Many visitors to New York City during the holiday season are excited to see the dazzling lights and decorations, the gorgeous Rockefeller Center Christmas tree and the fantastic store window displays.
But as a local tour guide and native New Yorker, I’d like to let you in on a secret.
It’s actually a somewhat best-kept secret because many New Yorkers like myself head to the neighborhood every year.
Also, on my tours around the holidays, I tell my guests about the outlandish displays on the houses.
They are a truly incredible experience.
The best way to see the Dyker Heights Christmas Lights is on a walking tour with Tours by Foot – we even meet you in Times Square for a guided subway ride to avoid the traffic!
And, in this post, I share all the information you need to go to Dyker Heights where you will be amazed by what you see!
In this video, my fellow tour guide Katherine here at New York Tours by Foot, explains how to get to Dyker Heights and gives you a tour of the area.
Here are two must-knows if you are considering seeing the lights.
First, it takes about 45-50 minutes from Times Square and other central Midtown locations.
Second, many lights and displays go up after Thanksgiving (November 21, 2024) but for the full experience, I recommend you go between mid-December and December 31st.
Read on for complete details.
Some of the most incredible lights and decorations are in Dyker Heights in Brooklyn.
So what is this whole Dyker Heights lights tradition about?
While the neighborhood has always been festive with lights and decorations, in 1980, Christmas started getting bigger and brighter as an unspoken competition among many homeowners began.
Entire houses are outlined and draped with lights.
Lawns are jam-packed with Christmas characters like giant inflatable Santas, grinches and snowmen.
Life-size Nutcrackers stand at doorways and animatronic displays are synchronized with Christmas music.
Some houses are so heavily decorated they are barely visible!
The most elaborate displays are created by local professional decorating companies hired by homeowners who pay several thousand dollars.
But some pay upwards of $20,000! Not to mention electric bills over $1000!
To them, it is worth the money to bring so much holiday joy to as many people who want to see the lights.
The displays always make me jolly!
Sound enticing? Below I cover how to get here and the best times to go.
I’ve also included some of my insider tips so you will have the most fantastic experience possible.
The post is mainly for those considering going to Dyker Heights on their own like I do each year.
If, after reading this post, you’d prefer to have someone else handle the logistics and provide fun commentary, there are tours you can take that I cover further down in this post.
Can’t get enough of holiday lights?
Check out our Holiday Lights of Manhattan Tour!
Also, there is the On Location Tours Holiday Lights & Movie Sites Bus Tour. Receive an online promo here!
HOW TO GET TO THE DYKER HEIGHTS CHRISTMAS LIGHTS
The best lights are on 11th Avenue to 13th Avenue and from 83rd to 86th Street.
Our self-guided tour on Google Maps that you can use on your smartphone leads you through the neighborhood to the best houses.
You can also take our Dyker Heights Christmas Lights audio tour to be led to the best houses and hear entertaining commentary.
Most people see the lights on foot but it is possible to see them from your car if you have one.
Getting to Dyker Heights from Times Square takes roughly 45-55 minutes of travel time on the subway.
There’s an additional 15-20 minutes of walking from the subway station to the neighborhood.
You can take a bus or an Uber from the subway if you’d like.
When it’s not too cold out, I don’t mind the walk. It’s safe and well-lit as well.
Three subway lines (the R, N, and D trains) go the neighborhood.
Each line goes to a different station, so you need to pay attention to which train you take.
Regardless of which subway you take, you will still need to walk 15-20 minutes as the main concentration of homes is about a mile (1.6 km) from each subway station.
You can take a bus or an Uber from the subway if you’d like.
To see which subway line is fastest for you, use this Google Map for directions to the Dyker Heights Christmas lights.
I recommend taking the R train to the “86th Street Station” (see the map above).
This Google Maps link will help you get to this station.
When you are finished, you can either retrace your steps back to the R train or walk through the neighborhood and take the D train back, or vice versa.
If you are unfamiliar with the NYC Subway, see our post with tips on navigating the system and choosing a MetroCard.
Driving and Parking
For those with a car, you may be wondering if you can see the lights from inside the warmth of your car. The answer is: yes!
But many locals drive and you will find yourself in bumper-to-bumper traffic.
Even if you want to drive to the neighborhood then see the lights by walking, know that parking is very hard to find.
Your best bet is to look for a spot between 79th and 86th Street.
I suggest you leave the car behind, take the subway there and explore on foot using our self-guided walking tour or our Dyker Heights Christmas Lights audio tour.
BEST TIME TO SEE THE LIGHTS
As I noted above, many Dyker Heights homeowners put up decorations on the day after Thanksgiving (the 3rd Thursday in November each year).
By mid-December, most homeowners will have flicked the switch!
Starting at dusk every day (4:30/5-ish), the lights are turned on. Most are turned off by 10 pm.
If you want to avoid large crowds, go on a weekday.
Still, even on weekdays, you will be sharing the sidewalk with plenty of other folks.
The lights and decorations are pretty much all gone by New Year’s Day (January 1).
TIPS FOR YOUR VISIT
Here are some tips that my fellow guides and I have put together to make sure you have the jolliest time possible!
We also have suggestions for where to eat and other area attractions.
DYKER HEIGHTS CHRISTMAS LIGHTS TOURS
This post can be used as a self-guided walking tour of the neighborhood, but I’ve only scratched the surface, highlighting the most famous houses.
For a richer experience, you should consider our self-guided audio tour or the two excellent, well-reviewed bus tour operators I explain below.
Here’s how our audio tour works:
- Purchase the audio tour.
- Get a confirmation email with .mp3, .pdf, and embeddable Google Map
- Enjoy the tour!
ExcellentTours by Foot – New York4.9★★★★★ Based on 2612 reviews fromSee all reviews review us on
DYKER HEIGHTS BUS TOURS
We are partnering with our friends at A Slice of Brooklyn Tours and Tour America to offer guided bus tours of the Dyker Heights Christmas Lights.
These tours are part bus and part walking, but the tours are guided throughout.
Some tours make bonus stops in other Brooklyn locations like the Brooklyn Bridge and/or the Brooklyn Heights Promenade and the neighborhood of DUMBO.
TIP: Bus tours are a great way to see NYC any time of the year. Learn more from our post comparing and reviewing NYC bus tours.
A Slice of Brooklyn Bus Tours
With an overall rating of 5 out of 5 stars on TripAdvisor, you can be assured that this company offers excellent bus tours.
Reviews for their Dyker Heights trip are especially positive, as most customers agree that the experience was wonderful.
Guests appreciated their fun and informative tour guides, indicating that they provided many significant details about the light show and the neighborhood.
GUIDED TOUR OF THE LIGHTS
Reservations: Reservations are required. Book Now.
Where: The tour begins at Union Square. The exact location and directions are provided upon booking.
Duration: Approximately 3.5 hours.
When: Every day from December 1 – 30, 2024. Multiple departures daily from 5 pm to 8 pm.
Costs:
- Priority Adult: $75
- Priority Children: $65
- Standard Adult: $65
- Standard Children: $55
Blackout dates – Dec 24 and Dec 25 as well as Dec 31st and January 1st.
This tour takes you through Dyker Heights and also the nearby neighborhood of Bay Ridge to see their brilliant Christmas decorations.
From the bus, your guide will point out some of the more magnificent displays and tell you about them.
Then, you’ll hop off your bus to see these homes up close on a guided walking tour.
On the ride back to Manhattan, you’ll get a spectacular view of the New York City skyline and pass other festive holiday displays.
They also offer this tour en Espanol.
Overall ratings for this bus tour are very positive (read reviews here).
Most customers agree that Tour America runs an excellent service, indicating that the guides provided a lot of interesting information about the city while driving toward their destination.
Guests were pleased that they had the opportunity to hop off the bus to see the lights up close.
WHERE ARE THE MOST LIGHTS
The best blocks to visit in Dyker Heights are 83rd Street and 84th Street between 10th Avenue and 12th Avenues.
Use our map to find your way.
Dyker Heights Christmas Lights Walking Tour Map
Spata House
1152 84th St (map)
Lucy Spata started decorating her house in 1986. If this house doesn’t get you in the Christmas spirit nothing will!
She decorates her house with all sorts of holiday objects imaginable!
You will be hard-pressed to see the house behind the magical decorations.
In 2023, Spata, now 68 years old, told the Wall Street Journal that her children and grandchildren won’t inherit her house unless they promise to decorate it every year.
That’s just how much it means to her.
Sam the Greek
71st Street and 14th Avenue (map).
Located about 10 blocks from the Spata home, Sam Livos (Sam the Greek) owns a 3 story house decorated with approximately 300,000 lights.
Depending on the day and time, there is a DJ spinning Christmas music at the corner of 84th Street and 12th Avenue.
Saita House
1135 84th St (map)
One of the most interesting houses on this street is the Saita House, an architectural gem listed on the National List of Historic Places.
Dyker Heights was designed to be a wealthy suburban enclave and the Saita house is one of the few original houses in the neighborhood.
The Polizotto House
1145 84th Street (map)
Alfred Polizzotto first decorated his house more than 20 years ago as a way to celebrate some pretty great news: Polizzotto’s cancer had gone into remission.
He hired a Brooklyn local to deck out his lawn in thousands of lights, several one-ton mechanical horses, and animatronic oy soldiers.
Though he passed away several years ago, Polizzotto’s family has kept the tradition alive.
The holiday lights have not only brought joy to family and neighbors, but they also deliver happiness to the thousands of children that visit each season.
And the patriarch’s contribution to the hood was not forgotten.
The year Alfred Sr. passed away, all the Dyker Lights went dark for one night.
Visitors can make donations to the National Cancer Society by way of donation boxes set up all over the Polizzotto’s lawn.
WHERE TO EAT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Should you get hungry while exploring the neighborhood, you have plenty of options.
You’ll find fast food chains like Chipotle and Starbucks along 86th Street between the subway and the beginning of the Christmas Lights houses.
I recommend that you try one of these local places, especially if you like Italian food. It’s the cuisine Dyker Heights is best known for!
La Bella Marketplace at 7907 13th Avenue (map)
A fantastic Italian supermarket. The prepared food section has savory Italian meat dishes, and all sorts of pastas, and vegetables.
Open Mon-Fri 7:30 am – 8 pm, Sat 7:30 am – 7 pm, Sun 7:30 am – 6 pm
Lioni’s Italian Heroes at 7803 15th Avenue (map)
An Italian deli with over 150 different sandwiches! Meats, cheeses, vegetables, you name it, they’ve got it!
Open Mon-Sat 8 am -7 pm and Sunday 8:30 am-2:30 pm.
Tasty Pastry Shoppe at 8216 13th Avenue (map)
Makes delicious Italian baked goods to go.
Open Tuesday– Saturday 6:30 am – 8 pm, Sunday 6:30 am – 5 pm. Closed on Mondays
Twist Coffee at 7824 13th Ave (map)
Sit-down cafe with every kind of warm drink under the sun. Plus shakes, cold drinks and a selection of pastries and cookies.
Open daily 8 am – 6 pm.
OTHER THINGS TO SEE IN DYKER HEIGHTS
If, like me, you love history, there are two places to visit. They are a bit obscure, but they might pique your interest.
New Utrecht Reformed Church at 1827 84th Street (map)
This is the 9th oldest church building in New York City, built in 1828 in the Georgian Gothic style.
The congregation is the 4th oldest Reformed Church in America, serving the Brooklyn community since 1677.
Harbor Defense Museum at 230 Sheridan Loop (map)
Admission is free at this unique museum. See artifacts and historical items from the old Fort Hamilton, completed in 1831.
Today, Fort Hamilton is the only active-duty military base in the greater New York City area. About half of the original fort has been demolished.
Objects at the museum include army weapons, uniforms, small arms, and cannons, from the 18th century to the present.
See exhibits about the Battle of Brooklyn, World War I, World War II and more.
Open Tuesday – Friday 10 am to 4 pm.