Greewich Village Halloween Parade

From your television set in Brooklyn.

that bad huh?

The Village will be a mad house from early evening onward. You might try to get a reservation at The Smith on 3rd Ave and 11th St. for boisterous popular eatery. Knickerbocker on University and 9th is a zillion year old neighborhood joint. Cheap eats is Mahmoun's falafel at 22 St. Marks -- best in NYC. Re: viewing, can't help. You just muscle your way in somewhere--I have yet to learn a 'secret' spot.

The parade is much better when you watch it on NY1. The host of the telecast is terrific and you get to see the real highlights of the parade. I've attended in person and watched it on TV, and take it from me, you should only go if you will be in the parade.

teevee with a bucket of sidecars and Mr. Do-Bee

Well, there is something to be said for sharing the streets with goblins and ghouls and cleverly customed people. If you are a photographer it is a low-light candy-fest of ops. Press of crowds but still fun.

As Conan would say a human blood clot. Pasadena.

paso doble

Watch it from the asphalt of Sixth Avenue. Go, march in the parade. I did it one year with friends, it's an incredible blast.

It's a big rolling party and everybody at the party is mad happy.

Do it once in your life, you won't be sorry.

Where is the asphalt of Sixth Avenue?

Walking in the parade is much better than standing on the sidelines. The crowds are so damn dense, you can barely see anything. But, if you are in the parade, there's actually a lot of elbow room.
I agree with GG... walk in it at least once in your life.

"Walking in the parade is much better than standing on the sidelines. The crowds are so damn dense, you can barely see anything. But, if you are in the parade, there's actually a lot of elbow room.
I agree with GG... walk in it at least once in your life."

I second this.

The best way to see this parade is to be IN the parade.

Otherwise, frankly, stay at home and watch it on television.

Only down side is getting in the parade. They stagger the starts, so be prepared to wait a few hours at the beginning.

I used to go all the time and it is much better to be there...you probably won't see that much but the people are all in a great mood and lots of laughing.

From my old apt at 69 w 9 that overlooked the parade facing west

Walking through crowds was a blast. Wear a good costume and hoards will want their pictures taken with you. Very happy, fun throngs of people. Very hard to see anything but the larger stuff in the parade. To view others in parade it is definitely better to be part of it--next year that's what we'll do.

Shortening the parade was not a great move by NYC. I know money is tight, but this is already a short parade and the same number of people seemed to show up but they had 9 fewer blocks through which to disperse themselves. Seemed a crowd control nightmare for cops. Would have been easier and probably safer and cheaper to just have it go up to 23rd St as in the past.

There were not enough cops for the crowd control. We watched the parade from a 4th floor apt on 11th and it was fabulous. But getting there was a nightmare. It took us 40 minutes to walk from 14th st subway to 13th street. It was so crowded you literally couldn't move. We had fears of becoming a Post headline. But thank god the crowds were happy and calm. Many, many languages wafted through the air and amazing creative costumes.

What surprise, apt23 had fears of something sensational happening to her

"Walking in the parade is much better than standing on the sidelines. The crowds are so damn dense, you can barely see anything. But, if you are in the parade, there's actually a lot of elbow room."

Actually, try the third (and great) option. Watch it from a rooftop, high apartment, etc.....