There is usually little rhyme or reason to most trick-or-treating routes. You're only aware of what goes on in your own neighborhood. The truth is, some kids have it better than others. Some cities are just logistically more conducive to knocking on doors for candy.
New Times decided to rank what we believe are the best cities for filling pillow cases with candy. Now remember, this is unscientific research, so if Donald Trump cites it as fact, don't listen to him.
10. Parkland
Yeah, you might score full-size candy bars and candied apples in Parkland, but you're going to have to walk a marathon to do it. Parkland homes have some of the most expansive property of any city in Broward, and the city itself isn't all that big. The combination of the two doesn't make for ideal trick-or-treating conditions. You're best off traveling from Parkland to another city on this list.
9. Lauderdale-by-the-Sea
Almost impossible. If you're a kid living in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, your best move is to hop on your skateboard (wait, do kids skateboard anymore?) and do your candy hunting in a city more conducive to foot traffic. The entire Lauderdale-by-the-Sea area is just too condo-heavy and beach-centric to result in much trick-or-treating success. Fewer than 7,000 people even live in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, so it just doesn't make any sense to stick around for your trick-or-treating.
8. Margate
Margate is sort of a tweener on this list; not quite Weston, but not exactly Lauderhill. It's just sort of there. Margate kids have it pretty good in that there are large stretches of homes kids can hit fairly easily without much walking. You might not score that large pack of Sour Patch kids in Margate, but you'll definitely make up for it in sheer volume of candy obtained. There is a formula at work here somewhere.
7. Pembroke Pines
A terrific option as far as
6. Hollywood
A large city with everything you could ask for as far as Halloween trick-or-treating routes are concerned, Hollywood is a solid option on this list. What makes it fall in the middle of the pack, however, is the fact that it's sort of all over the place. While other cities like Coral Springs have many more neighborhoods filled with homes on each side of the street lined up in a nice area, Hollywood is a grab bag full of good and bad trick-or-treating routes.
5. Tamarac
Tamarac has a lot of developments dedicated to the over-55 communities, which is completely hit-or-miss for kids. On one hand, you might run into lots of people that remind you of your grandparents and want to spoil you with awesome stuff, but on the other, you're bound to happen upon those curmudgeons that want nothing to do with this devil holiday or the traditions that come with it.
4. Sunrise
The trick-or-treating scene in Sunrise is legit. You've got yourself lots of homes ripe for the picking but also a bunch of apartment complexes around the University Drive area that are very kid-friendly. Sunrise kids have it made in that if they take the right path, they can venture into other cities without too much effort. A little mapping out of your journey could mean cherry-picking the best parts of Tamarac or Plantation, depending on where you live.
3. Coral Springs
Coral Springs kids have had it made for a while now. Coral Springs has only been a thing for a few decades, so construction of homes is relatively modern and thus extremely organized. This means cookie-cutter homes lined up in tidy neighborhoods for miles. Kids can zig-zag back and forth like a mailman in Coral Springs, snatching candy with ease. The setup was practically made for Halloween night.
2. Southwest Ranches
Southwest Ranches is a famously child-friendly neighborhood known for being home to families with children. It's also fairly tiny compared to other cities in Broward, so you could theoretically cover the entire population in one night if you put your mind to it. Southwest Ranches is also known for having a large community of artists who reside there, and you know they can get into the spirit of Halloween like nobody else.
1. Weston
Let's keep it real here: People who live in Weston usually have money to blow, which means topnotch candy and great decorations — none of that Dollar Tree nonsense. Weston Town Center has a reputation for throwing a pretty amazing Halloween Fest every year as well. Weston is the cream of the crop for trick-or-treating in Broward because of the sheer amount of homes and how friendly their occupants tend to be.
