From the dazzling Fifth Avenue displays to the 30 Rockefeller Center tree, New York City is full of holiday sights and sounds, but the one neighborhood truly taking Christmas cheer above and beyond is Dyker Heights, Brooklyn.
This enclave in Kings County goes to the extreme when showcasing outdoor home decorations, such as true-to-size reindeer, Santas, nutcrackers, and nativity scenes. Each house serves its own charm with themed ornaments or a mishmash of characters.
The elaborate decorating started in 1986 by Bensonhurst native, Lucy Spata, and her husband, Angelo. Spata wished to continue the tradition passed down by her mother, despite the traffic complaints from the block residents.
"When they continued complaining and called the cops on her because she wouldn't take her lights down, Lucy did what any great Brooklynite would do. She just hired a band to play Christmas carols outside her house," said Tony Muia, CEO of A Slice of Brooklyn Bus Tours who continued, "And that's why we love Lucy."
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Since the dawn in 1986, neighbors joined the festivity in the detailed furnishing with homes stretched beyond 11th to 13th Avenues and 83rd St. to 86th St. In memory of her husband, Spata keeps on the family custom of decorating the home.
According to Muia, there is even a stipulation in Spata's will that no one can take over her home unless the homeowner decorates it for Christmas every year.
"Nobody is doing it for competition. This is an Italian-American, Catholic neighborhood. This is the most festive time of the year for everyone, and this is why they decorate," Muia told NBC New York in a recent interview.
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Brooklyn native Francesco Buscema created one of the home attractions in just under two weeks with hundreds of lights.
In past years, participating homeowners would pay extensive electric bills, almost $1,000 in December, just to illuminate the front yard. The key was switching to LED lights, which Muia says is, "no more than keeping the air conditioner on in the summer."
The frills kick off on Nov. 30 and can be seen up until the Epiphany on Jan. 6. Most homes finish adorning the weekend after Thanksgiving, with mid-December being a great time to catch the action.
Many of the decked-out homes have the lights set on timers to start around 5:00 p.m. and can go on until past midnight. Certain locations synchronize music to extravagant displays.
International tourists from England, Scotland, Ireland, Italy and Belgium can be spotted strolling down the blocks to see the lights. "Instagram doesn't do it justice at all," London traveler Holly Lewis told NBC.
Muia runs a Christmas tour during the winter season and expects this year to be one of the busiest with around 100,000 visitors flocking to the neighborhood.
"Our original Dyker Lights tour started in 2006, and I wanted to allow folks who were first-time or repeat visitors of New York to leave Manhattan and come to Brooklyn, especially when Brooklyn really wasn't on the map as far as a place to visit," said Muia.
With the slogan, "Rockefeller Center? Fuhgettaboudit," A Slice of Brooklyn Bus Tours picks up customers in Manhattan and takes them on an over 3-hour venture through Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst and Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.
