New York is famous for its Christmas decorations. I guess you already know about the Rockefeller Center’s decoration, those at Radio City Music Hall, at department stores and Christmas markets…
In this post, my recommendation does not take you to these places but to Dyker Heights, south of Brooklyn. Every night between November and January, the streets are dressed in Christmas lights.
What can be seen in Dyker Heights?
In this area of Brooklyn, you can see dozens of decorated houses. Since the 1980s, the neighbors decided to decorate their homes, to illuminate the streets with a Christmas atmosphere.
No style in particular. There are classy decorations and very kitsch ones 🙂
I saw them for the first time on the Prince of Bel-Air, one of my favorite 90′ series :D.
Most recently, I saw these decorations in an episode of How I Met Your Mother … but I don’t remember which one 😀
Anyway, when I got out of the subway, I knew what to expect in Dyker Heights.
There are garlands of all colors, life-sized Santa Claus, reindeer, Christmas crèches, and animated toys. It looks like a theme park!
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Houses after houses, you don’t no even know where to look.
The best one is the home in the picture below, I’m speechless!
You can see the houses while walking on the street, you won’t be the only one looking around.
If you want to take pretty pictures, do not forget your tripod to take clear photos.
Are the houses decorated by the owners?
Yes, the owners decorated many of them. But one of the locals told me that they contract companies to adorn the houses for some of them.
The truth is that Dyker Heights is a neighborhood with huge houses, and the owners have enough money to order this type of service … And to pay the electricity bill!
When to go see the Christmas decorations?
You can see them from mid-November to early January in the evening.
I recommend you go around 5.00pm when it starts getting dark till 8.00-9.00pm to see a maximum of houses.
Where is Dykers Heigths in New York?
It is an area of Brooklyn near Coney Island.
>It is a 100% residential neighborhood with large houses and gardens, a very quiet place. In fact, it is so quiet that you won’t believe you’re still in New York 😀
How to get to Dyker Heights?
To get there, you have three options:
1. The taxi is more comfortable, but depending on your starting point, it could be pretty expensive
2. The bus: it is a good option, its price is included in the MetroCard. But you will spend a long time getting to Dyker Heights. The route is very long because you’ll have to take more then one bus to get there. Here is the map of the bus network FYI: web.mta.info/nyct/maps/busbkln.pdf
3. The subway: it is the easiest and fastest way to get there. You can take the R train and get off at 86th St, or take the D train and get off at 79th St. In the map above, I pointed out the stations close to Dyker Heights to help you.
Conclusion
If you want to discover Christmas in a traditional neighborhood near Manhattan, you can take the subway to discover the Christmas decorations in Dyker Heights. It is a wonderful and magical stroll that will delight all kids and adults.
It is worth it!
In the meantime, “Merry Christmas” to everyone 😉
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Discover the Christmas decorations of Dyker Heights in Brooklyn
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