Welcome to Fear City?
NYC has been named the creepiest, most frightening, Halloween-est city in the country, according to a petrifying new survey — with a city in neighboring Boo Jersey taking second place.
And while there’s plenty to spook New Yorkers year round — from subway rats to $20 takeout salads and ghouls who say Connecticut is America’s pizza capital — turns out the bone-chilling designation by WalletHub is all about having a ghostly good time, with the Eerie Apple ranking first on a list of the 100 best places to celebrate All Hallows Eve this year.
4 New York City has been ranked the best place to celebrate Halloween in the US this year. Corbis via Getty Images
And while being home to the country’s best-loved Halloween parade can’t have hurt, the number crunchers looked at things like haunted houses, amusement parks with special Halloween programming and availability of movie theaters (for watching a horror flick), not to mention Halloween costume and decor shops and candy stores.
Local internet activity around the unearthly holiday was also taken into consideration. On Google, more people in the hometown of “Ghostbusters” search for “Halloween parties” and affiliated terms more than any other city, researchers said.
The city so nice they screamed its name twice was also given an ultra-high “trick-or-treater friendliness” score — thanks in part to our famed walkability.
4 The Big Apple is known for its annual Halloween parade, one of the most famous in the world. Paul Martinka
4 NYC’s high walkability score also pushed it up in the rankings — a boon for trick or treaters. James Keivom
“The best cities for Halloween are those that provide the safest conditions for celebrating, along with an abundance of activities, Halloween-related stores and good weather,” said analyst Chip Lupo.
Meanwhile, across the Hudson of Horrors, Jersey City took the silver medal — in part for its walkability, population density and low violent crime rate, among other positives.
Behind the local spots comes Miami, followed by Las Vegas, and then Chicago to round out the top five.
4 Researchers looked at the number of holiday-related events and activities to help them make their decision. Anadolu via Getty Images
Los Angeles, Washington DC, Anaheim, Boston, and Gilbert, Arizona, completed the first ten entries.
Hysterically, Salem, Mass. was burned by the award-givers — the home of some of America’s most hideous history found itself squeezed out of the ghostly ranking.
NYC the scariest city in the US: new research
