New York · onenicetrip

The reason we’re here

Sunday 31 October 2027, evening

Village Halloween Parade

Sixth Avenue, from Canal Street to 15th Street

A parade of costumed marchers, puppets and bands up Sixth Avenue on Halloween night. It began in 1974 as a small puppet parade in the West Village. Anyone in costume can march, and everyone else watches from the pavements between Spring and 16th Streets. In recent years it has started around 7 pm.

Every year on the night of 31 October. Source ↗

The plan(costume optional, comfy shoes not)

Five days: bridges and parks by day, one very large parade by night.

Where we sleep

4 nights

Base in Greenwich Village

Greenwich Village, Manhattan

Day 1 · Fri 29 Oct
Land, then walk
We drop the bags, then stretch our legs where a freight railway used to be. Chelsea Market comes first, because a long flight deserves a snack.
- Chelsea Market1 h
  An indoor food market in a former biscuit factory, with brick passages lined with stalls, bakeries and shops.
  What to see
  - The long brick passage and its stalls
  - The bakery counters
  - The old industrial pipes overhead
  Time
  About an hour, or two if you are hungry.
  Tip
  The market fills the block between Ninth and Tenth Avenues, so you can walk in at one side and leave by the other, closer to the High Line.
  To eat
  Pastries and a coffee from the stalls, shared between three people and not for long.
- The High Line1.5 h
  A park built on an old elevated freight railway, running above the streets from the Meatpacking District to Hudson Yards.
  What to see
  - The planted walkways between the old rails
  - The views down the cross streets
  - The public art along the way
  Time
  An hour and a half at a stroll.
  Tip
  Start at the Gansevoort Street end and walk north. The Hudson stays on your left, and the park finishes beside Hudson Yards. If you need step-free access, check the elevator status on the High Line website first.
  To eat
  A folded slice of pizza from the street, the correct way to eat in New York.
Day 2 · Sat 30 Oct
Down, then across
A quiet start at the 9/11 Memorial, then over the Brooklyn Bridge on foot. Every other person stops for the same photo, so we stop too.
- 9/11 Memorial1 h
  Two large reflecting pools sit in the footprints of the Twin Towers, with the names of the victims cut into bronze panels around the edges.
  What to see
  - The two reflecting pools
  - The names on the bronze panels
  - The Survivor Tree, a callery pear
  Time
  About an hour, in silence.
  Tip
  The memorial plaza is outdoors and open every day. The museum has its own hours and usually opens Wednesday to Monday, so check its site if you want to go in.
  To eat
  A bagel with cream cheese on the way down, for the road ahead.
- Brooklyn Bridge1 h
  A bridge of stone towers and steel cables opened in 1883, with a wooden walkway raised above the traffic.
  What to see
  - The pointed arches of the stone towers
  - The web of steel cables
  - Lower Manhattan from the middle of the bridge
  Time
  An hour on foot with photo stops.
  Tip
  Pedestrians and cyclists share the walkway. Keep to the walking half and never stop for a photo in the bike lane, where cyclists will not be amused.
  To eat
  Carry a coffee for the crossing and save the food for Brooklyn.
- DUMBO2 h
  A former warehouse district under the Manhattan Bridge, now cobbled streets and a riverside park. The name stands for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass.
  What to see
  - The Manhattan Bridge framed by the buildings on Washington Street
  - The cobbled streets
  - Brooklyn Bridge Park and its skyline views
  Time
  Two relaxed hours.
  Tip
  The famous Manhattan Bridge view on Washington Street is busy all day. Take the photo first, then head down to the quieter piers of Brooklyn Bridge Park.
  To eat
  Brooklyn pizza by the river, eaten on a bench like a local.
Day 3 · Sun 31 Oct
Costume night
A slow afternoon in Washington Square, then the main event. Tens of thousands of people in costume walk up Sixth Avenue, and anyone in costume can join in. Even the least inspired costume counts.
- Washington Square Park1.5 h
  The Village’s open-air living room, with a marble arch, a large fountain and a mix of musicians, chess players and students from the nearby university.
  What to see
  - The marble arch
  - The central fountain
  - The chess tables in the south-west corner
  Time
  An hour and a half, with people-watching.
  Tip
  Sixth Avenue is a few minutes’ walk west of the park, and it is closed to traffic for the parade in the evening. Cross it before dusk, or you will be stuck on the wrong side.
  To eat
  A hot dog or falafel from the carts around the park, eaten standing up.
- Village Halloween ParadeEvening
  The costume parade that goes up Sixth Avenue every Halloween night, with tens of thousands of marchers, puppets and bands.
  What to see
  - Costumed marchers filling the avenue
  - The puppets and the bands
  - The costumes on the pavement, which are just as good
  Time
  The parade usually starts around 7 pm and lasts a few hours.
  Tip
  To watch, stand on the pavement of Sixth Avenue between Spring and 16th Streets and stay on your side, because the avenue is barricaded. To march, arrive in costume at Canal Street and Sixth Avenue in the early evening. Check halloween-nyc.com for the 2027 details.
  To eat
  Eat before you go. Once you have a spot on the pavement, you will not give it up for a pretzel.
Day 4 · Mon 1 Nov
Trees, then paintings
We start in Central Park and walk to the Met, which is open on Mondays. Three or four galleries, no more, or the feet file a complaint.
- Bethesda Terrace, Central Park2 h
  A stone terrace beside the lake, crowned by the Angel of the Waters fountain, at the end of the tree-lined walk known as the Mall.
  What to see
  - The Angel of the Waters fountain
  - The arcade with its tiled ceiling
  - The elms along the Mall
  - The lake from the terrace
  Time
  Two hours, including the walk to the Met.
  Tip
  Enter from Fifth Avenue or Central Park West at 72nd Street and walk toward the lake. From the terrace, the Met is a walk of about twenty minutes north-east.
  To eat
  A pretzel from a cart, as it should be eaten: while walking and a little too hot.
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art3 h
  One of the largest art museums in the world, on the edge of Central Park, with an Egyptian temple, armour, and paintings from across Europe.
  What to see
  - The Temple of Dendur
  - The Great Hall
  - The arms and armour galleries
  Time
  Three hours for a few galleries.
  Tip
  The Met is closed on Wednesdays and open on Mondays, so today works. Pick three or four galleries before you go in, and confirm the hours on metmuseum.org.
  To eat
  A coffee and a pastry in a museum café, then back out into the park.
Day 5 · Tue 2 Nov
One last crossing
Grand Central in the morning, then the free ferry to Staten Island for a goodbye look at the Statue of Liberty and the skyline, before heading to the airport.
- Grand Central Terminal1 h
  A railway station opened in 1913, with a main concourse under a ceiling painted with the constellations.
  What to see
  - The main concourse and its four-faced clock
  - The painted ceiling of constellations
  - The whispering gallery on the lower level
  Time
  An hour, plus coffee.
  Tip
  In the whispering gallery, two people stand facing the wall in opposite corners of the arched passage and whisper. The other one can hear every word.
  To eat
  A bagel and a coffee from the lower level, standing in the middle of the commuters.
- Staten Island Ferry1 h
  A free commuter ferry between Lower Manhattan and Staten Island, with views of the Statue of Liberty and the skyline.
  What to see
  - The Statue of Liberty from the water
  - The Lower Manhattan skyline from behind
  - The harbour traffic
  Time
  About an hour for the round trip.
  Tip
  It is free and runs around the clock. Heading out, sit on the right side of the boat for the Statue of Liberty. Then stay aboard or get off and re-board for the return.
  To eat
  Take a coffee on deck and keep the proper meal for the airport.