It’s officially November! As we leave behind what is affectionately known as “spook season,” here are some handy (or should I say, “candy”) tips for next year’s Halloween. Athens Academy high school and middle school students were asked about their favorite neighborhoods to trick-or-treat in, and here are the top results!

1. The General Five Points Area

Friendly, walkable, and full of neighbors ready to give out candy! Winning by a landslide, Five Points is at the top of the list. Collecting your dues has never been easier or safer, as most of the houses are open for business (certainly the houses where ACAD students reside!). Five Points is also good for traveling in large groups of friends, family, or random strangers with cool costumes.

2. Kingswood

Cheery, suburban, and full of elderly retirees waiting to answer the door, Kingswood is a great place to trick-or-treat. Though far out on the West Side, Kingswood is across from Timothy Road Elementary, resulting in a bustling candy hub for primarily younger trick-or-treaters.

3. Cedar Creek

East-siders seem to agree that Cedar Creek is a fun place to dress up and demand food from strangers. It is close to Gaines Elementary, Hilsman Middle, and Cedar Shoals High Schools, so Cedar Creek receives a range of visitors. Its friendly community, walkability, and large size are impressive enough to put Cedar Creek in the top three.

4. Lake Wellbrook

Finally, an Oconee neighborhood made it onto the list! Lake Wellbrook and its surrounding counties bring in waves of trick-or-treaters each year. Home to many ACAD students, Lake Wellbrook has large houses but fairly close lots, which allows for both optimal candy retrieval and plenty of traffic. Don’t let its tame appearance deter you, the decorations in this neighborhood are always worth a visit.

Dishonorable Mentions

Students frequently complained about these unfortunate would-be Halloween destinations. While keeping an open mind, it is important to note the nature of these complaints.

Spartan Lane

Although a myriad of ACAD students live along Spartan Lane and the proceeding neighborhoods, houses are far apart from each other and there are few street lights between the houses. Also, many people are out in other neighborhoods trick-or-treating with their friends, so your hunt for candy may be less-than-successful.

Crystal Hills

Have you seen those hills? If you are training for a costumed marathon, Crystal Hills is the perfect trick-or-treating neighborhood for you. Otherwise, steer clear! While the residents are lovely people with lovely homes, each driveway is incredibly long and dimly lit. The lots are literally hills away from each other, so prepare to get a tough workout. Additionally, many folks won’t be home because they have fled to prowl for candy elsewhere.

There you have it! The best (and not-so-best) Halloween neighbor- hoods, ranked. While Halloween is over for 2019, hopefully this list will prove helpful to your endeavors next year. You may consider yourself too old to trick-or-treat, but perhaps you should rethink turning down a night of free candy!