The Best Neighborhoods and Streets for Trick-or-Treating in Boston on Halloween
Every Halloween, quiet residential streets must prepare for the inevitable visit of costumed children yelling “Trick or treat!”, eager to collect what they are entitled as members of American society. To help you and your kids capitalize on Halloween, we’ve compiled a list of the best neighborhoods around Boston for trick or treating.
In 2012, Zillow.com compiled a list of top trick-or-treating areas in various cities including Boston, which came in second place on the site’s Best Cities to Trick-or-Treat list. Zillow based its findings on home values, crime rates, population density, and whether or not a neighborhood can be easily navigated by foot.
Below, check out a breakdown of the top five Boston neighborhoods for trick-or-treating. Happy gathering!
Beacon Hill
A winner by far. It’s reasonably quiet, adequately decorated, and aesthetically pleasing. What more could you want? Some of its small, townhouse-adorned slopes may prove a bit tricky in a rain/freakish snowstorm, but possible brick-sized chocolate bars could serve as great remedies for few (if any) minor bruises. Tip: If you hadn’t already planned on venturing past Mount Vernon and Pickney Streets, try your luck on Revere and Chestnut Streets.
West Roxbury
West Roxbury is equipped with lots of green space, not-so-trafficky residential streets (try Lagrange and Corey Streets off of the busy Centre Street), and a general appreciation for kids, as the neighborhood is known for its youth programming. Not to mention, it was once home to an “experimental Utopian community” that attracted famous writers like Ralph Waldo Emerson. Does this denote trick-or-treating perfection? Quite possibly.
Charlestown
Located near the Boston Harbor and Mystic River, young and thriving professionals make up a large part of this neighborhood. Again, it’s been rightfully ranked—it’s a nice part of town with some popular tourist attractions (stroll by the Bunker Hill Monument and the USS Constitution if you go early). As you scope the areas between Bunker Hill, Medford, and Main Streets, perhaps you will track down residents feeling extra generous this year.
Back Bay
Not surprised? Back Bay has some of the nicest homes in the city, it’s easy to get to, and it’s easy to get around. Peruse down Marlborough, Clarendon, and Dartmouth Streets, and take the little ones over to Clarendon Street Playground for the annual Halloween celebration. Treats, tricks, and a free trip around the neighborhood? Sure, we’ll take it.
North End
Take your costumed selves down to this beloved neighborhood, which, though usually hustling and bustling with carbo-loading restaurant-goers, is still a popular Halloween gem. Pedestrian-friendly and fittingly eerie (think narrow spaces and old graveyards), the North End could very well be the perfect spot to fill your hollow candy buckets in record time. Not to condone gluttony, but if you also choose to top off your already calorically rich collection with a box full of Italian pastry goodness, it’s understandable.
—Reporting by Meara Hamidiani
