It is the Brooklyn neighborhood that glows during the holiday season and there is still time to gaze upon the brilliantly lit displays of Dyker Heights as the year draws to a close.
As usual, residents start decking their houses in November with giant nutcrackers, animatronic Santas and dramatic light shows to dazzle the crowds that descend after Thanksgiving. While the most brilliant Christmas displays are usually concentrated between 11th and 13th avenues and 83rd through 86th streets, a stroll through the neighborhood this week showed plenty of twinkling lights on the quieter surrounding blocks.
The crowds, returning after a pandemic dip, were heaviest at the most over-the-top displays and tour groups were traversing the streets en masse, but the mood was light and the sidewalks fairly easy to navigate. Traffic enforcement could be spotted on the busiest corners and many houses had signs asking visitors to stay off steps and lawns.
Vendors were out with light-up balloons and wands for sale, appealing to the many children who could be heard wishing for some lights of their own. Hot chocolate was available for those needing to warm up and signs were spotted for coffee, cannoli and t-shirts.
Lights usually stay slow through the first week of January and are best viewed between dusk and 9 pm
[Photos by Susan De Vries]
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