# Bummed. 1st year in an Apartment



## Don of the Dead (Aug 17, 2005)

Got to vent.

For years now I've decorated a yard. Even had it in the Newspaper last year. Its my favorite time of year. Even in september seeing the displays is stores go up I get that childlike feeling.

Now we've moved into an apartment. I have 20 tubs of yard decorations and no place to put them  
I will decorate the front window with animatronics and bloody handprints, but no yard also means no trick or treaters. My buddy is having a party, but I'm not a drinker/partier type. 
I've thought about asking the landlord if I can set up in the front yard of the complex with permission of my neigbors (Its only an 8 unit complex) but don't want to impose with running extention cords for the fog machine, strobe lights etc.
My buddy siad I could set it up at his house but he lives in "the hood" and I really don't want it at a place where I can't keep an eye on it and punish any people messing with it by beating them with a baseball bat.

My happy time of year is really getting me down.

Any ideas?


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## Aelwyn (Jul 7, 2008)

I would suggest talking to your landlord and neighbours, and see if they'd be up for decorating the front yard for Hallowe'en. I know the building my man used to live in decorated the front entrance and yard for ToTs, and people in the building would buy candy to leave down there to give out.


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## Devils Chariot (May 23, 2007)

Don of the Dead said:


> My buddy siad I could set it up at his house but he lives in "the hood" and I really don't want it at a place where I can't keep an eye on it and punish any people messing with it by beating them with a baseball bat.
> 
> My happy time of year is really getting me down.
> 
> Any ideas?


I feel your pain Don, I live in an apartment too. Luckily I have a mom in law who digs Halloween and I have kind of taken over her yard on halloween.

My first suggestion would be family, then friends.

I also have lived in "the hood" and people aren't as bad as you'd think. Just don't leave decorations out over night and be friendly to everyone and not suspicious. There maybe a higher percentage of bad apples in bad neighborhoods, but the actual numbers are very low. The people in bad neighborhoods live with those assholes everyday, and when they have a nice neighbor they come out of their defensive shell so to speak. If you are afraid of attracting attention as someone who doesn't belong, just wear a mask.


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## Spookie (Aug 26, 2008)

Don, I totally understand. We've lived in either apartments, condos or townhomes until just a few years ago. I longed for a yard space like I grew up with at my parents house. I use to decorate inside and put up all the stuff I could in the windows, garage windows, balconies. I use to decorate my door and entry way and dress up to hand out candy. At least that made it fun for me. But I did long for a yard to decorate.

I also hear you about loaning out your stuff and wanting to make sure you get it back. I don't decorate until Halloween day, partially because I don't want to risk having it damaged by pranksters but I also like the idea of keeping Halloween a special night unlike others. 

If you have friends with younger kids, maybe you could see if you could dress up and go along with them trick or treating. The one thing that I miss is seeing everyone else's creativity on Halloween night.


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## HauntedHacienda (Sep 16, 2008)

I echo that sentiment. Haunt the Balcony or some such of your apartment. It can be great amusement.
Who knows, after a while, the rest of the neighbors might get involved too.


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## DeathTouch (Sep 6, 2005)

Don of the Dead, I have experience at this. I know what you are going thru. In 2006 I went thru a lot of stuff. Mom passed away and then about 3 months later the wife wanted a divorce. I was forced to move out and I lost my big yard. I moved into a townhome but I was only renting a room so I couldn't really build anything. But my landlord allowed me to put things out, so you could still ask your landlord; it wouldn't hurt. But there is only so much you can do when it isn't your house and the yard is super small. It really cramped my style. And I couldn't do anything until my ex-wife refinanced the house to take my name off. It took two years, just so you know. So during that time I messed around with making groundbreakers and I got into designing some websites in my spare time. You can run a website out of a card board box if you had too. The sites I came up with are www.hauntseeker.com and www.planetgravemarker.com. They helped me kill some time or at least keep me in the Halloween game. I also have some depression drugs left if you need some. LOL :> Also Hauntforum.com has a lot of people who will help in your transaction as they been so kind to me over the years. And as many members of Hauntforum have told me, it only gets better. It just takes time as it has for me. The good news is on Sept 18th I will be signing to buy a house after waiting two years to have my wife refinance. So like I said it only takes time. Just find something small to do before that time. And remember time goes by quickly. So don't worry. IT ONLY GETS BETTER!


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## Offwhiteknight (Sep 17, 2008)

I'm in an apartment too, but I'm on the ground floor and have a backyard area that I'll be able to do a small first-time display...and that's a first for me in years. So I feel your pain.

I'd seriously try the landlord first. Or maybe check with the other renters, then the landlord. If the rest of them are up for it, it might make it easier to convince the landlord.

And if not, decorate the heck out of your balcony or whatever you have!


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## Don of the Dead (Aug 17, 2005)

Landlord gave the thumbs up, We'll set up Mid-October to avoid annoying too many people!!

Yay!


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## joker (Sep 25, 2007)

I rent an apartment, but it's really more like a townhome. We asked to decorate last year and got an ok, and I ended up making a walk through part the front part of the apt and back out the garage. They found out after the fact and they were actually glad I did something for the neighborhood kids.


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## mattie (Sep 16, 2008)

Good luck. Ive been there to but I had the last door on our floor so I put out a couple things and didnt have to worry about my neighbors. But I wasnt able to really build any props till I moved into my house. Sucked big time! But it looks like you have the green light so have fun with what you can !!


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## Spookie (Aug 26, 2008)

Glad to hear that you'll get a chance to decorate the outside. What are you going to do now that it's a go?


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## ShadowMonk (Aug 5, 2007)

Your not the only one whos happy time of the year is getting them down. I had planned on buying several things to decorate with and then I lost my job. Needless to say the money I budgeted for halloween is now going to be paying bills.


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## Death's Door (Mar 22, 2006)

I'm glad you got the green light to set up in the front yard. I'm sure some of the other people in your apartment complex will have fun watching you decorate the yard and that they will probably enjoy giving out candy tooo.


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## Don of the Dead (Aug 17, 2005)

I've started on our front window, I'll set up the graveyard around the 15th and the fun stuff out Halloween night.


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## NickG (Sep 12, 2006)

nice. Go make you some lemonade! 

(out of pumpkins?)


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## Don of the Dead (Aug 17, 2005)

Good sign! 
We haven't set up the yard yet, but have Jason and Leatherface animatronic in the windows, along with some spiders and body parts and the light up "Bates Motel" sign and strung up orange lights. I never noticed how many school buses drive by our building until I heard the screams and squeals of the kids, the bus driver of one even slowed down so the kids could get a look!

Fingers crossed for a lot of TOT's!!!


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