Vampires
By Sav Maive
Do you enjoy hanging with your friends wearing black capes and fangs from dusk till dawn?
If you hate garlic and mirrors, you can fang Lawn Love for ranking 2021’s Best Cities for Vampires this Halloween.
2021’s Best Cities for Vampires
- Naperville, IL
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Chicago, IL
- Omaha, NE
- Tacoma, WA
- St. Paul, MN
- Aurora, IL
- Columbus, OH
- Bellevue, WA
- Paterson, NJ
We looked for cities with plenty of warm bodies, blood centers, and homes with basements on the market. We also searched for cities with other vampire-welcoming qualities like many cloudy days, few churches, and no garlic festivals.
Yes, this ranking is tongue-in-cheek — or rather teeth-in-neck — for the most part, but there’s a serious side, too. The U.S. is in the midst of a national blood shortage. This is bad news for vampires, of course, but it’s good news for you because you can make a difference by donating blood and saving lives.
So, sink your teeth into our rankings, in-depth analysis, and local tips for planning your next gathering of immortals and your next blood donation.
Vamping up
In 2015, there were at least 5,000 registered vampires in the U.S. — according to one source — with vampire clubs in cities spanning 48 states.
Local tip: Portland is more than the land of hipsters. Every year, you can dress up and go rock in the night at the annual Vampire’s Masquerade Ball. Buffalo honors its undead with the yearly Buffalo Vampires Ball.
In Atlanta, you can visit Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory at The Masquerade, a music venue that is rumored to be popular among A-Town’s local vampires.
Local tip: Contemporary vampire lore in the Midwest can be explored in the series “Vampire Princess of St. Paul” by Tate Hallaway. The Midwest is also home to the Batesville Casket Company, the largest casket supplier in the world located in Batesville, Indiana.
Fright night in Illinois: Chicago has an active vampire community of more than 700 members, but that’s not the only reason the Midwestern city and its surrounding suburbs have proven to be top vampire destinations.
