and it was much better, not crowded and every store had candy to give out (some were really generous as it was 7pm by the time we go there and they were closing at 8pm).



There were no Halloweeners before we left, and none came by after (around 8:30pm)... but we live in a strange neighborhood that is a bit secluded. When we lived in Westpark, we had more kids come around. Usually when we leave to do our own treating, I leave the bowl of candy out, but last year, I had to go home earlier to arrange for dinner and before I could move the bowl inside, some boys took it all in one visit. I heard them laugh and run before I could open the door... darn Irvine thugs.



The mall thing was fun and the kids really enjoyed it as it was lighted, warm and not scary. They also enjoy giving out candy (although that would have been zero this year), so next year we may hit the mall earlier in the day and then do the neighborhood thing later (if my youngest is up to it) and we can give out candy too (will probably have to move to CK's or bk's neighborhood).</blockquote>


That is a good observation IHO. In Northpark the conventional lots homeowners had much more children visiting than the detached condos and attached condos. My source told me in the rear of the detached condo cluster only one kid knocked on his door.



Children have the most innocent thinking. It is not the density solution being less attractive but the indirect route to the front door does not present a defensible space and out of sight therefore both parents and children avoid them.
 
[quote author="irvine_home_owner" date=1257214144]I do think neighborhoods that reflect a more traditional setup than the newer home alcoves work better for Halloween.



We did the mall thing this year because my youngest is still scarred from ToT 2 years ago when one of those battery operated motion detector hands terrified him. South Coast Plaza was packed and most of the stores had "No More Candy" signs out (we got there at 6pm). We went over the bridge to the Crystal Court side and it was much better, not crowded and every store had candy to give out (some were really generous as it was 7pm by the time we go there and they were closing at 8pm).



There were no Halloweeners before we left, and none came by after (around 8:30pm)... but we live in a strange neighborhood that is a bit secluded. When we lived in Westpark, we had more kids come around. <strong>Usually when we leave to do our own treating, I leave the bowl of candy out, but last year, I had to go home earlier to arrange for dinner and before I could move the bowl inside, some boys took it all in one visit.</strong> I heard them laugh and run before I could open the door... darn Irvine thugs.



The mall thing was fun and the kids really enjoyed it as it was lighted, warm and not scary. They also enjoy giving out candy (although that would have been zero this year), so next year we may hit the mall earlier in the day and then do the neighborhood thing later (if my youngest is up to it) and we can give out candy too (will probably have to move to CK's or bk's neighborhood).</blockquote>




I did this same thing two years ago, I knew full well that some kids would probably take all of them. Guess what? They did. However, the next morning I found a large bag of candy at our doorstep. It was pretty obvious that their parents busted them and made them return it. Pretty funny.
 
That was the first time it happened, all the years previous (about 5), no one ever took "advantage" of the unguarded candy bowl.



I was so shocked by the "crime", I immediately reported it to the police and it was classified as an I-File*. I think that's when Irvine dropped down on the FBI Safest City list.







*Just kidding.
 
[quote author="irvine_home_owner" date=1257255244]That was the first time it happened, all the years previous (about 5), no one ever took "advantage" of the unguarded candy bowl.



I was so shocked by the "crime", I immediately reported it to the police and it was classified as an I-File*. I think that's when Irvine dropped down on the FBI Safest City list.



*Just kidding.</blockquote>


Graph and I were at a dinner party in Norwalk, and my friends got 1 trick or treater. They said in past years they have gotten none. It's a regular neighborhood, so I was surprised. Even in my townhome complex I got 5-6 in past years.
 
there is a certain critical mass in ToTing... I'm beginning to figure out that its a starve or feast scenario... nobody likes to knock on empty houses and families are so mobile now, especially in a IM, text, tweeting generation; word spreads pretty fast about candy loot location, neighborhoods that is happening and families already stake out a general neighborhood for ToTing beforehand...
 
I just heard from someone in the French Park neighborhood in Santa Ana. They counted over 900 trick or treaters on Saturday. I believe it because I was there one year with my husband before we were married. We didn't count, but I knew it was over 500 kids.
 
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