My How They've Grown: Shore Fire Kids Halloween '09

Halloween is a highlight for the kids of Shore Fire.

Down at the Jersey Shore, Shore Fire President Marilyn Laverty donned a Dorothy costume for the festivities with her son Sam (on left, with friend, on right), who's dressed as Mario (from the Mario Brothers, of course).


Up in my neck of the woods in Harlem, Halloween's become the hang out holiday of the year for the growing number of kids on our block. For the sixth year in a row, we've gathered on the stoop for a group shot before running up and down the street to fill up buckets of candy. That's my Leo on the right, all in orange as a hermit crab, with my Eli behind him in the Revolutionary War soldier costume.


Eli in a home-made (by me) Revolutionary War costume.


Inspired by their trip to Disneyland this summer, Matt Hanks' daughters Emma (age 7) and Sally (age 3) both dressed as fairies, Silver Mist and Tinkerbell respectively. As for Matt, anyone who has ever eaten a meal with him will recognize he's dressed as creole seasoning kingpin Tony Chachere! He puts the stuff on everything but his Halloween candy.


Here's Rebecca Shapiro's 3 1/2 year old daughter Roxy dressed as Annie...she belted out "Maybe" while trick or treating.

The Kids Are Allright on Halloween

Shore Fire Kids were out in force on Halloween, as in years past. The classics are still in, witches, mummies, superheros and more.


Here's Matt Hanks with Emma as Dorothy and her little sister Sally as the Wicked Witch, in front of their apartment house in Brooklyn.

Eli Satlof as Speed from Speedracer, next to his brother Leo, the Mummy. We've got a nice family tradition going of homemade costumes...the kids continued the streak this year. (Notice Eli's yellow rubber kitchen gloves).

I think we're up to our fifth year of getting all the kids on our block together for a group trick or treat. Here's the gang gathered on my neighbor's stoop. We've got lots of princesses on the block, and this year, two Speeds.


It's a bird, it's a plane, no, it's Supergirl, by day a nursery school student name Roxy Shapiro (Rebecca's daughter).



Here’s some Halloween pix of Maureen's kids as a cheerless cheerleader and a witch and their friend Lukas (the werewolf).

The Ghosts of Halloween Future at Shore Fire

I can see it now, all these kids of Shore Fire staffers getting wilder and cuter as the years go by. But for now, things were raucous enough last night as Rebecca Shapiro's Roxy, Matt Hanks' Emma and Sally, and my Leo and Eli loaded up on candy. The classic costumes were definitely in this year - princesses, ballerinas, kings, skeletons, ghosts & witches.

Here's the photo gallery



Leo, as a press photographer, and Eli as Bob the Builder, both their own choices.

Here's Roxy "Ducky" Shapiro (right) with her friend Rachel at Washington Square Park's
parade.

Emma and Sally dressed as a witch and skeleton respectively. Emma dictated the costumes for the entire family. Courtney and Matt were vampires (but there's no WAY I'm posting pics of us! says Matt)Another of Ducky Shapiro.

Here's only a portion of the 138th St. kids group gathered on a stoop...there were just too many to get them all in one place and sitting. That's Leo w/ the yellow vest and Eli top left, next to his pal/next door neighbor Lenny. It was only last night that I realized that Leo, Eli and Lenny are outnumbered at least 4-1 in the girl/boy ratio. Wait till high school, boys!


Photo of UFO in front yard of house on Clinton Ave. The house owners are set designers and they put on a show every year. It draws insane crowds, but it's super cool. Read more here:

Wild Halloween on 138th St...

....when for the third year straight, a semi-unruly clutch of kids from 138th and 139th Sts gathered for a semi-organized Halloween romp on our landmark blocks. Considering that as of five years ago, there were literally zero children on the block (the older ladies say that our first son Leo was the first kid born on the block in 20 years), and that until three years ago we got no Halloween visitors at all to our house, it's quite a change. The neighborhood's embraced the new energy, with balloons tied to the railings on the stoop signifying that you're open for business, and the word's out beyond our historic blocks. Here's the neighborhood play group gathered on my next door neighbor's stairs. That's my kid Leo on the far left, in the suit of armor. His brother Eli's hiding behind him.

Here's Sir Leo and Fireman Eli on our stoop

Eli and his next door neighbor/playmate Tre.