Move over Pumpkin Spice, it's Peppermint Mocha Season—out with the decorative gourds, and in with the twinkly lights and garland. While we may not all be able to ornately adorn our our tiny living spaces in NYC, there are spots in the five boroughs that will transport you to the front lawn of Clark W. Griswold on Christmas Eve—below, the top three.
Dyker Lights: Brooklyn's Best Christmas Homes
(Courtesy Ennuipoet)
Dyker Heights decks out for the holidays like no other neighborhood in the city. Many of these houses are done professionally, as neighbors have been trying to one-up each other since the tradition began. As one visitor declared a couple of years ago, "It is a twinklin' freakin' wonderland over here... this is drippin' with class."
Tours (which include cannolils and hot chocolate) are offered for $50, but you could also just walk around over there on your own.
The Bronx Christmas House
(Photo by Sai Mokktari/Gothamist)
The Garabedian family has been dressing up their house for years, decades even, after receiving some sort of sign in 1973. Their pink house on Pelham Parkway North and Westervelt Avenue becomes home to a zillion mannequins over the holidays. It's like Madame Tussaud took LSD and starting working with with more plastics. It's gaudy at gaudy's best, and definitely worth a trip over to this season. Say hi to Michael Jackson, Elizabeth Taylor, and The Chipmunks for us.
The Annual Holiday Historic House Tour
The Bowne House (Photo by Wally G)
This is the more traditional of options, almost Rockwellian, even. On December 7th, the 27th annual Holiday Historic House Tour will take place, allowing participants to visit (at their own pace) "seven architecturally unique landmarks decorated for Christmas celebrations." This is sponsored by the Queens Historical Society, and the homes included are: Kingsland Homestead, Friends Meeting House, the Bowne House, Voelker Orth Museum, Lewis H. Latimer House Museum, Corona’s Louis Armstrong House Museum, and Flushing Town Hall. Expect some caroling, too. You can purchase tickets right here.
