UAlbany Students Weigh Returning to Hudson Avenue this Halloween Amid Pine Hills Violence

By Anastasia Dallai | October 26, 2026

As Halloween approaches, UAlbany students are trying to balance their excitement and nerves about celebrating the holiday, while law enforcement advises against large gatherings in the area.

Lauren McNulty and Mikayla Seth in Pine Hills during Halloween of 2025. Photo Credit: Mikayla Seth

As Halloween approaches, UAlbany students are preparing for another weekend of parties in the Pine Hills neighborhood, a common social gathering area. However, following a tense homecoming weekend, including increased police activity and a fatal shooting near Hudson Avenue, some students have different outlooks on this year's Halloween celebration. 

For many students, Halloween is a way to dress up, attend parties, and spend time with friends on and off campus. Videos shared by students on social media platforms such as TikTok show how the social atmosphere downtown changes when the holiday rolls around, drawing large crowds to the Pine Hills neighborhood of Albany.

What raised the question of how students feel going out for this Halloween was the events of of the university's Homecoming Weekend. During the weekend, Albany police responded to large gatherings in the Pine Hills neighborhood off campus,which involved a fatal shooting on Oct. 4 of a 15-year-old boy near Hudson Avenue and Partridge Street, leaving three others injured. This incident raised many concerns about safety in the neighborhood, especially for UAlbany students.

“We've got to have some manners. We've got to be responsible. Like we can have fun, but at the same time we can't just, like, think this is the purge," said Anthony Urena, a junior at UAlbany.

The Albany Police Department released a public statement announcing that the following weeks after the shooting would have heightened police presence for the sake of public safety. 

“As part of our proactive efforts to address ongoing issues in the Pine Hills neighborhood, there will be an increase in police presence and patrols in the area over the next several weekends," The Albany Police Department said in a statement. “We discourage individuals from gathering in the area and remind them that they will be held accountable for their actions and behaviors as we continue working to keep our community safe."

Students who have been to the Halloween celebrations in Pine Hills mention that when comparing the two events, Halloween is calmer compared to Homecoming Weekend, since it is less popular with those who aren't in college. 

“For Halloween that's more like college students coming in,” Urena said. “it's more like people from other colleges, like SUNY colleges coming in,” he added. 

Students also mentioned that the streets get very crowded, which leads to the presence of law enforcement handling crowd control. They say it causes more commotion out of fear.

“I feel like on Halloween it isn’t as bad as Homecoming, but still around 2 a.m. the streets are overflowing with students, and you can tell some of them don't go here," said Lauren McNulty, a junior at UAlbany. “Some parties started checking student ID cards so they can make sure it’s UA students only, that's why the streets get crowded,” she added. 

This shift in tensions also has brought up rumors among the campus about how the parties will be held or if they will be held at all off campus.

Upperclassmen that have seen crime in Pine Hills over the years mention that there are certain times where people get a little too crazy. Students said that this year especially, freshmen should be careful in how they navigate Halloween.

“My older sister goes here so I can say that I don't feel as nervous as my friends, but I can 

understand the struggles," said Joel Geelall, a freshman. "A lot of freshmen just need to be smart about going out."

Law enforcement aims to address these safety concerns by increasing their presence, and UPD sends emails to students about how to stay safe off campus.

This year, UPD sent an email to the student body advising students to avoid gatherings in the area following the violence on Oct. 4. The department also has a section on the UAlbany website providing safety resources and advice.