[Bruzilla]

I drive a very unique car, a 1974 Plymouth Roadrunner that's done up to represent my hometown of Pittsburgh. If someone from our area sees it, they know who's driving it because it sits out in our driveway. So yesterday, I'm out and about running some errands and as I'm getting out of the car at a shopping center, two guys come up to me and say "You're the guy from the Halloween house!" I've never heard our place called that, but it makes sense.

These two guys start going on and on about how they've been bringing their families to our house for four years now, and how much they all love what we do, which was great to hear. What wasn't great to hear is they both said they started their Halloweens each year by taking their kids to Moosehaven, which is a retirement community run by the Loyal Order of Moose that's a mile or so from us. The Moose Lodge holds lots of events, and one of them is opening up for a party and trick or treat event on Halloween. It's a nice, safe, event for kids. Then after the event at Moosehaven they load the kids up and bring them to our house and then they go home.

I asked them if they went around the neighborhood at all, and they said oh no, they come to our place, the kids have a great time, and then they jump back in the car and go home. We've seen a huge increase in vehicles on Halloween, almost to the point where we were thinking of asking the local police for some help directing it because we are a residential area and we'll have both sides of the streets (we live on a corner) packed with parked cars, and I see some people come and go, but I thought most of them came, hit the neighborhood, and then left, but that doesn't seem to be the case the more I ask.

It had been our hope that our house would inspire and excite other home owners to decorate and open up on Halloween, but now I'm wondering if we're working against our purpose by sucking up all the attention?

 

[Doc-Dead-Inside]

I feel the same way about our neighborhood. I was hoping my decorations would inspire the neighborhood, but not so much. Only a few people decorate, and its usually the big blow up pumpkins and reapers. My daughters bus driver has confronted me, and so has our Mail lady about what big plans I had for the season, but I have yet to be stalked in parking lots lol

 

[J-Man]

That's pretty much the same scenario everywhere. The really cool displays tend to draw the crowds and are usually the only one in the neighborhood. You may see a few yards with some small decorations but for the most part, the "over the top" houses are a special breed of haunters. Keep doing what you do!

 

[Wolfman]

Bru', I can totally relate to being called "The Halloween Guy", my wife even more so... But as far as more harm than good, we've had the police stop by, too much of our fog was wafting across the street, we were too loud well after 10:00, Noise Bylaw violation, Yadda Yadda. But they never came close to shutting us down. In fact, there'd be cops standing at the back of the line out on the sidewalk handing out flyers advertising THEIR Haunted House trying to drum up business!

 

[ZombieRaider]

I think we've all had that romantic thought - I hope to inspire the neighborhood to decorate like I do and just have a whole town of Halloween overload!....Hey, it happens in movies....I've thought about this a lot over the years and my personal conclusion is that those of us that do this Halloween thing had something trigger in us when we were young that brings about a certain feeling now....You can't go back in time to relive the experience so you do what you can today to relive the feeling you got back then - Decorate your yard, have a party, etc.....I think that unique experience I had is a common thread we all share here and that's why we "get" each other with Halloween....Our neighbors never had that experience, at least to that level....They might have great memories of football or fishing or music, etc....That's not to mention how busy our lives are now....You need to REALLY like something to put extra time and money into things these days...So NO, I don't think your neighbors are going to be influenced by anything you do either way....You can only hope to capture the imagination of a few young ones and hope that it will leave a lasting impression into adulthood that they may one day carry the torch....If they have the time and money and actually want to get off their butts to do it, etc.....Hey, at least we're having fun right?.....LOL....ZR

 

[boo who?]

I've never given a hoot about inspiring anyone else to decorate. I do it because I love being that house. If anything, my neighbors would rather I didn't decorate or give out cool treats since it draws additional TOTs to their houses - and they'd rather not buy a second bag of Skittles.

 

[Flynn Manor]

Our house is always referred to as the "Halloween House'. When people give directions they will say 'go past the Halloween House and make a right..... We too have families that travel from all over the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh each year to see our display. They come to our house, stay a while, and then get back in there vehicles and go elsewhere. Unfortunately, the halloween bug has not caught on with other neighbors. Bruzilla, being a fellow Pittsburgher, I would love to see that 74 Roadrunner with the Pittsburgh theme....

 

[Madame Leota]

I know that some of my neighbors blame me because now we get so many kids and they "can't afford that much candy" so instead they turn off their lights and pretend they aren't home. Personally, I think it's just an excuse not to participate. If it wasn't the "too many kids" thing, it would be something else so I don't worry about it. If they wanted to decorate or hand out candy they would do it. And, for what it's worth, I think the majority of trick or treaters hit up every house in the neighborhood that has a porch light burning, rather than the one-stop scenario. I'm sure there are few of those but not enough to affect the entire neighborhood.

 

[Stochey]

I know that some of my neighbors blame me because now we get so many kids and they "can't afford that much candy" so instead they turn off their lights and pretend they aren't home. Personally, I think it's just an excuse not to participate. If it wasn't the "too many kids" thing, it would be something else so I don't worry about it. If they wanted to decorate or hand out candy they would do it. And, for what it's worth, I think the majority of trick or treaters hit up every house in the neighborhood that has a porch light burning, rather than the one-stop scenario. I'm sure there are few of those but not enough to affect the entire neighborhood.

Or they could just buy the amount of candy they feel comfortable with and then turn the lights off when they're out...

 

[Madame Leota]

Or they could just buy the amount of candy they feel comfortable with and then turn the lights off when they're out...

Well there's an idea. Guess they never thought of that...

 

[hopelesslyinsane]

Always happy to see Pittsburgh mentioned

I swear in my old neighborhood the second year I decorated I saw my neighbors try a little more. A couple more lights and pumpkins, one neighbor had some kind of sound or light activated thing that went off every time they answered the door for a ToT. It wasn't a lot but it was still a change and it made me happy. It was never my intention to inspire people to decorate but if it happens I won't complain.

 

[Boone6666]

well it would be nice to inspire a bit, But the kids are the reason I do so you know everyone dose Christmas and not a thought about it
but you don't see or hear the reactions of people to them maybe to common and of course they don't come to your door.
I have a lot of my Nabors turn there lights off as well not that we really get that tremendous amount of tot but it has grown I think I give out
about 70 candy bars that's not so bad. but they should remember it's one day a year and it's about the memories of the kids

 

[boo who?]

Glad to see so many of yinz Pittsburghers here! I work in Pgh- but haunt about 30 miles NW.

 

[Col. Fryght]

It might also be a function of time as to why people only hit a couple of spots. Halloween is on a school night this year. It really does not get dark until 6:30ish and then most people want to be done by 9pm to get the kids home and in bed and a decent hour. If they go to a couple of places with a decent wait and a decent amount to do then that translates into only three or four places.

When I was a kid (70's), the name of the game was hitting as many houses as possible for candy. Candy was a treat, nowadays, it is on the food pyramid. Not as much of a reason to hit a high number of houses.

 

[boo who?]

That's true about the candy, Colonel. When I was kid, very few houses had the nerve to give out "snack sized" treats and just about every house participated. It was full sized candy bars, popcorn balls, a treat bag, 3 oz. chip bags, or the occasional apple - sometimes candied! I would have hit about 30-40 houses and my bag was HEAVY at the end of the night.

Now, 30 houses gets you very little in the way of candy loot when half have their lights out and the rest give out tiny treats. I certainly would think twice about dragging my kids all over the place for next to nothing. I would instead probably go to the good Halloween houses and maybe a maze or hay ride and call it a night.

 

[Col. Fryght]

When I was kid, very few houses had the nerve to give out "snack sized" treats and just about every house participated.

Roger that. I only give out king size candy generally Kit Kats or Reeses Peanut Butter Cups. But, I only get about 75 kids in a good year and 40 in a bad year. I figure that I am buying good will with the kids so that when they become teenagers they will not egg my house or whatever teens get themselves into.

 

[boo who?]

I figure that I am buying good will with the kids so that when they become teenagers they will not egg my house or whatever teens get themselves into.

I worry about exactly the opposite. My fear is that handing out really good treats (and toys to little ones) will mark my house as a good place to rob.

 

[Screaming Demons]

A sign of the times. Too many parents drive their kids around to look for houses that are decorated or have their lights on. There are usually only a few on each block, so it's a lot of walking for little reward. But it does make traffic bad, and you end up feeling used.

 

[Wolfman]

Also, these days we are "competing" for TOT's against Shopping Centers, Community Centers and even churches. In our area there's a fireworks display at 9:00 PM. We've noticed a big spike in visitors at 9:30 right after the show. Cell phones help, kids telling other kids, "You gotta see this place!"
But the thought of decorating to spur on other houses? Never occurred to me. They sell so much in the way of decorations, SOMEBODY must be doing it. Just not I'm my 'hood...

Actually, I would LOVE to see it. Bring 'em on, man, Wolfman gonna chop 'em up!

 

[LadyMage]

I don't know. We purchased my parent's house. My parents always participated - a few decorations, my father always carved a pumpkin, but not on the order of something someone on here would do, and of course handed out candy. Once or twice the convention that my parents went do would run over Halloween, but if that happened, they'd have me or my sister come over and hand out treats. When they moved out and we started living here, we were the only ones decorating, the neighbours at either end of the block handed out candy, but had no decorations, and the rest of my side of the block was dark. My display has grown at least a little every year for the 5 years we've lived here. In the years since the houses on either end of the block have started putting out a few small decorations, and more of the houses at least have a light on. So I'd like to think that we're having a positive influence.

I have also noticed an uptick in trick or treaters every year, but not car traffic. I think the uptick in trick or treaters is because this side of the block always got skipped - when it's mostly dark and only one house is decorated, it doesn't seem inviting, but when you see more lights on in the houses and one of them has a big display, it draws more in. 24 years ago when my parents bought this house we had a tonne of car traffic, but that was when our street was the edge of town. Parents living rurally would bring the kids in and drop them off on our street. Over the intervening years, the town has grown, and there are several subdivisions now between us and the edge of town.