Dyker Heights: "Deck the Halls" in Brooklyn's Christmas Attraction
In the heart of Brooklyn, Brooklyn, New York, where tourists may stumble upon any other day, lies a hidden secret. For eleven long months, this area remains unnoticed - a sleepy neighborhood of single-family homes. But as autumn leaves begin to drift and Christmas is around the corner, a magical transformation takes place. Welcome to Dyker Heights, a place that transforms into a winter wonderland known as "Dyker Lights."
No longer a forgotten corner, the neighborhood is teeming with activity as each house is adorned with festive delights. Artificial snow blankets the ground, inflatable snowmen and Santas prod their way through the yards, while reindeer gawk and toy soldiers stand guard. Colored twinkling lights illuminate every inch of the houses, lighting up the night like a starry sky below.
The Grinch Who Saved the Neighborhood
Decorating wasn't always a tradition in Dyker Heights. Lucy Spata, a resident who moved there during the 1980s, was the first to notice the lack of holiday cheer in the neighborhood. "Decorating was always very important to my mother," Spata told German Press Agency, "and we always decorated together."
When Spata and her husband moved to a quiet street in Dyker Heights and didn't notice any decorations, she was taken aback. "There was something morbid about it, and it was something I wasn't used to," she said. "So I said to my husband: 'There are two options: either we decorate and go all out, or we move, because I can't do it like this."
To the surprise of the neighbors who complained, Spata and her husband poured their hearts into decking out their little home with lights and ornaments. "People were shocked," Spata said, "but the more they complained, the more stuff I put up, and then they got used to it, and after a few years, they all started."
The Neighborhood's Unofficial Mayor
Spata's passion for the holidays quickly caught on, and she became the unofficial mayor of Dyker Heights. "Anyone who moves here comes to me and introduces themselves," she said. "And the first thing I tell them is: 'You have to decorate for Christmas.' There's still now and then a Grinch who doesn't fancy the spectacle and the hustle and bustle, says Spata, "but they can either go on vacation for 30 days or move. Because when you move here, you have to know what you're getting into."
Tens of Thousands of Visitors Per Year
The once-small display slowly grew, and today Dyker Heights is home to dozens of extravagantly decorated houses, with even more added each year. Entire neighborhoods of families fight to outdo their neighbors, and tourists from around the world flock to see the spectacle that has captivated the nation. Whole busloads of people are carted into the neighborhood each night in the lead-up to Christmas.
Sanel Huskanovic, a tour guide who was born in Bosnia and grew up in Germany, leads tours of the Dyker Heights displays. "We did the first tour eight years ago in the pouring rain," he said, "and people were thrilled. That's when I realized the potential behind it."
New Yorkers and Americans alike have embraced the tradition, with some homeowners even selling treats and souvenirs to visitors, and a burgeoning street-vending industry having sprung up in its wake.
Electricity Bills sont "not a problem"
Spata, who remains a cheerful and passionate advocate for the tradition, is still the driving force behind it all. "I think it gives people a chance to forget their problems", she said, "they immerse themselves in a kind of other world." Her company, "My Trip to New York," is slated to bring up to 8,000 visitors to Dyker Heights this year.
However, despite the massive electricity bill, Spata remains unphased. "Americans have a different mindset, and they are happy when the masses visit them and appreciate their decorations," she said, "and they will find a way to turn this into money at some point."
Getting to Dyker Heights
To reach the enchanting Dyker Heights display by subway, take the D train from Manhattan to the 59th Street – Columbus Circle station and transfer to the D train again to the 71 St station. The distance from the 71 St station to Dyker Heights is approximately a 12-minute walk. Alternatively, you can use the Moovit app for more precise and updated directions.[1]
[1] Source: Moovit.com
Sources
January and February are the worst months.
From April to October, Spata sells sausages from a cart at the festivals in the metropolis of millions, then it's time to decorate. Once again this year, she has put up and hung around 25,000 lights and around 50 figures with the help of her employees. Spata also decorates the inside of her house - including five Christmas trees. "My toy soldiers are my favorites, because they were also my husband's favorites. He always filled the house with toy soldiers." She takes everything down at the beginning of January.
The hustle and bustle of Dyker Heights during the pre-Christmas period doesn't bother her at all, says Spata. "But when it's over, it makes me so depressed. All these people are there, and then all of a sudden - no one. It makes me depressed, January and February are the worst months."
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Translated by me
In Brooklyn, in the heart of New York, not much happens during the months of autumn and winter, with the exception of one small area that is completely undiscovered by tourists: Dyker Heights. This sleepy neighborhood, located in the southwestern part of Brooklyn, is a short subway ride from Manhattan, but, with its large single-family homes, does not offer much to see. That is, until Christmas arrives.
As the days grow shorter and the chill of winter begins to settle in, Dyker Heights becomes a dazzling and beautiful lights display announced as "Dyker Lights." Almost every house in the neighborhood is extensively decorated with artificial snow, inflatable snowmen, Santas, reindeer, toy soldiers, and presents. Above all, however, the houses shine with twinkling lights in all colors.
The tradition was started by Lucy Spata, who moved to Dyker Heights in the 1980s after the death of her mother. She told the German press agency that decorating was important to her mother and that they always decorated together. "The first Christmas in Dyker Heights, I didn't see any lights anywhere. That was something I wasn't used to. So I said to my husband: 'Either we decorate and go all out or we move,'" she said.
Spata's husband, who was happy with the idea, decorated his small detached house on a quiet, tree-lined street block. However, the neighbors were shocked and complained. "There was always a Grinch," Spata said, "but the more they complained, the more stuff I put up, and then they got used to it and after a few years, they all started."
Today, Spata is a kind of "unofficial mayor" of Dyker Heights. "Everyone who moves here comes to me and introduces themselves," she said, "and the first thing I tell them is: 'You have to decorate for Christmas.'"
Spata's Christmas display is a magnet for New Yorkers and tourists. Tens of thousands of people come to take a peek at the houses, many of which are ornately decorated. There are already dozens of tour providers and whole busloads of people are transported into the neighborhood.
What is striking is that Spata has been doing this for years without worrying about electricity costs. "I didn't expect this," she said, "it's a party here every day now." She added that she thinks it gives people a chance to forget their problems and immerse themselves in a different world.
Initially, Spata could not believe the popularity the area gained. She remembered going to the famous Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center in Manhattan every year but feeling that now she had her own Rockefeller Center in her neighborhood.
But it's not just about the lights. Some of the houses even sell food, cocoa, or souvenirs, and a whole industry of street vendors has popped up selling ice cream, food, and flashing toys for children.
Spata thanked her late husband for her passion for decorating, which is behind the popular holiday display. She said she was a "baby at heart" and that's why she loved decorating. "Thanks to LED lights, the electricity bill isn't as bad as some might think, but it's definitely worth it," she said.
From April to October, however, Spata sells sausages from a cart at the festivals in the metropolis of millions, then it's time to decorate. Once again this year, she has put up and hung around 25,000 lights and around 50 figures with the help of her employees. Spata also decorates the inside of her house - including five Christmas trees. "My toy soldiers are my favorites, because they were also my husband's favorites. He always filled the house with toy soldiers," she said. She takes everything down at the beginning of January.
The hustle and bustle of the pre-Christmas period in Dyker Heights does not bother Spata, which she said does not stop her from being depressed when it ends. "But when it's over, it makes me so depressed. All these people are there and then all of a sudden - no one. It makes me depressed, January and February are the worst months," she said.
