Meet the Mayors of the Old Northeast Halloween

When Bryan and Robin Van Vranken moved to the Old Northeast, they didn’t know that every October, their house would become the “Monster Mash” house on 17th Avenue NE. 

They were warned about the holiday, though. 

“Our realtor had said, ‘Hey, it’s a big Halloween here,’ but that was okay with us; we’re festive people,” Robin said. “We knew people had themed houses, and we had a set of turntables, so we were prepared in that way, but what we weren’t prepared for were the trick-or-treaters.” 

In 2018, Robin got the disco ball that would be a staple of the event, a giant Frankenstein, the “Monster Mash” letters, and the Halloween lights and took charge. Much has been added since, but that first year, Robin bought a bulk supply of glowsticks on eBay to go with their theme. That night, they went through 4,000 of them. 

“When I closed my eyes that night, I could still see trick-or-treaters coming at me,” Robin said, laughing.

Moving In 

Bryan and Robin moved with their two children to the neighborhood in 2018. 

“My wife actually found the Old Northeast on a map before we moved. She did all the demographic research and said, ‘This is where I want to live.’ She was right.”

Bryan and Robin are both originally from New York. Robin, though, had previously lived in the Tampa area with her family before moving away and living around the country. The pair met in Atlanta, where their kids were born. 

But when Bryan accepted a job in Largo, both Bryan and Robin were excited to move to the Tampa area. They lived in a few places at first, including South Tampa. 

“It was an amazing blessing when Bryan got the job because I got to show my kids places I had been to growing up, like Busch Gardens and Adventure Island,” Robin said. “I loved how much St. Pete had developed, because when I was here it was very quiet.”  

Before long, the two settled on a house over the bridge, to their home in the Old Northeast.

“We didn’t know a thing about the Old Northeast when we moved to Florida, but we kept driving over here. We loved North Shore Park, Crescent Lake, the water – the whole neighborhood vibe. It wasn’t long before we said, ‘Why aren’t we living here?’” Bryan said. “We got incredibly lucky. Before COVID, we found this house on 17th Avenue, and it just felt like home instantly.”

At that time, Bryan was working in a corporate position, and Robin was a full-time parent. Nowadays, Bryan runs his own local therapy practice, and Robin works in software sales. 

Fun fact: the Monster Mash house has a bit of history embedded in its address. 

“Our house has this funny folklore attached to it. Before it was built, there was a bungalow on the lot. The owners literally cut it loose and moved it on a flatbed truck to Roser Park,” Bryan said. “And it got stuck on 17th Avenue. People still talk about it.”

Creating the Monster 

When the Van Vranken’s first moved to their 17th Avenue home, there were Halloween veterans to mentor them through the holiday. 

“We learned from the professionals. On our block were Marcy and Joe Emerson – kind of like the mayors of the Old Northeast,” Bryan said. “Marcy worked for the neighborhood association and was the community coordinator. I really learned from them…they were really involved in that corner at 17th and Cherry where the police sit, the cotton candy machines, all of it.”

When Marcy and Joe moved to Colorado about five years ago, Bryan started taking over the permits for the street closures and the police that guard the event. The not-as-fun parts of the magic – but still very important. Neighbors, including Jon Kile, definitely noticed. 

“As the Mayor of Halloween, Bryan has assumed the responsibility of filing the paperwork to close the street and help create the safe and fun environment that makes the holiday legendary in the Old Northeast,” Kile said. 

The cost of the street closures isn’t outrageously expensive, but hiring police can be. It costs roughly $1500-2000 each year. 

“We raise the money right here in the neighborhood. Everybody chips in. It’s a community operation,” Bryan said. “But HONNA now is supporting the street closure, which is so great.” 

A month out, Bryan begins putting out the exterior decorations; the night of, he and Robin put out couches and the “dance party” pieces and get ready to welcome trick-or-treaters. 

For the other 11 months of the year, the Halloween decorations live in the Van Vranken garage, kept fresh with an AC unit specifically for them. But the Van Vrankens don’t hang up their good-neighbor hats. 

“Bryan is the kind of helpful neighbor who checks in when someone has been in the hospital. He and Robin don’t just know their neighbors, they know their pets. Their free-range kids are a familiar sight zipping around the neighborhood to friends’ houses,” Kile said. 

Bryan and Robin are typically modest about these accolades, especially when it comes to Halloween.

“Everyone is all in, not just me,” Bryan said. “It’s a huge community effort and while you can turn your lights off and not participate, there are so many people who want to be involved and want to be in the spirit of it.” 

A Joint Operation 

Pre-kids, pre-Halloween house, Robin and Bryan were just a couple in Atlanta who bonded over their love of electronic music. “It’s easier when you’re in a couple with someone and you actually like the same music,” Robin said. 

That love of EDM was why the pair had an old turntable they busted out for their first Old Northeast Halloween in 2018. Quickly, Bryan revitalized his DJ skills. 

“We were like, let’s get the music and make it a monster mash party,” Robin said. 

Nowadays, while Bryan has taken the lead with the decorations, permits, and planning of the Monster Mash House on 17th Ave, Robin handles the organized team that runs traffic and is responsible for the food for helpers. 

Will the Monster Mash house be a staple for years to come? 

“We definitely plan on continuing our Halloween here,” Robin said. “We love to be creative and give a fun experience to the community every year.”