Fort Greene/Clinton Hill
Each year, the Society for Clinton Hill sponsors a Halloween Walk for this Brooklyn neighborhood’s children under age 12. Of the nearly 40 stops, the most over-the-top is surely 313 Clinton Avenue (between DeKalb and Lafayette Avenues), which local kids have unofficially dubbed the Halloween House. The residents annually transform the Victorian manor’s garden into a temporary graveyard, complete with headstones of the year’s most notorious figures. What’s more, on the big day the neighbors put on a show every half hour starting around 4:30pm. This year’s theme: Aliens Attack. For a sneak peek, mosey by the house the week before Halloween, when the graveyard is installed. A map of the Halloween Walk’s full route is available at Pratt–Clinton Hill Community Garden (corner of DeKalb Ave and Hall St, across from Mike’s Coffee Shop) from 5 to 6:30pm on the 31st.

Tribeca
This super-family-friendly nabe traditionally provides trick-or-treaters with maps of participating homes and businesses (details weren’t available at press time). At downtown clothing boutique Capucine (20 Harrison St between Greenwich and Hudson Sts), owner Capucine Vacher lays out a lavish spread of hors d’oeuvres and candy from 4 to 9pm—and did we mention the open wine bar? Mini princesses and Doras simply must visit tween shop Tribeca Girls (171 Duane St at Staple St), where in addition to candy, owner Bryn Asen will be handing out discount cards good for 20 percent off. Afterward, head a few blocks south to Tribeca Pediatrics (46 Warren St between Church St and West Broadway) for even more chocolates, lollipops or whatever sugary tidbits the good docs are plying kids with this year (no checkup necessary), until 8pm.

Park Slope
Come H-day, this Brooklyn kiddie haven becomes an outright family circus, its streets overrun by pint-sized devils. The Slope’s Halloween parade commences around sundown, but as soon as school lets out, there’s loot for the taking along the Seventh Avenue business strip. Stop by Aguayo & Huebener Realty (138 Seventh Ave between Carroll St and Garfield Pl), where owner Roslyn Huebener has a professional photographer on hand to snap free portraits of your kids in their holiday threads (parents are welcome to come by anytime before Thanksgiving to pick theirs up). Then head to Italian restaurant Sotto Voce (225 Seventh Ave at 4th St) to gawk at owner Mario DiBiasi’s gigantic pumpkins (100 lbs each!). Don’t pass over side streets like Garfield Place or 1st Street (between Seventh and Eighth Avenues), where brownstone residents are known to create elaborate spook houses and puppet shows. Kids can top off their goody bags and dance off excess energy at the annual pre-parade party at the Prospect Park YMCA (357 9th St between Fifth and Sixth Aves).

Williamsburg
The shopowners of Willy Bee’s Family Lounge and Seb and Sam (RIP) used to handle Halloween festivities in the Brooklyn burg. Now that they’ve closed their doors (see “Bye-bye, baby shops,” page 6), other storekeepers in the area have banded together to keep the tradition alive and kicking. This year, kids and their parents are invited to join a “Witches Walk,” beginning at 4pm at Flying Squirrel (96 North 6th St between Berry St and Wythe Ave). It’s hosted by Willyburg Witch—a hipster type decked out in long braids, black-rimmed glasses and, um, a trucker hat (yes, she is available for photo ops). The group will make its way to stores like Sweet William, Area Kids, the Sweet Farm and Mini Jake to collect booty. To keep the sugar high going, check out bubblegum pop band Gwendolyn and the Good Time Gang, playing at 6pm at the Halloween Bash at Mamalú Play & Munch Ground (232 North 12th St between Driggs and Union Aves; admission $5). After the performance, there’ll be a costume contest with prizes for best duo, best on-the-cheap getup, most confusing, most imaginative and more. And, oh yeah, loads of yummy treats. Good luck getting your kids to bed.

Halloween special:

• Take back the night: If you think NYC isn’t suited to trick–or–treating, check out one of these five festive nabes.
• Rain date: Nothing puts a damper on your Halloween outing like a thunderstorm. Here’s where to stay dry—and still load up that plastic pumpkin with goodies.
• Grub crawl: Candy’s dandy, but stickers are slicker.