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Trick-or-Treating in Huntington Beach: 5 Best Spots (Ep. 39) · Unlocking Huntington Beach

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: And we're back with another episode of Unlocking Huntington Beach.
• 0:05
  SPEAKER_00: What's going on?
• 0:05
  SPEAKER_00: My name is Lane Stone, and of course, we have another good one for you today.
• 0:09
  SPEAKER_00: And today we're gonna be talking about trick or treating all around town in beautiful surf city, USA, Huntington Beach, California.
• 0:15
  SPEAKER_00: So let's get into it.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_00: This year Halloween lands on a Saturday.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_00: No school the next morning, nobody rushing home from work, and every family in Orange County is going to be out.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_00: So if you live in Huntington Beach or you're thinking about moving here, the question isn't whether you're trick-or-treating, it's where you're going to be.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_00: My name is Lane Stone.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_00: I was born and raised in Huntington Beach.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_00: I run a local real estate team, and today I'm breaking down the five Huntington Beach neighborhoods that actually show up on Halloween.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_00: What makes each one great, where to park, what it's really like to live there?
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_00: And at the end, I'll tell you exactly where I'm taking my own family.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_00: Let's dive in.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_00: Quick thing first, because it's going to make you smarter about every neighborhood in this video, a great trick-or-treat neighborhood comes down to four things.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_00: One, density.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_00: More front doors per block means more candy per step.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_00: Two, sidewalks and lighting.
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_00: You want it flat, lit, walkable streets, not a dark road with no curb.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_00: Three, participation.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_00: A neighborhood where half the porch lights are off makes for a long night.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_00: And four, parking.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_00: Because if you're driving in, that decides whether your night starts fun or starts with an argument in the car.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_00: And here's the fun part.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_00: Those same four things are exactly what I look for when I'm helping a family buy a home here in Huntington Beach.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_00: Walkability, neighbors who actually know each other, and being able to get in and out easily.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_00: So as we go, I'm going to give you the real estate side too.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_00: Think of this as a neighborhood tour with Halloween candy galore.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_00: Let's start on the water, Huntington Harbor.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_00: The harbor is built around a set of islands and channels in the northwest corner of the city, and a lot of the homes here go all out.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_00: That's great news on Halloween because you can hit a lot of doors and see some really cool houses and pick up the king-sized candy bars while you're at it.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_00: The decorating out here is serious.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_00: Haunted houses, full front yard, graveyards, and I'd bet at least one pirate ship because of course you have to when you're in the harbor.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_00: Now the harbor gets my award for best decorated houses.
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_00: Some pockets of the harbor are gated or private, so don't build your whole route around a street you can't get into.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_00: Stick to the public streets and you'll have a great time.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_00: On the real estate side, the harbor covers a wide range: townhomes and condos on one end, waterfront homes with private docks on the other.
• 2:21
  SPEAKER_00: So right now you're looking at roughly$650,000 for a small condo, up to$11 million for those waterfront homes.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_00: And if you want the full deep dive, including the stuff nobody tells you about, the seawalls and land leases, I did an entire video on Huntington Harbor and we'll get that linked up right away.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_00: Next up is Seacliff.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_00: This is a different vibe.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_00: It's the golf course neighborhood with bigger homes, wider streets, and a slower pace.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_00: And when these neighbors decide to go big on decorations, they go big.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_00: Seacliff gets my award for best evening stroll.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_00: If your kids are a little older or you're the parent who wants the walks to be half the fun, this is a great night out.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_00: Some sections of Seacliff are gated, and a guard gate on Halloween means you're either on the list or you're not.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_00: So know which sections are open before you go.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_00: The good news is there's plenty of neighborhood space that's open to everyone.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_00: On the real estate side, Seacliff is one of the more premium pockets in Huntington Beach, running roughly between$2.5 to$4.5 million for single family detached homes.
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_00: And I just put out a full Seacliff breakdown with the HOAs, the schools, and the tax stuff that you need to know.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_00: And that will also be linked below.
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_00: Quick detour before the next neighborhood, because if you've got little ones, Halloween night isn't the only thing on the calendar.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_00: Following is the city of Huntington Beach's big fall festival, and our team, the Second Stone team, is a title sponsor.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_00: I'm telling you that up front because I'd recommend it either way.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_00: There are bounce houses, a pumpkin patch, and carving station, trick-or-treat street, carnival games, food trucks, a costume dance party, and booths from the police, fire, and marine safety crews.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_00: Your kid can meet a lifeguard and climb into a fire truck on the same afternoon.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_00: This year it's on October 17th, beginning at 11 a.m.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_00: and located in Central Park next to the library.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_00: A lot of it's free, and there are a few extras, like the wristband for the inflatables.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_00: They do cost a little.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_00: However, if you're watching this and you would like a free wristband, listen up, just put following in the comments and I'll hook you up.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_00: So if your youngest is too little for a full night of knocking on doors, this is the move.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_00: You still get the candies, the costumes, but there's zero walking in the dark.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_00: And you know what?
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_00: A free wristband, why not?
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_00: But while we're talking about events, the Shipley Nature Center in Central Park does an enchanted trail trick or treat.
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_00: This year, that's Saturday, October 24th, from three to five, and it's perfect for toddlers.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_00: But let's switch gears and go back to the neighborhoods.
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_00: This next one doesn't get a lot of attention, and that's exactly why I love it.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_00: And it's a neighborhood around Harbor View Elementary, up in the 92649 zip code, just inland from the harbor.
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_00: And this is a classic Huntington Beach neighborhood.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_00: Single family home, sidewalks, and a school community where families actually know each other.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_00: On Halloween, you can feel it.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_00: Kids from the same class run into each other on every corner.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_00: Parents walk together, and the porch lights are on.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_00: Harbor View gets my award for best neighborhood energy.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_00: And if you've ever wondered what it feels like to live somewhere where the neighborhood elementary school is the center of everything, walk this one on Halloween.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_00: For a lot of families moving to Huntington Beach, this is the kind of neighborhood that hits the sweet spot.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_00: You're minutes from the harbor and the beach without having to pay for the extra waterfront address.
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_00: Now let's turn the energy all the way up and we're going downtown.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_00: This is where I grew up on the numbered streets, and Halloween downtown is its own animal.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_00: It kicks off on Main Street with the Halloween Fest, where local businesses hand out candy, and there are bounce houses, games, and costume contests for kids and for dogs because this is Huntington Beach.
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_00: This year is Saturday, the 31st, from 4 to 7.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_00: Then, as it gets dark, families go off Main Street into the neighborhoods on both sides, and the number of streets come alive.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_00: The homes are close together, the blocks are flat and walkable, and the decorations get a little competitive.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_00: Since most of the homes are tall skinnies, you can hit a ton of homes in a short amount of time.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_00: I remember when my brother and I were trick-or-treating here, we would bring pillowcases.
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_00: And for the candy, we would absolutely fill those all the way to the brim.
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_00: So downtown gets my award for best full night out.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_00: You start at the festival, you grab dinner on Maine, then you hit the streets and fill those pillowcases up with tons of candy.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_00: Now for the honest part, it's parking.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_00: Downtown Honest Saturday Halloween is going to be packed.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_00: You want to get there early, use the parking structures, and plan on paying.
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_00: But better yet, if you live close enough, you can bike or walk in.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_00: I've seen people drop kids off in vans here.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_00: It's that serious.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_00: On the real estate side, downtown is walkable beach town living.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_00: Original cottages next to brand new builds running roughly between 1.2 million for a small cottage/slash surf shack type of home, all the way up to 10 million with ocean facing views.
• 6:47
  SPEAKER_00: The average is around 3 million right now in downtown Huntington Beach.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_00: You're trading some yard for being able to walk to the pier, but there are plenty of parks.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_00: And for a lot of people, that trade is the whole point.
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_00: Before I tell you my number one pick, here are a few things that'll make your night better no matter where you go.
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_00: Timing.
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_00: Sunset on Halloween is right around 6 p.m.
• 7:07
  SPEAKER_00: The sweet spot for little kids is about five to seven while there's still enough light to see the curbs.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_00: Older kids and the haunted house crowd, you want to expect roughly 7 to 9 p.m.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_00: Parking.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_00: Wherever you go, park once on a public street and don't block driveways.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_00: The people handing out candy to 500 kids will appreciate it.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_00: Safety.
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_00: Glow sticks or a flashlight for every kid.
• 7:29
  SPEAKER_00: Stay on the sidewalk and cross at the corners.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_00: And drivers, it's a Saturday night with a lot of excited little kids in dark costumes.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_00: So please slow down.
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_00: Then there's the porch light rule.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_00: Porch light on, knock.
• 7:42
  SPEAKER_00: Porch light off, move on.
• 7:44
  SPEAKER_00: It's that simple.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_00: And one bonus daylight saving time ends the next morning, Sunday, November 1st.
• 7:49
  SPEAKER_00: So you get an extra hour of sleep after the sugar crash.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_00: Best Halloween scheduling in years.
• 7:55
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, where am I taking my own family?
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_00: And that's South Huntington Beach.
• 7:59
  SPEAKER_00: This is where we live, and it's the area I'd recommend to young families every time.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_00: Like the Moffat Track.
• 8:04
  SPEAKER_00: Block after block of single family homes, real sidewalks, cul-de-sac where the kids can run a little bit ahead, and a ton of young families, which means participation is high and the porch lights are on.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_00: You're close to the beach, you're close to the parks, and you can walk the whole route without ever getting back in the car.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_00: South Huntington Beach gets my award for best all around for young families.
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_00: And on the real estate side, it's one of the most in-demand parts of the city for exactly that reason.
• 8:28
  SPEAKER_00: Roughly 1.3 million for a smaller home, all the way up to 5 million, with about 1.8 million being the median price.
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_00: Here's the thing: I grew up trick-or-treating in HB, mostly downtown in Seacliff.
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_00: I wore my Elvis Cosume on more than one occasion for Halloween.
• 8:42
  SPEAKER_00: And now that I'm in South HB, I've concluded Huntington Beach is amazing no matter where you go.
• 8:46
  SPEAKER_00: Sure, you can go do your trunk or treating, and you should absolutely take advantage of the events like Falloween or Shipley Nature Centers, but you should really bring the family to the beautiful neighborhoods of Huntington Beach.
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_00: This is where you'll enjoy some fantastic homes and even better people.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_00: Now, if you're thinking I want to live in a place like this and thinking about making Huntington Beach home, grab my free HB guide at the link below or shoot me a message.
• 9:09
  SPEAKER_00: But please tell me in the comments what's your favorite Huntington Beach Halloween street?
• 9:14
  SPEAKER_00: Or again, I want to remind you if you comment following, you'll get a free wristband to this year's Following event.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_00: My name is Lane Stone with the Sack and Stone team, and I want to wish everybody in Huntington Beach a very happy Halloween.
• 9:26
  SPEAKER_00: And I'll leave you with what I do each and every week.
• 9:28
  SPEAKER_00: Do good.
• 9:29
  SPEAKER_00: Huntington Beach deserves it, and I'll see you on the next one.