Podcast Summary: All Of It – "Where Are The Most Haunted Places In The Tri-State Area?"

Date: October 31, 2025
Host: Alison Stewart (WNYC)
Guest: Christy Reeder (Anchor & Reporter, News 12 The Bronx, Host of "Haunted Tri State")
Theme: A Halloween special exploring haunted locations and paranormal stories in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.

Episode Overview

This Halloween edition of "All Of It" dives into the region's spookiest tales and haunted hotspots. Host Alison Stewart sits down with Christy Reeder, creator and host of the News 12 series "Haunted Tri State," which investigates notorious haunted locations throughout the region. Together they unpack the making of the series, the blend of journalism and ghost hunting, and stories from viewers and listeners about their own eerie experiences.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Origin of "Haunted Tri State"

• How the Show Began ([02:05])
  • The concept was initiated by News 12's VP, Audrey Gruber.
  • The team partnered with Full Moon Paranormal, an all-female Hudson Valley group, to begin scouting local haunted sites.
  • Christy Reeder: "I cannot take credit... Our VP of news, Audrey Gruber, she had this idea... One of the producers on the show actually connected with one of the teams that was featured... So, it's an all female paranormal group." ([02:07])

2. Christy’s Attitude Toward the Paranormal

• Personal Beliefs and Feelings ([03:35])
  • Christy self-identifies as a "scaredy cat," entering every site with caution – and a rosary in her pocket.
  • Christy Reeder: "I don't wanna mess with it. Okay, what maybe you believe, maybe you don't, but like, I don't wanna attempt either way. So at all of the shoots I always had very much, you know, respect." ([03:35])

3. The Tri-State’s Haunted Reputation

• Local Openness and Historic Ties ([05:01])
  • Many local sites were surprisingly open to investigations, seeing the value both in community storytelling and tourism.
  • The show offered both a historical background and the contemporary supernatural rumors.

4. Journalistic Approach to Ghost Hunting

• Goals of Each Visit ([06:07])
  • The team set out to combine historical storytelling with hands-on paranormal investigation, balancing skepticism with open-minded curiosity.
  • Investigators utilized both high-tech tools (e.g., phasma boxes, EMF readers) and low-tech methods (like motion sensor toys).
• Describing Equipment ([11:11])
  • Phasma Box: Scans radio frequencies to potentially pick up spirit communication.
    • Christy Reeder: "It scans radio frequencies, and then when you pick up bits of that, you know, you'll ask questions, and then you listen... essentially getting your answers from the bits of, you know, radio waves..." ([11:11])

5. Notable Haunted Locations Explored

a. Elks Lodge 1405, Boonton, NJ ([12:03])

• Site of aggressive spirits, especially in the basement near old bowling lanes and a vintage bar.
• Members and staff talk about unexplained phenomena.
• Christy Reeder: "There's been a lot of sightings. And the spirits down there, they believe, are a little aggressive... Some people get a bad feeling in the basement..." ([13:03])
• Christy’s personal experience: "I thought one [producer] was walking over [in] the corner of my eye, and I look over, and no one's there... The paranormal investigator stops me, and she's like, 'Was it alive or was it one of our spirits?'" ([13:40])

b. Mizir Homestead, Wappinger Falls, NY ([14:37])

• Dates to 1700s; layered history with roles as a home, police station, and more.
• Investigators experienced heavy, unsettling feelings; Christy felt physical sensations while holding the EMF reader.
• Christy Reeder: "I felt a little static on my pinky. Almost like a balloon was rubbing up against it. And then I was just like, what am I doing?" ([15:52])

c. Tuttle House, Naugatuck, CT ([19:07])

• Former home of a prominent family, then used as a school and city administration building.
• Eerie events include a strangely contained fire and wallpaper enduring water without damage.
• Christy’s team partnered with a woman who "performs exorcists" as part of their research.
• Christy Reeder: "Some people wonder, oh, was that her protecting the home?" ([20:41])

d. Fiorello Dolce Bakery, Huntington, NY ([24:06])

• Modern location in a strip mall.
• Owner Gerard experienced paranormal activity, including names coming through spirit boxes, unexplained movement on security footage, and recurring names like "Eddie" and "Gracie."
• "Carts moving, cups moving around. And even the day after yesterday, he sent me a message... some would say, maybe it's dust. Others would say orbs." ([25:15])

6. Other Paranormal Experiences from Listeners

Listener Call-In Highlights:

• Hamilton Heights Apartment:

  • Sensation of presence and sheets moving; subsequent tenants report similar phenomena.
  • ([08:17]) "I feel a presence next to me... I'm lying in bed... feel a sheet being thrown over me..." – Jim

• Flushing, Queens Graveyard:

  • Child and aunt see visions of gravestones, later revealed to be an historic pauper's cemetery.
  • ([09:37]) "All of a sudden I could see gravestones all around me... many years later... they rededicated that park as Old Town Flushing Burial Ground." – Diane

• South Brunswick Past Life Memory:

  • Four-year-old reports memories of an old schoolhouse where their ancestor went, long gone and replaced by a water tower.
  • ([17:04]) "I used to go to school there... exactly where that water tower was..." – John

• Crown Heights Childhood Specter:

  • Groceries mysteriously unplugged; child blames "the monkey." Later discovered previous tenant owned monkeys—one died there.
  • ([18:00]) "No one's going back there... oh, the monkey did it... learned the previous tenant there had two pet monkeys, one of whom passed away there." – Luke

• Cooper Union Apartment Dog & Red Ball:

  • Dog plays with a ball apparently thrown by a spectral presence; former tenant played fetch with a red ball prior to his passing.
  • ([21:07]) "The ball would come flying out... there was no one in the bathroom." – John

• North Plainfield Victorian Home:

  • "Shenanigans" during renovations, guests claim to sense "the captain"—a presumed specter associated with the historic house.
  • ([22:47]) "The woman stopped dead in foyer and said, the captain is here and he enjoys your company." – Vincent

• Morris-Jumel Mansion, Washington Heights:

  • Noted ghostly legend: a Hessian soldier is said to haunt the site.
  • ([22:23]) "The Morris Jumel mansion in Washington Heights is supposed to have the ghost of a Hessian soldier that haunts it..." (Text)

7. Balancing Skepticism and Open-Mindedness

• Christy on Walking the Line as a Journalist ([25:47])
  • She describes toggling between journalist and participant—letting the process play out, but always asking critical questions to maintain objectivity.
  • Christy Reeder: "It was tough because, you know, I wanted the process to play out, but then at the same time, I have to ask the questions... if you just told me as a regular person, go in there, and I'd be like, no, I'm scared. But when you take a standpoint of, hey, let's tell a little history, let's see what they're going to do or... see how these paranormal teams work..." ([26:02])

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• "I don't want to mess with it... I'm kind of one of those people that... I don't want to attempt either way. So at all of the shoots I always had very much, you know, respect."
  — Christy Reeder ([03:35])

• "Members [at Elks Lodge] and staff talk about unexplained phenomena... Some people get a bad feeling in the basement."
  — Christy Reeder ([13:03])

• "I thought one was walking over the corner of my eye, and I look over, and no one's there... The paranormal investigator stops me, and she's like, 'Was it alive or was it one of our spirits?'"
  — Christy Reeder ([13:40])

• "We want our viewers to decide how they feel."
  — Christy Reeder ([26:56])

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:05] – Christy discusses the origin of "Haunted Tri State"
• [03:35] – Christy on her own beliefs and experiences
• [05:01] – Reputation of Tri-State as a haunted region
• [06:07] – Describing the show’s investigative approach
• [11:11] – Explanation of ghost hunting equipment
• [12:03] – Elks Lodge haunted history
• [14:37] – Wappinger Falls and the Mizir Homestead stories
• [17:04] – Listener call: South Brunswick past life
• [18:00] – Listener call: "The monkey did it" story
• [19:07] – Tuttle House haunted lore and fire story
• [21:07] – Listener call: The dog and the red ball
• [22:47] – Listener call: "The captain is here"
• [24:06] – Fiorello Dolce bakery haunting
• [25:47] – Christy on skepticism vs. open-mindedness in ghost hunting

Tone and Style

The conversation is warm, curious, and occasionally playful, with respectful skepticism balanced by enthusiasm for local lore and community storytelling. Christy’s storytelling is earnest and relatable, with Alison serving as an engaged and sometimes amused facilitator.

Takeaways

• The Tri-State area is brimming with historical sites and ghost stories—each blending local heritage with eerie rumors and unexplained happenings.
• "Haunted Tri State" strives to balance folklore, community engagement, and rigorous reporting, letting viewers draw their own conclusions.
• The Halloween episode’s live calls and texts highlighted just how many people—across generations—harbor a story or two they can’t easily explain.

For more haunted tales, check out News 12’s "Haunted Tri State" series, streaming throughout Halloween.

Happy Halloween!