Happy Halloween Haunts

Ever notice how everyone's eyes sparkle at the mere mention of Halloween?

Besides bringing on such expressions of delight, Halloween is a time when the shadows of twilight become longer and eerier, jack-o-lanterns and bubbling witches' cauldrons appear in doorways, and spooky soirees spring up all over.

With Halloween '23 creeping up on us, we got to thinking: This would be a fun time to hop into the Eichler Network time machine and look back at some of the most memorable Eichler neighborhood Halloweens ever. As we travel along, perhaps the rest of us will also get inspired—and create some chilling traditions of our own.

First stop: Terra Linda. The Eichlers never looked creepier than in this Marin County town, where Halloween is a very big deal each year. Known for creating annual traffic jams, Terra Linda pulls out all the stops to spook residents and visitors.

Longtime Eichler owner Denise Albertini, who lives on Terra Linda's Bamboo Terrace, finds that "kids love fun-filled projected images, and pumpkins and ghosts that talk and sing. It's great, the community loves it, and the little kids love it too."

Outside Denise's Eichler you'll find an imposing Bates Motel sign (like in the famous thriller 'Psycho'), a piece she's displayed since 2003.

"It's my absolute landmark, I love Hitchcock movies!" she says. "The sign goes up first, and it's the last thing to come down. Even in the summertime, kids on bicycles have been known to pass by and ask, 'Where's the Bates Motel sign?'"

At Concord's Rancho Del Diablo Eichler neighborhood, one couple—Mendi and Michael Denning—hosted a Halloween party on the 50th anniversary of the psychedelic 'Summer of Love.' What a combo!

"The first year we moved to Rancho Del Diablo, we were unsure how our neighbors would react," recalled Mendi, who lives on Wilson Lane. So she and Michael decided to just have an open house for Halloween.

"We were thrilled with the response!" Mendi recalls. "It was the first time meeting many of our new neighbors, and they welcomed us and my Halloween obsession! I think the biggest crowd was around 25, but people come and go. They might have a drink, or food, and then go out trick-or-treating with the kids and return later."