What’s a Treat Map? And why are you adding your Miami home address? Here’s what to know

Howard Cohen
·4 min read

NextDoor users are starting to see Treat Map hashtags popping up in their feeds.

Spooky porch and lots of Halloween candy!!! Happy Halloween!!, advertises Jeannette of Westwood Lakes, an unincorporated area of Miami-Dade bordered by Westchester on the north, Olympia Heights to the east, Sunset to the south and Kendale Lakes to the west.

That’s five exclamation marks. Must be some candy.

Halloween is almost here! #treatmap, Bambi of Hollywood announces with a pumpkin emoji and a photo of her yard decked out with witches, ghosts, ghouls and enough purple lighting to bring the spirit of Prince to her Broward community.

Tasty treats and scary decor, who could want more? #TreatMap, Steve asks, certain to bring neighbors to his pinned home in the Sunset Park area of Kendall near Snapper Creek Canal.

Why are all these people in South Florida beckoning strangers to their houses with offers of tricks and treats, with a pinned map location to help them find their homes?

READ MORE: Halloween already started in Miami. Here’s where to celebrate all throughout October

What is the Treat Map?

Treat Map has been a fixture of the NextDoor app almost since the app’s launch in 2011. By 2021, Nextdoor reported the Treat Map was its most popular holiday feature, even during the pandemic. (People wore masks, after all.)

NextDoor is a hyperlocal social networking service founded in San Francisco 12 years ago. Users report on news and events in their neighborhood and members generally ask each other for local service-provider recommendations. (“Anyone know a good mechanic who’s honest?”)

People warn of suspicious activity and porch thieves. They sell things. They tip others to sales down the block. (“BOGO on Publix’s blueberry muffins!”)

It’s like talking over your fence but on your smartphone from the kitchen counter or couch.

Treat Map serves as an interactive local guide so that users can let their neighbors know how they plan to celebrate Halloween.

Handing out candies? Here’s where they’ll be and what you can expect. (Reese’s Pieces, please. ) Want to take selfies in front of lavishly costumed abodes? Here’s where you’ll find the grooviest ghouls on lawn and porch displays.

Want to include your dog and gobble up pet treats? Last year, NextDoor introduced a Beggin’ pin feature to the map enabling pet owners or pet-welcoming neighbors to include their pets in the trick-or-treating.

A neighbor in Hollywood posted her house decked out in Halloween purple on the Nextdoor app and pinned its location to the social media site’s Treat Map feature. Nextdoor
A neighbor in Hollywood posted her house decked out in Halloween purple on the Nextdoor app and pinned its location to the social media site’s Treat Map feature. Nextdoor

What’s new on Treat Map this year?

For the first time, neighbors can move the Treat Map and “Search this Area” to see pins in neighborhoods beyond their own, the company announced in early October.

This feature allows neighbors to open the Treat Map, which is available through Oct. 31, and find decorated homes and places to trick-or-treat in other neighborhoods and towns.

You may want to use this feature if you’re spending time visiting family and friends outside of your own community. “The Treat Map will help you explore new neighborhoods that are in the Halloween spirit,” NextDoor touts.

Local businesses can also get onto the Treat Map fun this year, the company said.

Some ways include showcasing decorated storefronts and running promotions for those who drop by in costume.

How to navigate Treat Map

Here’s what you can pin on your home’s Treat Map through October:

▪ Select the candy pin for treats: If you are handing out Halloween candy, mark your home on the map with the candy icon so trick-or-treaters know.

▪ Select the decorating outside pin for a decked-out home: If you took the time to decorate your home like a haunted house or an enchanted castle, tap the haunted decor icon to attract eyes to the bubbling cauldrons and gravestones in the front yard and the plastic skeletons hanging from your rafters, clacking ghoulishly against the hurricane shutters from the warm night breeze.

▪ Select the Beggin’ pin for pet-friendly treats: If you are giving out pet treats for dogs accompanying trick-or-treaters, select the Beggin’ pin on the map.

Halloween safety tips

Jamie Lee Curtis, left, as Laurie Strode and Michael Myers (aka The Shape) in “Halloween Ends.” (Ryan Green/Universal Pictures/TNS) Ryan Green/Universal Pictures
Jamie Lee Curtis, left, as Laurie Strode and Michael Myers (aka The Shape) in “Halloween Ends.” (Ryan Green/Universal Pictures/TNS) Ryan Green/Universal Pictures

NextDoor’s Treat Map isn’t vetted. If Michael Myers moves into your neighborhood from the home he’s haunted at 45 Lampkin Lane in Haddonfield, Illinois, since 1978, and pins his new address with a candy pin, know this: The masked ghoul may not just be after Jamie Lee Curtis in the 472 “Halloween” movie sequels.

Adults, keep an eye on your children and pets the way you would on any occasion when they are roaming about. You know what to do.

Here’s what NextDoor suggests on its page.

▪ Stay safe: “Always prioritize safety. Stick to well-lit areas and only visit homes that are participating on the Treat Map.”

▪ Respect privacy: “Be mindful that not all neighbors may want to participate. Only visit houses that have opted in.”

▪ Follow local guidelines: “Adhere to any local guidelines or recommendations to ensure a safe and enjoyable Halloween for everyone.”