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The best LA neighborhoods to go trick-or-treating
This is the typical scene in year's past in Sierra Madre, where the masses are drawn in with decorations and generous candy hand outs.
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Trick-or-treating in Los Angeles is a major social event for the 14-and-under set. Savvy kids hoping to maximize their candy haul — and parents willing to brave L.A.'s terrifying Halloween traffic — will sometimes travel for miles to reach those mythical neighborhoods where you can score full-size candy bars and every home is decked out with professional props.
Are the legends real? Now, you can find out. Here are some of the most festive and candy-rich locales to take your kiddos trick-or-treating on Halloween. This is an evolving list that was first published in 2019 and we continue to update each year because it's so popular with readers. But, of course, things can and do change. (Remember the pandemic?) If you have any suggestions, or neighborhoods we should add, email us at tips@LAist.com.
And for some bonus candy, check out the Los Angeles City Council's list of Halloween activities for youngsters, which also includes a smattering of events happening on Saturday, Nov. 1.
Happy Trick-or-Treating!
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This is what it's all about: Halloween candy.
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Angelino Heights
Carroll Avenue and Douglas Street
Next to Echo Park Lake you'll find a swath of stunning Victorian homes, many maintained in period perfection. That makes Angelino Heights an ideal backdrop for a night of spooky trick-or-treating. No wonder Michael Jackson choose this area as the setting for "Thriller." You'll spot the 3,532-square-foot manor featured in the video at 1345 Carroll Ave.
Many residents also decorate their homes, inside and out, so when you come to the door, pillowcase in hand, you can peak at a haunted tableau, complete with costumed characters. Beware the crowds. Angelino Heights on Halloween is no secret.
In Sierra Madre, many neighorhoods go all out with the holiday decor.
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Sierra Madre
N. Baldwin Avenue and W. Alegria Avenue
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This town at the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains is a natural pick for trick-or-treating with its a spooky cinematic history. It doubles as the fictional town of Santa Mira in the 1956 film Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
These days, the festive decorations, tree-lined streets, jack-o'-lanterns and small-town-possibly-hiding-a-dark-secret vibe makes for a scary and successful holiday — and one of the biggest events of the year. Want even more? How about a costume contest?.
Eagle Rock
Hill Drive
On Halloween, the neighborhood surrounding Eagle Rock's Hill Drive is packed with costumed children and the cute Craftsman homes are dutifully decorated. You may have to fight past hordes of trick-or-treaters to collect your candy, but it's a spooky slice of hometown fun in the big city.
Brentwood
Brentwood Glen, between Church Lane and Beloit Avenue
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Head west of the 405 to this small, walkable neighborhood for great decorations and not too much traffic, making it idea for small children: "Residents are generous with their candy as well as their Halloween spirit, evident in their decorated homes and glowing carved pumpkins," according to TimeOut.com.
Santa Monica
Montana Avenue and Gillette's Regents Square
Beach-bound? Take your little ones to Montana Avenue and hit the shops and restaurants between 6th and 17th streets. The neighborhood's annual Halloween Hop happens early, from 3 to 6 p.m., so it's perfect for young ones. The expansive, elaborately decorated yards of Gillette's Regents Square, bounded by 17th Street on the west and 21st Place on the east, also provide a great trick-or-treating area for bigger kids.
Wonder what these skeletons are chatting about...
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Pasadena
Monterey Road, especially near Windsor Place and Diamond, Marengo and Fair Oaks avenues, and the Madison Heights neighborhood
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With leafy suburban streets, affluent Pasadena is full of great trick-or-treating options. The shops in Old Pasadena host events and hand out candy while neighborhoods are rife with decor and revelry, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Look for the "Treat Stop" signs. It's a family-friendly affair on streets like Monterey Road and Marengo Avenue as lots of young families flocking to the area for treats. The Madison Heights neighborhood south of E. California Boulevard is also popular.
Silver Lake
Sunset Boulevard and N. Coronado Street, and Berkeley Circle off Silver Lake Boulevard
The hipster hub of Silver Lake offers creative costume sightings galore. Armstrong Avenue is the center of many festivities. If you're lucky, some streets will be closed off to traffic, which is fantastic for trick-or-treating but also means you'll face lots of people (and parking challenges). If you want to take things down a notch and avoid major crowds, N. Coronado Street between Sunset Boulevard and Scott Avenue is a good place to start. You'll get all the spooky decorations, festive neighbors and, of course, candy. Another more low-key option is "Boo-keley Circle," aka Berkeley Circle, off Silver Lake Boulevard.
Downtown
Grand Hope Park at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising
DTLA with its abundance of bars, high rises and modern lofts isn't the most kid-friendly locale for trick-or-treating but the Annual Halloween Party for Downtown L.A. Kids at Grand Hope Park bill itself as a fun Oct. 31 event "perfect for kids ages 2–8." It runs from 5 to 8 p.m. and includes bounce houses, puppet shows, face paint, hot dogs and trick-or-treat-doors (the doors are fake but the candy is real, so bring a bucket). Tickets: $13-15.
Venice
Dell Avenue and and S. Venice Boulevard
Venice Beach's canal neighborhood offers Halloween theatrics aplenty. Stroll the bridges and collect candy from enthusiastic neighbors as you gawk at boats decorated to ghoulish effect. Parking is difficult (naturally) and the narrow walkways get crowded, but if you can deal with that, the twinkling lights are magical.
A dog running from the long arm of the law in West Hollywood!
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Toluca Lake
Ledge Avenue and Moorpark Street, Toluca Estates Drive and Valley Spring Lane
Locals have long known the ranch houses in "the flats" of Toluca Lake are ideal for candy-hunting. Late entertainer Bob Hope's former abode (at Ledge Avenue and Moorpark Street) is a great central point to take in the ghoulish displays and generous candy offerings. The cul-de-sac at Toluca Estates Drive and Valley Spring Lane is another prime trick-or-treat spot. You'll find a lively scene at the Toluca Lake Estates with industry folks flexing their prop and set design skills to create amazing haunted houses and yards. One year, there were actors dressed as zombie Disney princesses. Head up Forman Avenue from Riverside Drive to look out for more sensational decorations, including scary movies projected on homes and, if you're lucky, neighbors doling out wine (to adults).
Beverly Hills
Walden Drive and Carmelita Avenue
Where do little ghouls and goblins head for full-size candy bars? The 90210. Arrive early at Halloween hot spot Walden Drive because this tony enclave with big houses and bigger candy hauls can get crazy. The neighborhood near the Witch's House at Walden Drive and Carmelita Avenue (a.k.a. the Spadena House) is a perfect spot to start. Designed by a Hollywood art director in the 1920s, the enchanting storybook structure with its asymmetrical gables, gnarled trees and wooden bridge looks like the home of the cannibalistic witch in "Hansel and Gretel."
Burbank
Mariposa Street and Valleyheart Drive and Magnolia Park
If anyone knows how to do it up for Halloween, it's the plethora of Disney employees who reside in Burbank. The safe and friendly neighborhood around the studio features pro decor including animatronics and fog machines. Neighbors get into the Halloween spirit and help create an optimal trick-or-treat experience. Magnolia Park, with its flat streets, plentiful lights and friendly faces, is also perfect trick-or-treating terrain for little ones.
Studio City
Laurel Terrace Drive and Mound View Avenue, Silver Triangle
Head west of Laurel Canyon for Studio City's informal block party, which is packed with pumpkins, celebrities and Halloween atmosphere. Hoards of trick-or-treaters (including plenty of actors and recording artists who live in the area) enjoy the decked out lawns and candy offerings around Laurel Terrace Drive and Mound View Avenue. The Silver Triangle neighborhood (south of Ventura Boulevard and north of Fryman Canyon) is also a solid bet. Everyone gets into the spooky spirit.
Hancock Park/Larchmont Village
Windsor Square, north of Wilshire Boulevard and Arden Street and Rossmore Avenue, off Larchmont Boulevard
Assorted Halloween candy and decor: The stuff Halloween dreams are made of.
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This posh neighborhood of Windsor Square, which is home to the official mayoral residence of Los Angeles, is so well known for its trick-or-treating, kids arrive by the busload to enjoy its spirited streets. Haunted houses, amazing decorations and plenty of candy can also be found on Arden Street and Rossmore Avenue, just off Larchmont Boulevard.
Atwater Village
Glendale Boulevard between Glenhurst and Revere avenues
Trick or Treat on the Boolevard is a fantastic Atwater Village event for kiddos that happens the Friday before Halloween, so, unfortunately, that's already happened. Still, this area is known for great trick-or-treating on Oct. 31 as the majority of homes in Atwater Village participate. It's easy pickin' for candy and the homes are close together so you can hit a lot of houses in a short amount of time.
Redondo Beach
Riviera Village
Cotton candy, handfuls of treats and open streets for fairies, K-Pop Demon Hunters and ghouls to run wild — Riviera Village is the place to go trick-or-treating in the South Bay. Catalina Avenue closes to traffic from Avenue I to South Elena Street from 3 to 8 p.m. and shops hand out candy, tchotchkes and other treats for kids and grown ups alike. There's also photo booths and DJs spinning scary tunes. Pro tip: get there early because finding parking is a true Halloween nightmare.
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