I’m usually the pass-out-candy parent, but my kids wanted to split up this year so I got to experience exactly why my street gets only a handful every year (and barely any this year). Four blocks down is practically a street-long block party. At least 50% of the houses are not just active but decked out. We saw cars dropping kids off, and we saw a family from school that doesn’t live in our neighborhood. I get it but I’m kinda sad my mostly-retiree street doesn’t see any action.

It was noticeably quieter this year in my neighborhood. I blame the election and the unseasonably warm weather.

We often only get a couple trick-or-treaters every year, and this year was no different, except we left the front door open all night, which means we heard and saw kids walking past our house.

I’m one of the few groups that came to our porch, I heard one girl whisper to her friends, “that’s the creepy house”

So, I guess our house is the haunted house of the neighborhood. I’d be ok with that if we actually had any ghosts.

We’ve been here for over 140 years, and I’ve never seen a single ghost.

There’s always swarms of kids trick or treating a couple blocks from here (NYC). The houses usually have decorations up, and one of them usually goes really hard with music and stuff.

It probably helps that it’s a very walkable neighborhood.

Yeah, here too

We moved to this apartment quite some years ago. The first two years we absolutely weren’t expecting anyone, because in our country/city it’s quite unusual for children to go ‘trick or treat’-ing

At least in the second year I managed to have some things and just gave all the sweets away we had fire ourselves.

This year, I was really looking forward to it.
TV said Halloween costumes were sold 3 times more than last years and I prepared with a nice mix of sweets.

Absolutely no one showed up…

Ok, were in a housing complex with many assistants and usually kids go to houses and not flats.
Still, was a bit of a bummer

Well, at least I’ve got some sweets now…

This thread is sad.

As a kid, my parents(read: mostly my mom) would see 400-500 kids over the night. Was really fun, you’d see everyone out having a great time.

In my last place it was mostly childless renters in the neighborhood but we’d still get a good ~100.

I saw people in my apartment complex getting their kids ready to go out earlier while walking my dogs; not one of them seemed to do any rounds within the complex though.

There’s a rich neighborhood about a block away. I wonder if they all just go there, looking for the full sized candy bars. 🤔

Haven’t had anyone come trick or treating to my door since COVID. It’s weird as hell and I’m about to stop buying candy. For them, anyway.

We did the same the first couple of years and barely any kids came, even though we’re a block away from an elementary school. OTOH, we’re halfway up a hilly area and most of the neighbors are long time residents or retirees. No kids on the block. We just stopped trying.

There’s this one street 5min away where they get a city permit and block both ends of the block so it’s safe for kids to walk in the street. Most of the houses decorate and put out candies. It gets SWARMED! We started taking our own kids there.

Maybe there’s a street like that near you and the kids and their parents just go there.

It’s always neighborhood dependent. We live in a kid-heavy town but trick-or-treating just sort of naturally condenses into certain streets/neighborhoods, and the town even shuts down Main Street for it. So the kids on your street might go to other neighborhoods to team up with friends, etc.

The only way to know is to ask neighbors who have been there for a while what the vibe is usually like on your street.

Our kid is 2 so tonight was his first time trick-or-treating. Our street always has some houses with candy but we went to a different neighborhood to go with friends. One of the houses we went to said they weren’t prepared because in 20 years they’ve never had anyone come! They were excited to see people, though.

Awww I’m sorry it sucks to be prepared and get no one. We’re in a big trick or treating neighborhood but on a side street and last year we only got like 5 visitors. This year we just took candy over to our neighbor on the more popular street and didn’t hand any out at our house. One street over from our house and the entire sidewalk and street was mobbed with under-10’s. I think it’s highly neighborhood- and street-dependent.

Ask your neighbors where the good trick or treating spot is. It may be far away from you and people are just driving there instead of sticking around the neighborhood. Or it’s possible if you’re in a less walkable area that people might do more “trunk or treat” instead where they coordinate and go to a parking lot to do trick or treating.

We used to prepare for Halloween when we first moved to this house. Gave up after we only got 2-3 kids a year. No one seems to go house to house anymore, they all get funneled to the sanctioned downtown street party or the school parking lot event. Now Halloween is just about the only night of the year we turn the porch light off, just in case those 2-3 kids come by on accident.

It all depends on the average age of families and density of family dwellings in your area. My neighborhood had scads of kids. We handed out a ton of candy. It was almost non stop trick or treaters for two hours.

I live in a small town where the local businesses on the two main cross streets hand out candy as well as have trunk-or-treats in the parking lots. Hardly any kids go around the neighborhoods anymore. It’s a bummer

Does seem to be less and less. Small town, we have a certain neighborhood area that everyone goes and everywhere is neglected. I’m sorry no one came. When I was a kid there was a ridiculous amount of kids. Just got less and less. By the time we moved from that house there was maybe 1 kid. Parents used to put out Halloween stuff and they just stopped. Idk it’s definitely sad

Just happens in some places. Your neighbors or previous occupants may have been inactive or terrible treat givers.

My neighborhood has gotten worse over my tenure here. Three houses (including me) in a two block stretch that hand out candy.