seriously, what's the best?
Belvedere Castle
CMOM
AMNH
block parties at 69 & 90 sts
parade at 89/RSD

ayone do any of this stuff before????

No I've never done any of it but how cool that you have so much to choose from for your children. Yet another reason that the UWS rocks :)

CMOM is a zoo. We just trick or treat in our building nowadays.

Oops. Meant AMNH is a zoo.

yeah - we did 69th st last year and it was swamped. haven't done any of the other activities though.

uwsmom, what happens at the Castle? What is CMOM & AMNH?

JuiceMan, AMNH is that old looking building on 81st and CPW that has rocks and dinosaur things in it.

Is the fact that Halloween is on a Saturday this year likely to make the crowds a bit more managable? Or do the religious kids not participate regardless of the day?

here you go juice: http://westsideindependent.com/2009/10/20/upper-west-side-brimming-with-halloween-events/

The Castle gets turned into a haunted house tonight 6-8, i htink
CMOM (children's museum of manhattan) has a party tonight from 5-8
AMNH (american museuem of natural history) has a party tomorrow from 2-5

i don't know about the other religious kids, but the catholics will be out both nights.

I was referring to the Orthodox Jews who I gather are not an insignificant presence on the UWS. A friend of mine who's Catholic lives there and said she "now I know what it feels like to be a minority".

But how will you be able to tell...they may be dressed up AS Orthodox Jews.
That's what I'm going out as

Belvedere - just went, huge lines, one tiny "scary room" and then 5 minutes up and down the stairs to the top. Not worth it.
CMOM - never been
AMNH - it's large enough that it doesn't feel crowded, but hordes of older kids running around, I don't know that it's much fun for 2yos.
Block party 69th street, pretty cute but PACKED, esp. if weather is good.

I going out as(with) a gay catholic priest. Think anyone will notice.

i'm trying to get the husband to recreate an earlier costume, the construction worker from the Village People. sadly, i'm now way too old to recreate my costume from the same long-ago year, marcia brady.

one of my daughter's friends lives in a building in Morningside Heights that has the most amazing building party.

CMOM was same as any other day except kids were in costumes (and it was really hot).