The Adventures of Baby Arthur

So what DO kids do in Manhattan for Halloween? When I was a kid growing up in the suburbs, it was as simple as joining the next swarm of kids that ran by. We went house to house. If the lights were off, there was no candy to be had. But in an urban setting like Manhattan, where the white picket fences are replaced by skyscrapers and office buildings, one wouldn't think that there was anything to do for children on Halloween.

1. Store-to-store: Stores and restaurants in our neighborhood actually had baskets of candy ready and groups of children were abound collecting it.

3. Inside the building: For residential buildings that are big enough, children could trick-or-treat from apartment to apartment. I know of some complexes that get really organized about it and setup a list of "Halloween friendly" apartments that children are supposed to stick to.

4. Special Events: Events are planned by non-profits, museums, parks, etc. for kids all over the city.

Liz opted for the Halloween Celebration at the Museum of Natural History and brought Arthur along with a brigade of our cousins and extended family. While I do very much enjoy the Museum of Natural History and was intrigued about the event, I opted to work and run errands, so I didn't go. Let's be honest here, Arthur is not going to remember this Halloween. This was an excuse for the women of the family to dress him up in a little outfit, giggle and gush over how CUUUUTEE he is! On top of that, there were 15,000 people anticipated to be in attendance. No thanks! Once Arthur is old enough to ask me to take him trick-or-treating, I'll be all over it!

PS: While there is plenty of to do for kids, there is infinitely MORE to do for adults. As dusk came in, 6th Avenue was being closed off for the Halloween parade, leaving me stranded with 4 large bags and no cab! (Thanks to Liz and her sister for coming to the rescue with a car!) Once night fell, the crazies were out in full force and the swarms of kids became swarms of 20-somethings hollering at the top of their lungs. I worked until about 2am, when I decided to step outside for a slice of pizza. The crowd on the street was a mix between a freakshow and a circus! Once I made it back, I was greeted by an extremely inebriated 20-something male, dressed up like a woman with breasts, lipstick, mini-skirt, box of tampons and lord knows what else, struggling to make it up the stairs. I only had one thing to say: "Don't puke in the hallway please." Maybe it's time to move to the 'burbs!