Tour NYC holiday light displays in a car2go
Dyker Heights Christmas lights | via Facebook
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Those of you who spent your childhoods in the suburbs know that one of the great joys of the holidays is driving by that one house in your town that spends the month of the December lit up like the Vegas strip. Fortunately for you, New York City has its share of dazzling holiday displays by enthusiastic homeowners. The following destinations are spread across three boroughs, and they’re not all convenient to public transportation… but they’re perfect for a spur-of-the-moment jaunt in a car2go!
The Dyker Heights Christmas Lights
Dyker Heights, Brooklyn
From Thanksgiving through the new year, Dyker Heights residents deck out their houses in a neighborhood-wide extravaganza. The best displays are from 83rd Street to 86th Street between 11th and 13th avenues, although you’ll spot sparkling lights throughout the entire neighborhood. Be warned that you might want to park your car2go nearby and walk to avoid gridlock! (And since you may be driving around for a while, car2go’s $15/hour rate conveniently kicks in after 60 minutes — which is cheaper than paying by the minute.)
The Holiday Light Spectacular
310A 22nd Street, South Park Slope, Brooklyn
Every December, Park Slope homeowner Chris Schneider and his friend Ryan Powers design elaborate light shows to ring in the holidays. Past themes have included a 1950s rock-and-roll Christmas, a Polar Express train, and the interactive gingerbread house featured in the above video.
The Christmas House display | via Yelp
The Christmas House
1605 Pelham Parkway North, Baychester, The Bronx
The Garabedian family are dressmakers, which kind of explains why their Christmas display starts with a nativity display and ends with a collection of mannequins in a kooky tribute to Hollywood, Disney, fairy tales, and fashion. The Garabedians have been doing this since 1974, and every year brings new delights.
Santa’s Corner, Whitestone, Queens | Pamela V. White via Flickr
Santa’s Corner
166th Street and 23rd Avenue, Whitestone, Queens
For 18 years, Kevin Lynch has been adding to this over-the-top display — a standout in a borough particularly fond of holiday decorations. What started as a friendly competition with a neighbor resulted in Lynch winning $50,000 on ABC’s “The Great Christmas Light Fight.”
The city’s best holiday displays are going to be up soon. Unless you have your own reindeer-driven sleigh, sign up for car2go for easy access to a car near you.
