Urbanite

Don't tarry! Lose your head in Sleepy Hollow

Monday October 26, 2009 6:02 PM By Rolando Pujol

Saturday is Halloween, and there’s no better place to spend a spooky afternoon than the Westchester County villages of Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow.

This is the hilly countryside where author Washington Irving lived, and where he set his 1820 tale "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” It was here that Irving unleashed the Headless Horseman — a decapitated Hessian soldier who rises from the Old Dutch Church graveyard in quest of his head — on the hapless schoolmaster Ichabod Crane.

Spend an afternoon tracing Irving's haunts, and those of his legendary characters. Find it all on an easy and short walk along Broadway.

Stop 1: Christ Church
At Broadway and West Elizabeth Street in Tarrytown, admire the Christ Episcopal Church, where Irving worshipped. The facade's ivy descends from a cutting taken at Irving's beloved Sunnyside (914-631-8200), a picturesque villa on the Hudson, which you can also visit.

Stop 2: Main Street
Walk north a block to Main Street, where the affable Irving often mingled. You can take in the 19th century ambiance while antiquing at shops such as Belkind Bigi at 21 Main St. Nourishment nooks include Lefteris Gyro and Coffee Labs, all inside the Tudor-style Washington Building, the former site of an inn visited by George Washington. Next door, The Music Hall is an 1885 Queen Anne brick masterpiece.

For a drink, tarry at the Set Back Inn (914-631-9740) — after all, Irving jokingly suggests in "The Legend" that the town got its name because of the local farmers who tarried on market days.

Stop 3: Landmark Condominiums
Get back on Broadway and walk north a block to the intersection with Hamilton Place, where you'll find the Landmark Condominiums, graced with a large, lush lawn out front. This land was once part of the Van Tassel farm, and a long-gone Van Tassel building where the condos now stand may well have been Irving's inspiration for “The Legend” character Katrina Van Tassel's home. Her party there drew lanky Ichabod and big-bully Brom Bones, who vied for the "plump as a partridge" catch. It is from here that we can visualize awkward Ichabod setting off down Broadway on his unreliable steed, Gunpowder.

Stop 4: Andre monument
Farther north on Broadway, about a half block past the 1929 Warner Library at the intersection with Wildey Street, is the Andre monument in Patriots Park. It's a tribute to three patriots who captured Major John Andre, a British spy. The encounter actually happened about 200 yards east, but the spot is not marked because this part of the road was rerouted. In "The Legend," the Andre intersection is significant, as it's where the horseman encounters Ichabod and gives chase. The brook Irving mentions still runs through the pretty park.

Stop 5: Broadway and Beekman
Past the brook, you’ll enter Sleepy Hollow. Continue on Broadway to the intersection with Beekman Avenue, the main shopping drag of Sleepy Hollow and home to the Village Hall and tarry-worthy watering holes such as J.P. Doyle's (914-631-3015).

Stop 6: Old Dutch Church and Sleepy Hollow Cemetery
Return to Broadway, consider a stop at the excellent Horseman Diner (try the pizza), and finish your jaunt down the hill along Broadway toward the Old Dutch Church.

The late 17th century gambrel-roof church is on your right past the Headless Horseman Bridge, a successor to the original span that was farther east inside the cemetery (a pipe bridging the Pocantico River roughly marks the spot.) It's at the original bridge site where the horseman finally polishes off poor Ichabod. (Irving suggests Brom, who won Katrina, disguised himself as the horseman to scare off the superstitious Crane, but townies in the tale believed the specter whisked Ichabod away.)

The Dutch burial ground has evocative gravestones, and the deceased include some real-life inspirations for Irving's tales, such as Katrina and Brom. The adjacent Sleepy Hollow Cemetery is home to many famous dead, including Brooke Astor and Leona Helmsley. (Guidebooks are at a visitor's center across the street at Philipsburg Manor, the restored mill where Ichabod flirted with the Hollow's lovely ladies.)

As for Irving, he rests on a hill in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, looking below on the land he immortalized.

***

What's in a name? Sleepy Hollow was called North Tarrytown between 1874 and 1997. Voters approved the name change in part to celebrate the village's Headless Horseman heritage.

Cure for Halloween hangovers: Marathon cheers

Friday October 31, 2008 12:30 PM By Jamshid Mousavinezhad

You should be recovered from the Halloween parties by Sunday morning right? And that will be just in time for the New York City marathon. So check out amNewYork's race coverage, then head out to cheer the runners. Twenty-six miles is a looooong way to run ...

* 10 to watch at New York City Marathon

* Racing against the odds

* Emotional return to New York for Olympian Kara Goucher

Whoa! No Halloween hijinx in Sleepy Hollow

Friday October 31, 2008 11:26 AM By Jamshid Mousavinezhad

SLEEPY HOLLOW, N.Y. (AP) — Police are poised to prevent any monstrous Halloween behavior in the New York village that hatched the Headless Horseman.Authorities in suburban Sleepy Hollow say they’ll disperse large

groups of teenagers, if necessary, and confiscate eggs and shaving

cream.

The area served as the backdrop for Washington Irving’s 1819

“Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” which depicts the Headless Horseman

charging after a terrified Ichabod Crane.

In both Sleepy Hollow and Mount Vernon, parents are being asked

to voluntarily have children under 17 at home by 8:30 p.m.

Elsewhere in Westchester County, Yonkers has a mandatory curfew.

It’s 10 p.m. for kids 11 and under; 10:30 p.m. ages 12 and 13; and

11 p.m. for ages 14 to 16.

Happy Halloween from Urbanite!

Friday October 31, 2008 6:47 AM By Jamshid Mousavinezhad

Meredith Vieira, co-host of the NBC "Today" program, dresses as Pinocchio for the annual Halloween show, in New York's Rockefeller Center. (AP Photo/ Richard Drew)

Forget about ghoulish and ghastly! When it comes to Halloween fun, we're here to tell you about the stuff that's FUN and FREE! The following, for your haunting pleasure and chocolate tendencies:

3:30 p.m. Children’s Halloween Parade; begins in Washington Square North,

near the Arch, and ends at LaGuardia between Washington Square South and West 3rd St.

FREE CHOCOLATE at La Maison du Chocolat: All kids up to age 12 get free Halloween treats from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the following locations: 30 Rockefeller Center and 1018 Madison Avenue

Chelsea Mark Jam-BOO-Ree: For the fifth year, kids and parents are invited to trick-or-treat, and eat some artisanal goodies - and, it's FREE! Expect free candy, brownies and cookies, live music, face-painting and pumpkin-carving by master carver Hugh McMahon. (Chelsea Market, Oct. 31, 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., Ninth Ave. @ 15th St.)

Halloween Happening at Trinity Church: Head to Trinity Church for a FREE night of games, crafts, ghost stories and a night screening of the classic silent film Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, accompanied by the church organist. (Trinity Church, Oct. 31, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., 89 Broadway @ Wall St., www.trinitywallstreet.org)

Village Halloween Parade

This year's Parade is dedicated to artist Rudie Berkhout. Come see the puppets, the ever-clever costumes and of course hit the offical Webster Hall after-party. (Parade starts at Spring St. and Sixth Ave. and travels to 21st St. 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.)

More Halloween ideas from amNewYork:

Spooky spots for drinks along the Halloween Parade route: [here]

Boo! Take a tour of haunted New York: [here]

The Halloween of 'Joe the Plumber' [here]

Scenes from the Judge's panel at Tompkins Sq. Park Dog Halloween: [here]

- Lauren Johnston

CLICK THROUGH FOR MORE HALLOWEEN EVENTS:3:45 p.m. The Riverside Park Fund hosts annual Halloween Parade; from the

plaza at Soldiers’ & Sailors Monument, 89th Street and Riverside Drive, to the Hippo Playground on 91st Street.

4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Stuyvesant Town Halloween Party; Stuy Town Oval, between 16th and 18th streets and Avenues A and B.

4 p.m. to 7 p.m. The American Museum of Natural History hosts annual

“Spooktacular” Halloween celebration; Central Park West at 79th Street.

Put these Halloween events on your calendar

Wednesday October 29, 2008 6:07 AM By Jamshid Mousavinezhad

Two Halloween pumpkins with the faces of Democratic presidential

candidate Illinois Senator Barack Obama (L) and Republican

presidential candidate Arizona Senator John McCain (R), carved by Hugh

McMahon.(Getty Images)

Today: From 4 to 6 p.m., costumed kids attend haunted house and other festivities; PAL Miccio Center, 110 West 9th St., between Clinton and Henry streets, Brooklyn.

On Halloween:

FREE CHOCOLATE at La Maison du Chocolat: All kids up to age 12 get free Halloween treats from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the following locations: 30 Rockefeller Center and 1018 Madison Avenue

Chelsea Mark Jam-BOO-Ree: For the fifth year, kids and parents are invited to trick-or-treat, and eat some artisanal goodies - and, it's FREE! Expect free candy, brownies and cookies, live music, face-painting and pumpkin-carving by master carver Hugh McMahon. (Chelsea Market, Oct. 31, 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., Ninth Ave. @ 15th St.)

Halloween Happening at Trinity Church: Head to Trinity Church for a FREE night of games, crafts, ghost stories and a night screening of the classic silent film Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, accompanied by the church organist. (Trinity Church, Oct. 31, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., 89 Broadway @ Wall St., www.trinitywallstreet.org)

More Halloween ideas from amNewYork:

Spooky spots for drinks along the Halloween Parade route: [here]

Boo! Take a tour of haunted New York: [here]

The Halloween of 'Joe the Plumber' [here]

Scenes from the Judge's panel at Tompkins Sq. Park Dog Halloween: [here]

- Lauren Johnston

Spooky sustenance

Tuesday October 28, 2008 3:11 PM By Perrie Samotin

Grab a cold beer at Blind Tiger, off the parade route. (Phil S. Kropoth)

By Emily Ranager

Special to amNewYork

Carousing with ghosts and goblins at the 35th annual Village Halloween Parade on Friday can make even the most spirited revelers seek some refreshments. Here are a few restaurants and bars on or near the parade route.Obivia’s Parade

Midnight Bash

201 Lafayette St.

212-226-4904

Buy a cocktail to spin the wheel of prizes and win $25 gift certificates, free drinks or adult treats. From 12 to 4 a.m., specials include $5 “Smashing Pumpkin” beer and $3 “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” chili burgers.

Porky’s NYC

55 W. 21st St.

212-675-8007

Porky’s invites partiers to come “chug a beer and dance like an idiot” at their annual Nightmare on 21st Street parade after-party. Enjoy an open bar from 9 to 11 p.m. and compete in a $1,000 costume contest. $15 admission.

Blind Tiger Ale House

281 Bleecker St.

212-462-4682

Swing by this Village favorite and refuel with more than 50 bottled beers and 28 on tap, as well as grilled cheese, quesadillas and Murray’s cheese plates until 2 a.m.

Town Tavern

134 W. Third St.

212-253-6955

Wait for the parade to start here and enjoy a $10 open bar from 4 to 6 p.m., followed by $4 “creepy crawler” Jell-O shots and “after dark” drafts. Come in costume and compete to win $500 in cash and prizes.

The Half Pint

76 W. Third St.

212-260-1088

It’ll get spooky at this ale house, where you can gulp $4 pumpkin ales and spooky shots, or pony up $20 for a “dead guy” growler — a half-gallon jug of beer. The best costumes will take home prizes.

Vintage Irving

118A E. 15th St.

212-677-6300

If you prefer your Halloween a bit tamer, try the $40 Ode to the Pumpkin tasting dinner. Enjoy pumpkin-seed-crusted fried green tomatoes and pumpkin soufflé paired with three harvest beers. Seatings at 6 and 8:30 p.m.

vintageirvingny.com.

Sushi Samba 7

87 Seventh Ave. South

212-691-7885

The kabuki-themed revelry will include a costumed staff and a Dracula dessert with vanilla bean ice cream and raspberry foam. Come in costume for a chance to win a weekend in Las Vegas and dinner at the restaurant’s recently opened branch on the Strip.

Otto Enoteca Pizzeria

1 Fifth Ave.

212-995-9559

This Mario Batali joint is serving its regular menu, including pizza ($7 to $14), pasta ($9) and gelato ($7). Otto gets busy on Halloween, so reservations are strongly recommended.

Chat ‘n’ Chew

10 E. 16th St.

212-243-1616

Warm up with down-home staples such as mac and cheese, meatloaf and sweet pumpkin cheesecake. Arrive by 7 p.m. for happy hour drink specials.

PARADE ESSENTIALS:

Route: The parade runs along Sixth Ave., from Spring St. to 21st St.

Time: Friday, 7 to 10 p.m., though participants are encouraged to line up at 6 p.m. on Sixth Ave. between Spring and Broome sts.

Trains: 1, 2,3 to 14th St., A, B, C, D, E, F, Q to West 4th St.

At home: The parade will be telecast live on NY1 from 8 - 9:30 p.m.

Haunt your own house

Tuesday October 28, 2008 2:05 PM By Perrie Samotin

An Upper East Side residence decorated for Halloween. (Photo: Phil S. Kropoth)

By Amanda Magnus

Special to amNewYork

New Yorkers may be feeling the fear of the economic pinch, but that hasn’t stopped some from decking their homes with ghouls, goblins and everything in between this Halloween season.

“We really embrace the horror,” said T.J. O’Shea, an assistant to Manhattanite Richard Medly, who owns a gruesomely decorated townhouse on 63rd Street between Park and Madison avenues.The Medlys — whose house is covered in such seasonal emphemera as skulls, vultures, a barbecue roasting (faux) human flesh and a gutted pig — compete every year with friends a few blocks north. “We definitely won this year,” O’Shea said.

The family and its neighbors are hardly alone in the impulse to decorate, as total Halloween spending is expected to reach about $5.77 billion nationwide this year, according to the National Retail Federation’s Halloween Consumer survey. That means the average person will spend $66.54 — up from $64.82 last year.

William Freeman, an attorney, said he enjoys the scary sights.

“I’d love to see more places like this,” he said, in reference to a decorated Upper East Side home.

But not every haunted house gets that kind of love.

In Greenpoint, Barbara Galeotafiore’s neighbors have complained about her home’s get-up, and recently the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation told her to remove the lights she’d strung through her trees to illuminate flying ghouls. Galeotafiore said the agency told her the lights dry up the leaves and officials threatened her with a summons if she didn’t eighty-six them.

In addition to the ghouls, Galeotafiore’s decorations include a glowing organ, gravestones, illuminated pumpkins and spooks inside her front gate.

“We used to have music, but the neighbors complained about that, too,” she said.

Her decorations are part of a 40-year family tradition — flamboyant decorating for all major holidays. Though neighbors and the city aren’t shy about making their objections known, Galeotafiore said she gets the seal of approval from an audience for whom the display is intended: children.

“I usually get about a hundred kids who stop by,” she said.

Try three scarily simple tips:

1. Brown paper bags can be creepy luminaria.

Draw pumpkins, witches or ghosts on the bags, weigh them down with sand and insert votive candles in glass holders. Use the bags to line stoops and counters, or to throw a little light on tabletops.

2. Black pumpkins are scarier than orange ones.

Fully scoop out a pumpkin, spray it with black paint, then carve a Jack-o-lantern. Add candles to up the fright factor.

3. Themed candles set a mood.

Pottery Barn (117 E. 59th St.) carries a selection of skull-shaped candles and votives decorated with a skull and crossbones. Pier 1 (71 Fifth Ave.) has black pumpkin candles. And at Crate and Barrel (611 Broadway), pick up a few spider-shaped tea candles.

I was a judge at the Tompkins Square Park Dog Halloween Parade

Monday October 27, 2008 12:01 PM By Jamshid Mousavinezhad

Tricked-out dogs compete for treats at the 18th annual Tompkins Square Park dog Halloween Parade. (Photos/ AP, Getty Images)

By Lauren Johnston

How do you choose a winner from the wriggling, barking sea of super-cute costumed canines that show up each year for the premier East Village event of the year?

I’m talking, of course, about the Tompkins Square Park Dog Halloween Parade, which attracted more than 400 pups to its 18th annual contest on Sunday. And after participating as a judge for the first time, I can attest that picking the prize-winning pooches is tough work. [Parade PHOTOS here]

There are some unwritten rules that govern the choices and help narrow down the field of four-legged bugs, bats, hot dogs and princesses. Crafty (better yet, clever!) homemade costumes always take top honors.

Your pug might make the cutest honey bee this side of Avenue A, but if the costume is store-bought, Fuggedaboutit! Your dog ain't taking home a title.I mean - it’s the Village, birthplace of many an artistic movement, so creativity is a requirement. And anything of the zeitgeist goes over well too – for instance the “Joe the Plumber” dog, whose owner hand-sewed a prosthetic butt crack from a nylon stocking.

Kudos too to these costumes: Ahab and his yellow Lab Moby Dick, Elliot with his Boston Terrier E.T. in a bike basket, Oscar the Grouch (we hope that green hairspray was dog-safe!), Sandy and her Danny Zucco dog, the living scene from the “Dogs Playing Poker” painting and the Dachshund damsel in distress playing the part of Rapunzel.

If you couldn’t be there to see the dogs, that’s a shame, but you can see their photos [HERE].

Why you can't adopt a black cat for Halloween ...

Monday October 27, 2008 9:30 AM By Jamshid Mousavinezhad

By Jessica Firger

A sleek black cat rested in his cage at the front room of Hope Veterinary Clinic in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn. His yellow eyes beckoned potential parents.

“My name is Poe,” read the sign on the front of his temporary home. “I am a 7-month-old, neutered male, and I am the Purr-fect Halloween cat.”

But the weeks leading up to Halloween can mean bad luck for black cats.

Some city pet shelters and adoption agencies ban black-cat adoptions this time of year – fearful the felines could be used for religious or sacrificial purposes by groups engaged in witchcraft and paranormal communication.

“We don’t adopt any black cats for most of October,” said Kiri Blakeley, a volunteer at Kitty Kind, a weekend adoption service located in the back of the PetCo store at Union Square. “We have a black out.”The lore surrounding black cats goes back perhaps further than the traditions of dressing up, carving jack-o-lanterns and trick-or-treating.

Black cats became associated with evil in the Middle Ages when it was believed the animals were witches reincarnated. Black cats maintain their Halloween mystique, but most people who work or volunteer in animal adoption agencies couldn’t tell you what a witch might actually do with a kitty.

Still, Antonia Kwalick at Hope Veterinary Clinic recently used her feline instincts to thwart a potentially scary situation. A woman came into the clinic, hoping to swap her two tabbies for two black kittens.

Kwalick turned her away.

“She was a little too freaky, a little too out there,” Kwalick said, adding the clinic maintains a rigid screening process.

“I don’t know what they would do with the cats, and I don’t want to know,” said Kwalick, who has two black kitties herself.

According to the ASPCA, which files thousands of animal cruelty cases annually, there has yet to be a case involving a black cat on Halloween.

Gail Buchwald, senior vice president of adoption services at the agency, said prospective owners are finicky when it comes to adopting black cats. They’re usually the last to be given homes, while their grey, black and white, orange, and tabby brothers and sisters get adopted first – in that order, according to one study.

“There’s a lot of crazy taboo about black cats crossing over,” said Buchwald.

Linda Hanley, the executive director of the Northeast Council of W.I.C.C.A, said witches have no interest in harming cats of any color.

“When a cat gets hurt on Halloween, it’s not the witches, wiccans, or pagans,” she said. “It’s the kids.”

“For pagans, Halloween is a celebration of the new year. We have private ceremonies to honor our ancestors who have crossed over,” explained Hanley, adding that wicca honors all life, including the lives of animals.

“Really, black cats are the same as any other cats,” she added.

Halloween stuff for you this weekend

Friday October 24, 2008 10:03 AM By Jamshid Mousavinezhad

1966 United Feature Syndicate Inc.

Of course the official calendar date for Halloween is next Friday, but the tricks and treats will be in full effect starting tonight and going on through the weekend. See amNY's picks here:

Today: Pumpkin Festival haunted house preview from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Bethesda Arcade in Central Park, enter at 72nd Street.

Ghost Tours around town

The believers say there’s ghosts lurking in all corners of Manhattan. Now’s your chance to spend a spirited evening in the city and discover some on your own But you don’t need to go ghost-hunting alone. Here are some tours to lead you through the landscapes of the dead. [Listings HERE]

Boo Wow! Halloween goes to the dogs!

Tricks and treats are something your pet knows well. Fido sit! Get a treat. So it's no wonder that come Halloween, the city is creepy crawling with spooktacular events designed especially for the four-legged set. Here we've rounded up a ghoulish selection of costume contests and parties for you and your favorite little monster, ahem, pet. [Listings HERE] (NOTE: Tompkins Sq. Park Dog Halloween to be held on rain date; Sunday, Oct. 26 @ Noon.)

Throwback Thursday: Chiller Theatre is back!

Thursday October 23, 2008 10:48 AM By Rolando Pujol

Click here to be terrified by the Six-Fingered Hand!

By Rolando Pujol

WPIX-TV Channel 11 may be home to the CW network and "Gossip Girl," but it has not lost sight of its roots as an independent station born in television's golden days. We love that a major market station devoted a full day of programming earlier this year to celebrating its 60th anniversary, trotting out old favorites like "Abbott and Costello" and "The Little Rascals." We love that they've promoting DVDs of "The Magic Garden" on their Web site. We love that they've brought back "The Yule Log" on Christmas Day, and that late at night, we can still catch up with the adventures of Oscar and Felix and George and Weezie.

But now, PIX has really done fans of classic TV proud. This Saturday, they will bring back for a single night one of the greatest horror movie shows in local TV history, "Chiller Theatre." And the great Zacherle, the "Cool Ghoul" who hosted Chiller Theatre in the 1960s, will be back!

Chiller has not been seen on PIX since the early 1980s, and its original run spanned 1961 to 1978. For one night, New Yorkers will be able to relive how generations of Americans came to know about horror movies, both the classic and the campy. In the era of rabbit-eared TVs, local TV hosts would dress up as monsters and introduce horror movies, provide schtick during commercial breaks, and otherwise keep audiences terrified (well, certainly amused).

That era pretty much faded by the 1980s, but this Saturday at 8 p.m., with Zach coming back to host "Tarantula," you'll be transported to another time. And, in case you're wondering, Chiller's 1970s "Six-Fingered Hand" will emerge from the swamp once more. This will be the best Halloween in years.

Read more at PIX's Web site. And thanks again, 11 Alive!

Boo Wow! It's dog Halloween!

Tuesday October 21, 2008 2:05 PM By Lauren Johnston

(Photos: KarenNgo.com

By Lauren Johnston

Tricks and treats are something your pet knows well. Fido sit! Get a treat. So it's no wonder that come Halloween, the city is creepy crawling with spooktacular events designed especially for the four-legged set. Here we've rounded up a ghoulish selection of costume contests and parties for you and your favorite little monster, ahem, pet.

Click through for listings from all five boroughs, and pet Halloween safety tips, spots to get pet-safe Halloween goodies, and links for online costume photo contests!

MANHATTAN

(UPDATE: Parade will be held on RAIN DATE)

Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade: Now in its 18th year, this is the oldest and biggest dog Halloween event in town. Last year it drew more than 250 dogs and 2,000 people. There are six iPod prizes this year, plus goodie bags and gift certificates from local businesses. The big question: Will anyone top last year's iDog costume? (Oct. 25, 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., Admission $5, Raindate Oct. 26; Ave. A at 9th St.; www.firstrunfriends.org)

Animal Fair Magazine Halloween: This event combines comedy acts and pet costumes and will feature star costume judges Beth Ostrosky and Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. Proceeds benefit the Humane Society of New York. (Oct. 27, 7 p.m. to 9 pm. at Mansion, 530 West 38th St., Tickets $50-$2500. For more information or to reserve your tickets, contact Anne Marie at (212) 752-4842 or e-mail yappy@animalfair

Riverside Park Doggie Halloween: Uptown dogs get their boo on at this costume party. Owners and ups alike can hit the "Flea-less" market, and pick up yummy treats. (Oct. 25, 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., 72nd St. Dog Run at Riverside Park, Admission $10, Raindate Oct. 26, www.rspfloral.org)

PetCo Howl-O-Ween: Take your pet to a PetCo near you for a "Spook-tacular" photo-op and costume contest. All species welcome, but they must arrive in costume on a leash or in a carrier. (Oct. 25, Photos at 1 p.m., costume contest at 2 p.m. Go to www.petco.com for a store locator)

BROOKLYN

Brooklyn Heights Howl-o-ween Parade: Costumed pups parade along the Brooklyn Heights Promenade for a good cause at this event. Proceeds go to animal charities for dogs, cats and horses. (Oct. 26, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.; Admission $25, Pre-register by Oct. 25 at Perfect Paws, 102 Hicks St.; Parade begins at Remsen St. Promenade entrance)

Great PUPkin Dog Costume Contest: The top six dogs take home prizes at the Fort Greene costume parade. Afterwards, families enjoy sack races, hayrides and more at the Fort Greene Park Halloween festival. (Oct. 25, registration at 11:30 a.m., Raindate Oct. 26., suggested donation $5, Directions, details at www.fortgreenepups.org)

QUEENS

Bobbi and the Strays Halloween Masquerade Ball Fundraiser: This annual bash partners with PetFinder.org to have some Halloween costume fun and help homeless animals in the process. (Oct. 30, 6 p.m., Russo's on the Bay, 162-45 Crossbay Blvd., Howard Beach, For tickets call: 718-845-0779)

Far Rockaway Canine Costume Carnival: Treat bags, costumes, tricks and freebies at the dog costume festival. (Oct. 25, 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., rain or shine, Freeway Park, Rockaway Freeway between Beach 81st St. and Beach 83rd St.)

BRONX

Van Cortlandt Park Howl-o-Ween: Give a Bronx cheer for these costumed dogs who will strut through the park's Canine Court. (Oct. 26, 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., Admission $10, pre-registration required, call 718-796-4541, Enter park at Broadway and Lakeview Place, www.nycgovparks.org)

STATEN ISLAND

7th Annual Pooch Parade: This action-packed event features silly pet tricks, a fetching contest a doggie obstacle course, and awards for everything from best costume to best owner-look-alike. (Oct. 25, 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., Wolfe's Pond Park, Free)

PET-SAFE HALLOWEEN GOODIES!:

Healthy Hound Bakery: A former New York City chef moved upstate and became a dog baker. Order delectable dog-safe treats in time for Halloween including "Frosted Apple Oatmeal ghosts" and "Very Veggie Pumpkin Cakes." (www.healthyhoundbakery.com)

Robbie Dawg: This Brooklyn local dog baker has created special Halloween Peanut Butter Pumpkin Pie biscuits for your favorite pooch, and even handcrafts each one. Available at local retailers and online at www.robbiedawg.com, (718) 855-1552

Online photo costume contests: Your pet can be a winner beyond the local costume contest!

* Bow-Wow-Ween: Submit photos of your dog in costume Disney Family.com and you could win one year's worth of dog food, training, pet insurance and $2,000 (www.family.com/dog-costume-contest)

* Howl-o-ween: This contest from PetSource.org will award the winning pet (cat, dog, whatever) a slew of pet products and will donate $1,000 to your local Human Society or animal shelter of your choice. (www.petsource.org)

* Doggyspace.com: The winner of this social-networking site's photo costume contest gets prize package and $6,000 donated to your local SPCA or animal shelter. Enter at www.doggyspace.com/halloween)

Halloween scares up pet health hazards

By Lauren Johnston

Maybe your dog is set on dressing up as Jack Sparrow and your cat wants to be the Dark Knight, but before you put them in costume, listen up. Animal experts warn that this howl-a-day can scare up some nasty health hazards for your furry friend. Follow these tips to keep your pet safe:

Choose costumes wisely: Excess fabric can get snagged on household items and possibly constrict a leg - or worse - the neck. A pet may also chew on an uncomfortable outfit and could choke or swallow something harmful.

Keep candy out of reach: It’s not an urban myth, chocolate really is toxic to pets. The caffeine-like chemical it contains called theobromine can cause increased heart rates, anxiety, panting, vomiting and even death. Call the vet asap if your pet ingests chocolate.

Watch your wrappers: The candy may be gone, but the enticing aroma remains. Wrappers like tin foil can get stuck in your pet’s digestive tract and cause illness and could be fatal if ingested.

Keep them contained: If you’re expecting trick-or-treaters, keep your pet away from the front door. Your pet might dart outside, or become anxious over seeing so many strangers. Best bet is to keep them in a separate room.

Beware dangerous decorations: Don’t leave lighted candles or Jack-O-Lanterns where they could be toppled by a swinging tail or curious cat. If could ignite a fire or cause your pet to suffer serious burns.

(Tips from the World Wide Pet Industry Association)

Ask the Vet: Dr. Babette Gladstein

Q: Can cats be nervous, or extremely high strung? My Allae seems to jump out of her skin if you touch her when she’s not looking or asleep. She seems to be always in a state of high alert like she can't calm down except when she’s at play or eating. Are cats supposed to be so jumpy and if not what can I do to calm her down? - Cassandra Murray, Jamaica, Queens

A: Dr. Gladstein, a holistic veterinarian, has six tips for Allae:

* Put a few drops of natural lavender oil on a piece of paper and put several pieces of paper around the room.

* Start your cat on vitamin B.

* Get a white sound machine and keep it on low, or try playing some soothing classical music.

* There is an amino acid, Theanine, that seems to work very well. It is in a product called Calm-stress, a palatable liquid form from Vetri-science.

* Pet your cat often, especially when they are acting “normal.” Never reward your cat- or even reassure them when they are acting weird. You only reinforce and reward that behavior.

* Cats are by nature sensitive to sounds and you may want to make a place in your apartment - a carpeted box or a covered bed - where your cat can feel safe and protected.

Fun stuff for your DOG this weekend

Friday October 17, 2008 1:52 PM By Lauren Johnston

Photo courtesy of Karen Ngo

The dogs in this city just can't wait until Halloween to show off their costumes, so they have dress-up events at two different locations this weekend. If your pooch has a killer costume, but sure to attend.

7th Annual My Dog Loves Central Park Country Fair: OK, this one isn't exaclty a Halloween event, but it's still happening this weekend and it's especially for your dog! There's an agility course, microchipping, dog adoption information and more. The event is Sat., Oct. 18, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Enter the park at 72nd St. and head for the bandshell. For details, click [HERE].

Times Square Dog Masquerade: Times Square goes to the dogs for a fun-filled afternoon of canine camaraderie to raise awareness for Animal Haven’s Adopt-a-Pet program. Sunday, Oct. 19, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. More details [HERE].

Carl Schurz Park Halloween Party Head up to East End Ave. at 88th St. for the annual Halloween Howl Dog Costume competition. Sun., Oct. 19, 1 pm. to 3 p.m. More information [HERE].

And if you need some costume ideas, see this great dog photography blog by photographer Karen Ngo.

Inside the Upper East Side's Townhouse of Horrors

Thursday October 16, 2008 1:00 PM By Rolando Pujol

New York magazine follows up on our terrifying collection of photos from a townhouse on East 63rd Street, daring to go inside and get the scoop. From the Daily Intel:

The townhouse belongs to independent financial adviser Richard Medley, his wife Dorinda, and their three kids, ages 13 to 18 ...The Medleys have been adorning their house for Halloween for about four years now, collecting more decorations as the years go by. “We get mixed reactions,” said TJ. “Some people come by and say, ‘Oh, this is great,’ and others are horrified.”

More at Daily Intel here, and check out our post.

-- Rolando Pujol

Throwback Thursday: The Haunted Mansion at Long Branch

Thursday October 16, 2008 10:56 AM By Rolando Pujol

The Haunted Mansion and the amusement park around it burned to the ground in 1987, but not before terrifying a generation of New York youngsters with incredibly creepy commercials. We never actually had a chance to visit, but whenever these ads came on, it was panic time. The ad above is the creepiest of the two we present today, but they're each a perfect way to get into the Halloween mood. Find out everything you ever wanted to know about the mansion here.

-- Rolando Pujol

The Townhouse of Horrors on East 63rd Street

Tuesday October 14, 2008 10:15 AM By Rolando Pujol

Photos: Rolando Pujol

So much for putting a cartoon witch in the window, or a lowly pumpkin on the stoop. This Upper East Side townhouse sets a new standard for domestic decorative terror. See the unspeakable carnage first hand on East 63rd Street between Madison and Park avenues. Even more terror after the jump.

We must add the obligatory, "if you dare."

-- Rolando Pujol