One thing we’ve learned here at BostInnovation is how much this city loves coming together around rankings. We are the #1 city for innovation in the world, the #1 smartest city in America, the #5 city for social media savvy in America, not to mention we are producing nearly 10% of the fastest growing tech companies in North America. But did you know Boston is also one of the top ranked cities for Halloween?
Zillow.com, a leading online real estate marketplace that empowers home buyers with data and information, recently ranked Boston #8 in their second annual Trick-or-Treat Housing Index (methodology found here). As for the top neighborhoods in Boston to trick-or-treat in, Beacon Hill came in #1 followed by the North End, Back Bay, Charlestown, and the South End. We were surprised that Cambridge with all it’s Squares and students, and which was ranked #1 last year, didn’t make the cut.
In line with our love for technology and rankings, here are BostInno’s picks for Halloween in Boston, and the apps you should be using when out and about:
Beacon Hill Tick-or-Treating | Download ARGH
Beacon Hill, marked by its famous brick sidewalks and golden State House dome, is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Boston. Every year historic Charles St. and neighboring streets shut down to make way for incredible Halloween displays. Needless to say, a lot has gone down in this historic neighborhood with its narrow streets and wrought-iron fences — and it must be ripe with ghosts. This means you need to download ARGH Game.
ARGH is an augmented reality game for the iPhone. Instead of Google Goggles, this is Ghost Goggles. The app allows you to see into the “ethereal plane” to find where ghosts are living or dropping by around you. So whether you are exploring yourself or taking a guided tour in Beacon Hill or Boston’s other old neighborhoods, ARGH is a no-brainer to have on hand.
Cambridge Brewing Company Great Pumpkin Festival | Download RedPint
Cambridge Brewing Company (CBC) in Kendall Square is known for matching fantastic food with their great craft brews. CBC is holding their third annual Great Pumpkin Festival this Saturday. The event features 8 CBC pumpkin ales and a whopping 18 other autumn-inspired craft brews from guest breweries like Allagash Brewing Co., Dogfish and Smuttynose. They also have a stellar pumpkin-inspired menu on hand all night for both the patio and sit-down dinners.
Drink tickets are 4 for $5 and the majority of the beers cost 1 ticket for a 4oz pour (which adds up to $5 for a 16oz beer); so, needless to say, you will be tasting lots of brews. This means you need to download RedPint (a social beer app built right here in Boston) to get your drink on, keep track of the brews you like, and share it with your friends. If you play your drinking cards right you might even unlock the Jolly Lantern Medal.
Howl-o-ween Pet Parade in Faneuil Hall | Download Nat’l Geographic’s Ceasar Says
Faneuil Hall, where locals don’t come out until late in the afternoon on weekends to avoid the masses of tourists, will instead be filled with dogs this Saturday. Boston’s Mike FM is hosting their fourth annual Howl-o-ween Pet Parade, filling the marketplace with owners and their dogs vying to be awarded $500 for best in show or to scoop up some of the other prizes.
Regardless of whether you think its humane or not to dress a dog up like a banana or Yoda, and whether you are accompanying your dog or just strolling through, download National Geographic’s Ceasar Says to keep things under wraps. With a quick shake of the phone, Dog Whisperer Cesar Millan’s famous “Tssst!” sound will help keep these dogs under control. The app also includes some of his sayings to keep you sane, like, “No dog is too much for me to handle” and “I am the Dog Whisperer.” You’ll probably find half the tails of dogs wagging, and the others between their legs, so make sure you use Cesar’s sounds accordingly.
What apps do you plan to have on hand this weekend?
