Tricker treating... where and when?? (Tampa, Brandon: apartment complex, attorneys, houses)

[deeringm]

This is our first year in the area. I live near Brandon, in a apartment complex. I am looking for a safe neighborhood to take my son. I dont mind coming to Tampa, USF area, since I am going in that area to pick up someone who will be going with us. Also, is tricker treating happening on Monday night? Or will it be this weekend? Thank you, I just dont know where to get this info.

[GoRays813]

Can't really help you since I don't have kids and I stopped trick-or-treating several years ago. But a colleague of mine said she's taking her kids out on Monday if that helps you any. As far as any neighborhoods are concerned, and to save you the drive since you're coming into Tampa anyway, I'd imagine that Carrolwood and those areas would be a good haul for the kids.

In case no one else responds and to make sure that you have fun, ask some neighbors that have kids.

[FloridaKash]

Any Sub-Division with single home should be fine. Maybe make the drive out to FishHawk?

[crazynip]

I have heard some people trick or treet on the Sunday before halloween now, I think that is pathetic and weak. I will not, absolutely NOT give candy out on any day but true halloween.

Another example of kids being coddled today, either that or lazy ass parents...

[ferret111]

It always amazes me when we get new residents from up North who are used to having city- or town-designated trick or treat nights.

[annaegel]

I have never heard of trick or treating the night before. I live in Tampa Palms (north of USF). We get a ton of outsiders coming over to trick or treat. Tick or treating usually starts around 6:30ish once the sun has gone down. It slows down around 8:30. By 9:00, our lights are turned off, but we still get an occasional teenager ringing our doorbell. I usually buy 6 big bags of candy and have run out! I have to raid my kids stash of candy that they did not want anyway.

[crazynip]

Originally Posted by ferret111

It always amazes me when we get new residents from up North who are used to having city- or town-designated trick or treat nights.

Sounds like more bleeding heart liberal "we did it like that up in new yawk" nonsense to me...

Wonder if they celebrate 4th of july on the Sunday before the 4th if it happens to fall on a weekday

[Sunscape]

Originally Posted by annaegel

I have never heard of trick or treating the night before. I live in Tampa Palms (north of USF). We get a ton of outsiders coming over to trick or treat. Tick or treating usually starts around 6:30ish once the sun has gone down. It slows down around 8:30. By 9:00, our lights are turned off, but we still get an occasional teenager ringing our doorbell. I usually buy 6 big bags of candy and have run out! I have to raid my kids stash of candy that they did not want anyway.

Tampa Palms is another area where the kids can get lots of candy!!!

[Disland]

Safe, secure, 1920s, Trick or treat special.

There is one neighborhood I can assure a positive experience. Called New Suburb Beautiful, it consists of Jetton, Watrous, Sunset and Prospect between S Howard and S Macdill Ave. Arriving via the Interstate, exit at Howard and Armenia and head south on Armenia until it dead ends at a large yellow brick Greek church. and then go left or right to Howard or Macdil and then south to NSB on Macdill you will see a stoplight at Morrison and NSB is any of the nezt 4 left turns and eaxh extends 3 blocks. On SOHO or So Howard, Morrison also has a light, but the traditional entrance is Watrous Ave which interacts directly under the LeRoy Selmon overpass.

The reason NSB is particularly well situated are the substantial homes built in the Roaring 20s just prior to the Depression. Uniquely, the lots are small, just 55 or 60 feet. wide well maintained sidewalks everywhere, and front porches. NSB has the former head of the FBI office and prosecuting attorneys advising the oldest and most active neighborhood association which pioneered the city program of employing off duty police and sheriff deputies living there who in turn supervise the selection of off duty officers that patrol 365 days a year for every home plus Bern's Steakhouse on So Howard and Watrous. By historical happenstance there is little through traffic. . For a modest fee of $35/year a HSB membership is available providing many benefits including the private cell phone numbers to contact the patrolling officers. The patrols are tightly integrated with Tampa Police pursuit and helicopter spotting service and the police know thry will find neighbors in the courtroom urging maximum jail time for anyone with a record and no reason for neing uncovered and arrested in suspicious circumstances. Every month there is a brief newspaper paid for with the $35.year voluntary membership with the astonishing list of 20 year olds with previous arrests found with burglary tools arrested cruising the neighnoring homes near NSB, Golf View, Palma Ceia, Hyde Park, Parkland, Where George Steinbrenners and the Outback owners settled kn the 1990s. the NSB 55 foot lots, make the neighbors feel close as do the well used sidewalks and neighbors expecting to greet each other from the enjoyable front porches every cool evening.

Kids are always supervised, many keep coming back as young teens bringing new friends to see the costumes. there are open backyard meals to fill the kids up before going out for the sugar highs. The annual 4th of July costume parade of bicycles and patriotic figures includes selection of one of the seniors, many having lived there since birth or marriage who have raised their only families selected as a sprcila guest and open air ride. There is a Christmas Card drive on Morrison.

Some goulish neighbors will prepare the typical blind folded hand in eyeballs or intestines or goey brains, and ghost stories and a video recorded scream room that manages to get the screams on tape when a table in the corner becomes a looming monster, or a mirror opens, squirt soaking on warm evenings, and the ongoing initiations where the inductee sits between the initiated on a sofa that collapses onto pillows when the slip cover over two sturdy chairs and a void between collapses when the kids on the end stand up and the inductee drops to pillows because the weight of the end children in chairs provided enough stability for the victim to relax over the cloth stretched over the chairs and held in place until the tricksters stand up and the victim drops. flash bulb temporary blinding produces laughs in carefully controlled settings.

In the decades I attended I rarley saw a child cry or ever be out of sight of a parent watching in the viewing area..

Occasioanally some kids show up professioanlly outfitted,most have enough cosyume to give the effect without.

about 90% of homes have some decoration and 65% wait patiently to open the door and greet the tiny tots whos joy in receiving a safe store bought candy and learning to overcome the fear of knocking on the door just past their normal zone of safety. I have seen some too overexposed young girls with pervocative makeup and coached to act that way, but it is never more than a a pair of girls a year.

And every year some older boys ob bikes swoop around too loud, too aggressive, abd too late but no reports they bully any child.

Parents drive in and usually temporarily join informal groups. There will be a smattering of foreign language and happy families surprised to find more friendly homes than can ever be viewed in an evening. There are always kids elated to be in a neighborhood and feel safe seeing friendly unafraid and non threatening adults and no bullying or slap talk, loud boasting or taunting taunting.

And the roving, slow moving modern police vehicle seems to get the point across to trounle makers that they need to load up and find another place to disturb. The lights flash and the siren rings out but it seems to add to the evening rather than be an alert.
The most common complaint is from the neighbors who enjoy the evening so much every year they say 'not enough kids this year.' the visitors start early in a trickle, then the door barely closes before the knock knock comes. often the new visitors parents will slow down to allow the door to tne closed and reset for the full surprise effect. Mom's may sit home and cry in the year or two after their last child grows up too fast before the mom dresses herself in left over costumes and goes out in search of the other moms looking to share the void.

I have never heard of a neighbor complaining.

[Kevin from Tampa]

You don't need to travel far to take kids TRICK OR TREATING (sorry..grammar and spelling are peeve of mine...it's not "tricker treating"). You can find tons of places in Brandon. I'm sure there are houses near your apartment complex. Brandon is a very safe place with lots of families.

And yes, Halloween is on Monday, so that's when it will be celebrated.