I live in one of those college apartment communities and we're having a balcony decorating contest. If I have time/remember I'll have to post some pictures because some apartments look really good. Mostly it's hanging lights with various typical Halloween decorations (spiders, ghost, pumpkins..) and the fake spider web. My roommates & I also carved pumpkins for our apartment & have a Halloween tree.
There is one apartment that decorated their door/balcony like a crime scene that looks pretty good!
I remember growing up & there was a house in our neighborhood that always creeped me out at Halloween & I refused to go trick or treating there. It was a old house that looked creepy enough without all the decorations added! Like carnation's story, the man would jump from behind the bushes and chase you to the door!