Dyker Heights Christmas Lights Extravaganza:
The Christmas Season has finally arrived in full swing here in New York City. It’s cold, people are all out shopping, and some have decorated their houses with an array of Christmas decorations. One neighborhood that goes completely all out with the Christmas decorations is Dyker Heights out here in Brooklyn. I wasn’t out there specifically to take pics; I was just walking around with my girlfriend checking out all the Christmas decorations just like everyone else. But I was lucky I brought along my Leica M9 and 50 Summilux ASPH. I was even luckier my girlfriend brought along my Fuji X100 :).
↑ Most of the houses in this area of Dyker Heights were filled with Christmas lights. (Fuji X100).
Both performed extremely well as expected, although I think the cold got to the Fuji X100 a little. It just seemed a little slow to boot up when it went to sleep. For all those who think there might be problems with the M9 battery, I’m here to tell you that I had NO issues whatsoever. My battery is over two years old too.
But this post is about Dyker Heights, not the ability of the Leica M9 battery (You can read about my Leica M9 review here) or the Fuji X100 (the review is still coming) :). I’ve lived in Bayridge for many, MANY years and while Dyker Heights is a quick drive from Bayridge, I never went to see the Christmas lights down there. Simply put: It’s AMAZING! Most of the light displays are done professionally with a lot of houses also displaying huge inflatable decorations, motoized decorations, and people dressed up in costumes, such as, Rudolph and Elmo.
↑ Toy soldiers :). (Fuji X100).
↑ It’s Rudolph! Shot with my Leica M9 and 50 Summilux ASPH.
↑ All types of Christmas decorations were seen not just stuff from children stories.
↑ Frosty the Snowman shot with my M9 and 50 Summilux ASPH.
↑ Beautiful angels filled this person’s front lawn.
The streets are extremely crowded, and there’s a lot of traffic for Brooklyn suburbs. As my girlfriend puts it, “It’s like Halloween.” There are even full size tour buses with tour guides. From what I know, there’s a guy named Tony who does a 3.5 hour tour (His website can be found here), and it also includes a stop at Mona Lisa Pastry Shop & Cafe for a cannoli and cappuccino. The cost of this all is $55 for adults, and $45 for children 12 years or younger. I wonder if the people who own the houses get a share of the profits? I hope so, especially with the high electric bill they must be paying.
↑ The streets were crowded with people eager to see all of the Christmas decorations. (Leica M9 and 50 Summilux ASPH).
↑ This is just the taste of what people did to their houses at Dyker Heights. Shot with the Fuji X100.
↑ A closer view of the same house. (Fuji X100).
Driving to Dyker Heights:
If any of you live in New York City or planning a visit, you can drive or take public transportaion. If you drive, take exit 4 on the Belt Parkway. The light show occurs between 11th Avenue to 13th Avenue and from 83rd Street to 86 Street. Parking is next to impossible but there is plenty of parking a few blocks away.
↑ Traffic was pretty slow for these couple of blocks.
Public Transportation to Dyker Heights:
If you don’t want to drive over there, you can take the D or M train to 18th Avenue and New Utrecht Avenue. You can also take the R train to 86th Street and 4th Avenue but keep in mind that the avenues here are long so be prepared to walk alot. If walking is not your thing, there’s actually a car service right on the corner of 86th and 4th Avenue. Lastly, you can take the B63 bus to 5th Avenue and 86th Street.
Go Check Out the Christmas Lights at Dyker Heights:
I hope some of you are able to stop by and check out the Christmas lights over at Dyker Heights here in Brooklyn. It was pretty cool, and I might actually go back to take some more pics when I get a chance. This time, I was there as a an observer/tourist more than a photographer/blogger. Plus, I actually ran out of memory in both my Leica M9 and Fuji X100, which is also why I didn’t take so many photos (going to Dyker Heights was a spur of the moment thing so I completely forgot to empty my SD cards). There are still two weeks left before Christmas so go check it out if you get the chance.
