Trick or Treating

Santa Monica residents take lots of pride in their celebration of Halloween. So, if you’re new to the city, here are the top two trick-or-treating destinations. A popular destination is 16th St. and Montana Ave., which boasts an impressive inventory of candies and gifts. Montana Ave has a lot of stores and places to stop by as one goes down the block so it’s a great place to be near incase a pitstop is needed. Stop by here and every other location will seem underwhelming in comparison. Walking up and down Montana Ave. or even walking near Montana Ave. gives you a sugar rush. Staying by this area will nearly guarantee any trick-or-treater king-size candy bars, plus, a substantial workout from carrying heavy loads of bounty. Nino Collias (’19) visited here in the past.“What makes this spot great is that everything's so nearby, so walking is super easy,” Collias said.On Montana Ave., it is common to find many familiar faces. It is one of the most crowded destinations in Santa Monica on Halloween, and many people are dressed up in odd outfits. With the neighborhood-famous haunted house just a few blocks away on Georgina Ave., the opportunity to walk over to the main event is a comfortable experience. There are some extra perks at this destination, not just lots and lots of candy, but stores that offer other food; including Starbucks, Whole Foods and more are around here. Samo senior Eve Dubin (’17) emphasizes her love for this area. “I really enjoy the atmosphere here and by going up to Georgina Ave, your Halloween will be complete,” Dubin said.On 16th Street and Montana Ave., popular candy hand-outs are usual occurances: Snickers, M&M’s, Butterfingers, Crunch and more. What makes them better than every other place that hands stuff like this out is that the size of each candy on Montana Ave. is almost always twice the size of all the other seasonal givings. If one’s goal on Halloween is to get sick to their stomach with candy, then crash at the hand of a sugar-induced craze, going to this spot will set up success.Walking all around Ocean Park Blvd. is also a great way to get insane amounts of candy. If one makes sure to stay near Grant Elementary School, they’ll surely get lots of amass substantial haulings of loot for there are more little kids around that area than any neighboring community, resulting in a spirited hotspot. Remember to bring the biggest bag possible for carrying candy. It will be needed in order to collect, but still be comfortable walking around.“I have been there, and it’s a very family friendly and calm environment during halloween,” Ace McAfee (’19) said.Ocean Park Blvd., Grant Elementary and the places around there are very family friendly, and usually crowded. It is popular, but still very worth it to go as their distribution of candy bars make up for it. There are tons of houses around the area so there are multiple outlets ready for trick or treaters. This is an all-around good spot, no matter the direction a trick-or-treater goes toward. “I guess it’s really chill, and not that spooky,” Juan Monroy (’18) said.This area stays pretty calm, with an overall big crowd. The houses around aren’t too big, but most are nice to look at due to decorations for halloween. The crowd around there is on the more younger sides due to it being most residential to families. There is only but one attraction, but it is definitely an attraction to see. The Highlight of this area is 28th and Pearl, as a Grant Elementary school teacher, Miriam Hopkins, serves candy to all former students that stop by her house. If you're not a former student, don’t worry! If you just say you went to Grant she'll let you in, and you’ll have access to donuts, caramel apples, apple cider, candy and more.If one hits these two spots, your Halloween will surely be amazing, securing you massive amounts of candy and a guaranteed sugar rush. Any person that goes to these two spots is assured a great time.