Turning the Tables on Halloween

It’s Halloween time in the city. Despite fewer trick-or-treaters going door-to-door than in the past, the day is bigger than ever around here. In my youth, a smattering of locals decorated their front doors—and/or put carved pumpkins out on their stoops—but nothing as elaborate as what I see today. There seems, too, to be lots of Halloween parties in various venues and trick-or-treating on business thoroughfares, which gets trick-or-treaters the best bangs for their bucks. That is, less wasted time in ringing doorbells of people who aren’t home or who don’t bother answering like me.

In my day, trick-or-treating commenced immediately after school unless, of course, Halloween fell on a weekend. Typically, we had two solid hours to reap our harvests of candies, spare change, and apples with razor blades in them. Back then, daylight savings time—fall back—occurred before October 31st, so it got pretty dark by the end of our adventures. And that’s when the hooligans emerged from their holes and the serious mischief began. Home and counting our Halloween booty when the day turned to night was the place to be.

Presently, the clock change occurs in November, the Sunday after Halloween. This timely fact supplies a little more light for the little ones. And while there was ample crime in New York City in the late-1960s and early-1970s—my trick-or-treating heyday—it was nonetheless commonplace to venture about exclusively with our peers and no adult chaperones. But that was then and this is now. Statistically, the city is a lot safer than when I was growing up. Still, you’re not about to see kids as young as I was trick-or-treating without a parent or chaperone. Crime statistics don’t tell the whole story. Halloween is spookier than ever.

If I were a tourist visiting New York City at this time of year, I'd attend the annual Village Halloween Parade. It sure beats waiting on a long and winding line to get on an overly crowded boat to see Lady Liberty up-close. 

If New York City parks have these, I don't see why Facebook can't have them.

"Marley?"

Yes...with Halloween approaching, it's beginning to look a little like Christmas.

"Always move forward in life, but wait for the paint to dry." Hey, that might just be the stuff of an oversized Facebook box.

From the Tale of Two Cities file. Chanced upon various Bentleys on display at the Battery Park City marina this weekend. Later, I  encountered a deranged man turning over a restaurant's outdoor tables and raving all the while. Fortunately, no diners were sitting at them. He then dropped his pants for good measure.

There are plenty of nice views of the Statue of Liberty from the shoreline. No waiting required.

If you happen to be in this neck of the woods, be prepared to be accosted by countless men and women trying to sell you on a trip to Liberty Island. Heard one fellow telling tourists about a no-waiting-on-longer-than-long-lines alternative water taxi. I suppose it costs a lot more, but I'd jump at it.

Say it ain't so: another icon falling by the wayside? Has the venerable Colgate Clock in Jersey City run out of time?

Had a Nor'easter this past week. Look what the tide dragged in.

Look closely: There's that Indian again in a canoe with a tear drop streaming down his face.

Here's a very small part of that line from Hell. Three people on a supermarket checkout line is too many for me.

Halloween is the perfect time of the year to reflect...

And contemplate whether or not we want to slam doors shut.

Recently, I purchased twenty bars of Irish Spring soap on Amazon.com for under ten dollars with free shipping. Now that's a sale!

I always thought that Dairy Queens were the ice cream artisans.

Home is where the Stop & Shop seagulls are.

They've got supermarket garbage in which to forage and a subway station all their own to roost. It's an urban seagull's nirvana.

(Photos from the personal collection of Nicholas Nigro)