New Yorkers are only a matter of days away from Halloween.The holiday has become serious business. According to a recent MSN Money report, Halloween is the second biggest retail holiday in America.(Nothing surpasses Christmas, of course).There are a number of attractions in Manhattan that can scare-up the spectral spirit of the holiday.

Blood Manor certainly lives up to its name. Located at 542 West 27th St., the Manor is a very extensive labyrinth featuring ghoulishly made-up actors in a variety of macabre settings.The atmosphere is wildly demented and intense and is not for those who prefer their ghosts quiet. The Manor has the ambiance of slasher horror movies.Fans of that film genre may recognize several of their favorite nefarious villains prowling the corridors of the attraction.The lighting of the Manor is, of course, dark with loud, chilling sound effects.At one point during the attraction, visitors are given what appear to be 3-D glasses, which accentuate the fluorescent spectral images painted on the walls.

It takes about twenty to twenty-five minutes to traverse Blood Manor.A visitor may quicken their pace, as many of the settings are truly scary and gory. It is probably best to go with several friends and calm any fears with a sense of humor at the flamboyant, unpredictable ghouls. The actors who play the spectral demons do so with a blood-lusty, exuberant relish.I left the attraction with a person who mentioned that she was a professional make-up artist.She said she was impressed with the quality and detail of the make-up used to create the fiendish creatures.You will certainly not leave Blood Manor in a complacent or lethargic frame of mind.

Check the Blood Manor official website for ticketing information and to find out when the Manor's blood-happy residents are accepting guests.

Vampires are currently very much in vogue with the success of the Twilight films and several TV series that deal with the nocturnal creatures. Nightmare New York is sponsoring Nightmare: Vampires, a haunted house that celebrates the blood-sucking beasts.The initial part of the attraction features a well-lit gallery called the Museum of Vampire Artifacts (or MoVa, for short). A knowledgeable guide, who was sporting very realistic fangs, led me through the museum. I am not really up on Vampirology, but the guide assured me that all of the information in the exhibits of vampires from around the world was entirely accurate and legitimate.

After touring the few rooms of the museum a visitor enters a darkly lit space somewhat similar to the maze of Blood Manor except that it is on two levels.The atmosphere of Nightmare:Vampires is also aggressively spooky and it takes a certain amount of physical dexterity to navigate several of its haunted exhibits.The actors who meet the public also do so with a high-energy fiendish nature.

Nightmare: Vampires is located at the NOHO Event Center, 623 Broadway at Houston(enter at Mercer St.).For schedule and ticketing information, check the Nightmare: Vampires official website.

Both Blood Manor and Nightmare: Vampires are worth visiting for fans of eerie entertainment.However, I found the exhibits at Blood Manor more detailed and the atmosphere more intense on a moment to moment basis.

If your nerves need calming after visiting the haunted houses, perhaps you should head to Edgar's Café. It is named after the master of the macabre, Edgar Allen Poe, and is located at 255 West 84th St. According to information on the menu, Poe lived on the site of the cafe in the mid-1840's.He completed his wonderfully eerie poem "The Raven" at this location.(A nearby plaque attached to the Eagle Court apartment complex to the west of 84th and Broadway also states this.).

Edgar's has a warm environment shaded with autumnal colors. A large portrait of Poe gazes magisterially down at the diners.The café offers a variety of tempting salads and sandwiches in the $12 range. Those who prefer lighter fare can choose from an extensive list of desserts and drinks, including many sorts of coffees, espressos and cappuccinos. Unlike Poe's literature, Edgar's Café has a relaxing, subdued atmosphere.

After visiting Edgar's, a simple and effective way to celebrate Halloween may be to gather some friends, turn the lights down low, and recite The Raven.It is one of the most famous poems written in the 212 area code.The opening line should cast a suitably spectral chill: "Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary…"

'Tis the season to celebrate things that go bump in the night. Beware of what is tapping at your door.

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