Okay, College Prep! It’s that time of year again: the leaves are falling down from the trees, leggings-clad white girls pull up to school with pumpkin spice lattes in hand, and most importantly, Halloween is just around the corner! I’m going to be honest here, because I think I owe it to you all. Although I love to wear my costume around all day (whether it’s a sexy Ken Bone costume or a basic devil outfit) and deck out my house in cobwebs and gravestones, the real part of Halloween is by far, the candy. Honestly, who doesn’t enjoy free candy? I know I do! Halloween is the only time of the year where I can go absolutely ham when eating for no price at all.
Unfortunately, if you’re like me, your neighborhood is pretty lame when it comes to candy options and you want to reap the benefits of free candy as much as you can! That’s where I come in; I have written this article to tell you about the hottest trick or treating spots on October 31st. You might be thinking “Bridget, don’t be ridiculous. I am a teenager now! I can’t go trick or treating with all the five year olds; that would be so lame!” If I just summed up how you feel, you’re lying to yourself. Everyone loves trick or treating, and if you deprive yourself of this joy, it is your fault. Also, your denial means more candy for me! Without further ado, here are the top three places to trick or treat in the Bay Area.
1) Piedmont, Oakland
I ranked Piedmont #1 on this very strategically planned list, because rumor has it that residents in this area hand out KING SIZED candy bars! It is an absolute fallacy that “fun size” is better than a fully grown, fully awesome candy bar. Bigger is better (at least in this case). If you care about more than just candy on Halloween, Piedmont also displays cool decorations, because it is an affluent community with many kids. Thus, although Piedmont is a bit of a trek for some people, the benefits are quite literally huge and––for candy lovers like me––well worth the trip.
Pros: you’ll get more bang for your buck with larger candy bars
Cons: houses in Piedmont are rather sparsely spread out.
2) Alameda
For those of you who do not live on Alameda island, located off the coast of Oakland, this location may be SLIGHTLY inconvenient to get to. However, because Alameda is so isolated, the residential areas are all closely packed together, which makes it easy to hop from house to house. Even though Alameda may not give out large candy bars, you can obtain copious amounts of candy due to the sheer number of houses. Alameda is also a great place for parents to take their kids, because the community is safe and trick or treating starts early there; thus, as an added bonus, while you’re trick or treating, so are the younglings in their adorable bumble bee costumes. Aww!
Pros: the houses are close together, so you can visit many in a short time span.
Cons: Alameda can be difficult to reach if you do not live in the immediate area.
3) Russell Street, Berkeley
I have been trick or treating on Russell Street since I was a wee lass, and I have a personal attachment to this area. Folks, let me warn you now: Russell Street can get a little too “lit”––as the youth say––so the police close the block at around 8:30 PM. The reason this happens is because A) residents want to sleep after a long night of giving out candy, and B) teenage hooligans (or should I say “ghouligans?”) come and create havoc for all the children. Some people firmly believe that the best part of Halloween is the decorations, and Russell certainly delivers! Each house has their own unique take on what this holiday means to them; from disco dancing aliens to underwater ecosystems to scary haunted houses, creative and new ideas show up everywhere. However, because many people visit Russell Street each year, the community is a wee bit reserved when it comes to giving out candy. If you love the whole Halloween spirit, Russell is definitely the place to go, but if you just want candy, this location may not be worth your while.
Pros: Russell Street offers so many awesome decorations to see!
Cons: It’s not the best place to collect large amounts of candy.
I hope this list was helpful to you if you refuse to accept the fact that you are growing up or would like to go against societal norms and trick or treat until you have children of your own! In conclusion, whether or not you decide to go trick or treating this Halloween, I hope you have a great holiday and that you get only the best candy!