Central Park New York
Central Park New York

During parts of the 1970’s and 80’s Central Park was often a scary place to be. Runners were told to steer clear of the reservoir loop at night, women were advised to keep a friend or two by their sides during park outings and dozens of out-of-luck men and struggling young people even spent desperate nights in one of the United States’ great urban landmarks. That era was surely one of the darkest in the park’s history, rivalled perhaps only by the period that saw the Hooverville shanty camps of the Great Depression. Today’s Central Park is enjoying a prolonged renaissance. The park is the envy of international cities that can only dream of having this much useful, manicured, diverse and safe green space in the geographic center of their metropolis. Contemporary Central Park is one of the safest places to be in an already secure large urban center. Nonetheless, the park does get quite scary at certain times of the year, especially if you happen to be a five-year-old on October 31st.

Today’s park is a haven for families as much as any other group for myriad reasons, one of which being the diverse slate of events put together each month by the Central Park Conservancy, by the Upper East Side, a neighborhood with elegant and comfy accommodations. This Halloween’s Central Park offering really does have something for families of all stripes. On October 23rd the park will hold a pumpkin carving workshop designed specifically for families with children ages 6 years and older. All pumpkins carved, no matter how aesthetically advanced will be eligible to take part in the famous pumpkin sail on Sunday the 25th. On the same Sunday afternoon as the pumpkin flotilla will be the annual Halloween parade, including storytelling, pumpkin crafts, live music and, of course, plenty of candy. On Thursday, October 29th the park will hold yet another crafting event at its Chess and Checkers House while Central Park’s main holiday event will take place on the 30th when Belvedere Castle will be transformed into a haunted house. Adults looking to get in on the fun can participate in a workshop on making impressive jack-o’-lanterns that acts both as workshop and social hour. All of the Central Park Conservancy events are free to the public and require no advance registration, only a half-way descent costume.

Another scary New York experience can be arriving at a hotel that is not quite as advertised. With New York Habitat’s pre-screened apartments travellers won’t have to worry about the fright that comes with finding a closet-sized hotel room with that un-clean aura. Below are a few clean and cozy New York Accommodations available at the end of October:

-This 2-bedroom Vacation Rental in Harlem, Uptown (NY-15344)is housed in a quintessential Harlem townhouse and features hardwood floors, decorative fireplaces and large, bright windows.

–This Midtown East 2-bedroom Accommodation (NY-12498) is just a few blocks from the green acres of Central Park and is fully renovated from stainless steel appliances to finished hardwood floors.

Ever been in New York for Halloween? Tell us about your experiences below.