Just how good of a Halloween “trick or treat” location is North Bergen?
Well, it’s so desirable that a New York City police officer actually brought his entire family across the Hudson River to do their holiday candy crusade in the township.
“It really has a neighborhood feel to it,” NYPD Officer Hezi Allen said. “It’s the closest place to Manhattan that has that neighborhood feel. It’s safe. The people are friendly. We don’t have anything like this in Manhattan. It’s perfect for the kids. We came here last year and we’re back again.”
Allen brought his two children, 7-year-old daughter Iracel and son Hezi Jr., age 6 months, to North Bergen to do their door-to-door pursuit.
Iracel was dressed as Minnie Mouse with her little brother dressed as Mickey. Iracel made sure that her brother got his fair share of goodies as they went up and down the streets.
In fact, because of the spring-like balmy weather, North Bergen’s streets were filled with costumed revelers more than any recent year. Parents were elated that Mother Nature cooperated with 70-degree temperatures.
Devil and three kids
“The weather has been wonderful,” said Rochelle Rivera, who was dressed as a devil as she chaperoned three children with her sister-in-law, Anne Marie. “It makes all of this so much easier.”
The constant parade of costumed children forced some North Bergen residents to just grab the bowl of candy and sit in front of their homes.
“I’m getting tired of going back and forth, answering the door, going up and down the stairs,” one woman said. “This is much easier and the weather is perfect. It’s a nice day for everyone. I don’t mind it this way.”
Some of the costumes that the children were wearing were quite original.
Take for instance 8-year-old Alexis Rugar, who was donning a blond wig and had a flowing dress. What was she dressed as?
“I’m a diva, just a diva,” Alexis said.
And why was she dressed as a diva?
“Because I am a diva and I want to be a diva,” she said.
Look out, Whitney and Madonna.
Alexis was busy trick-or-treating with friends Alexandria Batty, who was a 6-year-old fairy, and 6-year-old Angelique Rivera, who was a pirate.
Aysha Girard told her mother that she wanted to be a princess for Halloween. But when Mom went to the store to search for a costume, the princess costumes didn’t fit the 4-year-old.
So there was a sense of improvisation. Aysha became a spider princess, a cross between Spider-Man and a princess. It worked, because Aysha had an absolute blast and her candy bucket was overflowing with goodies.
“We’re going to dump it and then come back,” Aysha said.
A regular 4-year-old entrepreneur.
A gangsta
Scott Henriquez was one of the slickest dressed kids in North Bergen. When asked what his costume was, the 8-year-old Henriquez said he was a gangster.
“I just liked being a gangster,” he said.
Seems like he’s right at home in Hudson County.
Marc Anthony Herrera is only 6 years old, but he already knows the reason why he wore a “skull man” costume.
“I did it to get candy,” Marc Anthony said.
Smart kid.
Eight-year-old Alex Gutierrez was dressed as a Ninja warrior, complete with sword. He was having a tough time juggling the sword and his bag of candy.
“I’m a Ninja because I know karate,” Gutierrez said with an aura of confidence. “Want to see?”
His older brother, Gabriel, age 11, was what he called a “3-D zombie.”
“I got this costume because it looks pretty scary,” Gabriel said, as he brandished a blood-stained knife for even more of a frightful effect.
Safe to say it was certainly frightening.