what of SF Halloween?

I'm hoping for a return to the smallish and community-centric Castro Halloween. Hopefully (and this idea gets flaming rants online) the bridge will still be closed. Friends new to SF can check out the Halloween tag for links to past stories on what's changed in the past five years or so.

Has enough time passed for Halloween to be renewed as a signature SF event? With Castro for the Castro, and Crazy City Halloween somewhere else for other Good Crazies in the City? Or is it true that parties aren't really all that cool unless the gays bring it. Actually, once they hit hard on the "Home for Halloween" and cracked down on the Castro, other social neighborhoods got in on their own local action, stepped up, and provided an amazing time where once there was none (I'm talking to you Polk Street).

The SFBG blog has an interesting take on this year. All the Chronicle says is "don't bring a gun." Nice. The New York Times even ran a story about the shootings in the Castro in 2006: Three Years After Shooting, Victims Still Struggle. Not good fun.

I have always preferred good house parties (emphasis on good) to the throng in the street. Even back to my first SF Halloween house party, my first fall in SF, with who he became my first boyfriend (Doug) who made me really happy for the first time. Halloween was a little scary for different reason.

After that I don't think I ever had a boyfriend again over Halloween. Most years me and mine would hang out in front of Moby's on the periphery of the Castro Hoard after starting at someone's home nearby. That was as throngy as I liked to get. And that was much fun.

There are several invitations I want to take up this year, but transportation being the problem that it is (and adding to the chaos, even Muni service will not be enhanced), I think I'll just take the one mega house party in the Castro and regret the scattered others. Each year I try to make "the rounds," but it always becomes a logistical nightmare (which sounds like a good costume). Best stick to just one haunted house, and hope a good spirit follows me home. I could use a good thing to go bump in the night.

And of course, there will be awesome wholesomeness and amazing tiny tot costumes around my corner on Belvedere. And the SFist has a nice roundup of other neighborhood cool stuff.