CrosswordNewsletters
DAILY BEAST
ALL
  • Cheat Sheet
  • Politics
  • Crime
  • Entertainment
  • Media
  • Innovation
  • Opinion
  • World
  • U.S. News
  • Scouted
  • Travel
CHEAT SHEET
    POLITICS
    • Fever Dreams
    • Biden World
    • Elections
    • Opinion
    • National Security
    • Congress
    • Pay Dirt
    • The New Abnormal
    • Right Richter
    • Trumpland
    MEDIA
    • Confider
    • Daytime Talk
    • Late-Night
    • Fox News
    U.S. NEWS
    • Identities
    • Crime
    • Race
    • LGBT
    • Extremism
    • Coronavirus
    WORLD
    • Russia
    • Europe
    • China
    • Middle East
    INNOVATION
    • Science
    TRAVEL
      ENTERTAINMENT
      • TV
      • Movies
      • Music
      • Comedy
      • Sports
      • Sex
      • TDBs Obsessed
      • Awards Shows
      • The Last Laugh
      FOOD & BEVERAGE
        CULTURE
        • Power Trip
        • Fashion
        • Books
        • Royalist
        TECH
        • Disinformation
        SCOUTED
        • Clothing
        • Technology
        • Beauty
        • Home
        • Pets
        • Kitchen
        • Fitness
        • I'm Looking For
        COUPONS
        • Adidas Promo Codes
        • DoorDash Promo Codes
        • H&M Coupons
        • Hotwire Promo Codes
        • Wine.com Discounts
        • Vitacost Coupons
        • Spanx Promo Codes
        • StubHub Promo Codes
        BEST PICKS
        • Best VPNs
        • Best Gaming PCs
        • Best Air Fryers
        Products
        NewslettersPodcastsCrosswordsSubscription
        FOLLOW US
        GOT A TIP?

        SEARCH

        HOMEPAGE
        Culture

        Brooklyn’s Own Christmas Spectacular: Dyker Heights Holiday Lights

        Shine Bright

        Thousands flock to the south Brooklyn neighborhood each December to take in the lavish decorations (and the good tidings!) provided by the residents of Dyker Heights.

        Elizabeth Hunt Brockway

        Editorial Visual Director

        Updated Dec. 17, 2017 8:01PM ET / Published Dec. 16, 2017 10:21PM ET 

        Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast

        Under the shadow of the Verrazano Bridge, a small community of Brooklynites put on a Christmas spectacular each December that rivals even that of Rockefeller Center. The residents of the Dyker Heights homes stretching from 11th to 13th avenues and 83rd to 86th streets, decorate with bright lights, life-size nutcrackers and teddy bears, animatronic toys, nativity scenes, flashing LED light snowflakes, and any other flashy decoration imaginable.

        Thirty-one years ago, however, when Lucy Spata first moved to the neighborhood, she found herself the only resident fully embracing the holiday spirit.

        Some neighbors disapproved of her Christmas enthusiasm and took steps to put an end to her abundant decor. One resident even phoned the police. But ever the New Yorker, Spata took the jab as a challenge to further her holiday cheer. So, she hired a marching band. The more her neighbors complained, the more Spata added. In the years since the initial resistance, most naysayers have left the neighborhood and eager Christmas enthusiasts took their place.

        Now, these few blocks in Brooklyn have become a tourist destination—an estimated 100,000 tourists per year—for those wanting to find the spirit of Christmas in New York City, but away from the popular destinations. There are even organized tours that bus in onlookers from Manhattan. While it may be far from the only community that leans in to the holiday spirit, a single Dyker Heights home could easily decorate a full block of houses in any other neighborhood. This comes at a cost, however, with some families shelling out over $10,000 on decorations over the years. Plus, there’s always the added cost of the electric bill.

        Many have started to take advantage of the wildly admired spectacle: some households placing charity donation boxes outside their homes, an ice cream truck selling frozen treats (despite the freezing temperatures) parked on a corner, and one family operating their own hot chocolate stand. Cops block off streets some of the streets so onlookers can gaze in safety. 

        What once started as typical festive decor fueled in part by spite, has now turned into the pride of this South Brooklyn neighborhood.

        Here, some of the best Dyker Heights has to offer:

        1/13

        READ THIS LIST

        DAILY BEAST
        • Cheat Sheet
        • Politics
        • Crime
        • Entertainment
        • Media
        • World
        • Innovation
        • U.S. News
        • Scouted
        • Travel
        • Subscription
        • Crossword
        • Newsletters
        • Podcasts
        • About
        • Contact
        • Tips
        • Jobs
        • Advertise
        • Help
        • Privacy
        • Code of Ethics & Standards
        • Diversity
        • Terms & Conditions
        • Copyright & Trademark
        • Sitemap
        • Coupons:
        • Coupons:
        • Vistaprint Coupons
        • Samsung Promo Coupons
        • Home Depot Coupons
        • Office Depot Coupons
        • eBay Coupons
        • Ashley Furniture Promo Codes
        © 2022 The Daily Beast Company LLC