3 NYC Halloween day trips that are actually worth your time
I have mentioned before in this blog that I love the month of October. It ends in Halloween and it leads into Dia de Los Muertos, and what can beat that?
There’s a lot of chaff to cut through, when it comes to Halloween. Sure, there’s plenty of parties, and most coffee shops will serve you a syrup concoction they call a pumpkin spice latte, but that still leaves one wanting a better experience. If you’re looking for something more seasonal (but edifying in some sort of cultural or intellectual way), well check this stuff out:
Do your own walking tour of haunted spots via the Bowery Boys
There’s not question about it. The Bowery Boys produce the most fun and informative NYC history podcast. And each year they knock out a great Halloween-themed show. If you want to avoid crappy haunted tours and also feel like you’re getting an intimate look at the city’s haunted history, just pop the show into your phone, throw some headphones on, and visit the multiple locations across the boroughs to see some of the most haunted places and architecture in the city. And you don’t even have to tip.
Visit the Morgan Museum and Library’s Edgar Allan Poe exhibit
For a great look at Halloween as seen through a literary prism, you can’t beat Edgar Allan Poe.
This exhibit on Poe’s papers and writings will not only rekindle your love for his macabre contribution to literature, but it will remind you that his spirit lives on through this objects, as well. I found his handwritten notes and letters eerie. He even used a very distinct roman script to submit stories for publication.
Edgar Allan Poe: Terror of the Soul – The Morgan Library & Museum.
And as a bonus, you can jump right into Dia De Los Muertos
Take a train on Nov 1 or 2 right into Sunset Park, where a large concentration of NYC’s Mexican community lives. Though many celebrations for Dia de Los Muertos will happen inside people’s homes, you should still visit this vibrant neighborhood and check out the panaderias, where you can get the traditional pan de muerto (bread of the dead) to celebrate the return of the spirits into the world of the living.
If you’re in Manhattan, you should check out Mano a Mano (an organization devoted to Mexican arts). They will be organizing a community based ofrenda. The ofrenda is an altar that’s used in Mexico to welcome the dead back on Dia de los Muertos.
So there you have it. You don’t have to be dragged to crap events during this season. I didn’t put any nighttime events on this list because things get really subjective once we start talking about Halloween parties, parades and such. If you want to discuss those, send me a tweet at @urraca.
Go do the good stuff, okay? And if you spot any amazing stuff, tag it #13SC!
