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Dyker Heights Christmas Lights

Updated: March 8, 2024

When people think about Christmas lights and holiday decorations in New York City, they usually think of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree and the lavish store window displays of Midtown Manhattan.

But some of the best lights and decorations to be seen are in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn.  

And we should know. We lead daily walking tours here during the Christmas season.

And below, you can watch Katherine, a tour guide for us, Free Tours by Foot, explain how to get here and give you a tour of the area.

The trip to the lights will vary depending on where you are starting from but expect 45-50 minutes by subway from Times Square.

The Dyker Heights lights generally start to appear the day after Thanksgiving, which is the third Thursday in November.

But if you want to ensure that you see the most number of lights, go mid-December through December 31st.

This post goes into more detail on how to visit the Dyker Heights, whether on your own or on an organized tour and has been updated for 2023.


Starting in the 1980s, Christmas started getting bigger and brighter in this neighborhood with each passing year.

There is an unspoken competition among the homeowners in the neighborhood, so some have added huge lawn ornaments and motorized displays, making for a lavish holiday spectacle.

Dyker Heights Christmas Lights

Most of the displays are not actually done by the homeowners, but rather by local professional decorating companies.

In 2023, expect to see massive, professionally done light displays (some costing upwards of $20,000!).

Dyker Heights has truly become a “must-see” for many people during the holidays.

You will see visitors walking through the neighborhood as well as people in their cars rolling by at a few miles per hour all around the area.

Below we explain how to get here and the best times to go.

We also share some insider tips so you can have a fantastic experience!

If after reading this post you don't want to visit on your own, there are 2 bus tours and a walking tour.

  • Also, check out our free Holiday Lights of Manhattan Tour.
  • You may also be interested in On Location Tours Holiday Lights & Movie Sites Bus Tour. Receive an online discount here.

Since you will be in NYC for the holidays, please take a look at our definitive post on things to do in NYC and consider some of our pay-what-you-wish walking tours.

And if you are considering visiting at least 2 of NYC's most popular paid attractions, then you can save at least 15% - 50% off on ticket and admission fees with a tourist attractions discount pass.


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.

We've made a self-guided Google Map you can use on your smartphone to find your way through the neighborhood. You can also take our self guided audio tour of Dyker Heights!

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 45-50 minutes of travel time on the subway plus 15-20 minutes of walking from the subway station to the neighborhood.

Times Square to Dyker Heights Christmas Lights

There are three subway lines (the R, N, and D trains), that can get you to 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.

Be sure to use our Google Map for directions to the Dyker Heights Christmas lights to see the fastest route for you.

Dyker Heights Christmas Lights Map

We recommend taking the R train to 86th Street Station in Brooklyn (it's the station with the red arrow in the image above). Here is a Google Maps link to help you.

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, then read our 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 choose this option which is why you will find yourself in bumper-to-bumper traffic.

If you are considering driving to Dyker Heights and then exploring on foot, know that parking is very hard to find.

Your best chances to find parking are between 79th to 86th Street.

However, we recommend public transportation to avoid any vehicular hassles.


BEST TIME TO SEE THE LIGHTS

The Dyker Heights lights start to appear the day after Thanksgiving, which is the third Thursday in November.

But if you want to ensure that you see the most number of lights, go mid-December through December 31st.

By then, most homeowners will have flicked the switch! The lights and decorations are generally gone after New Year's Day.

Starting at dusk every day (4:30/5-ish), the lights are turned on. Most are turned off by 10 pm.

As for the best days of the week, if you want to avoid large crowds, go on a weekday. But even on weekdays, you will be among many other folks who have come to see the lights.


TIPS FOR YOUR VISIT

Here are some tips for your visit to make sure you have the jolliest time possible!

We also have a section on where to eat and a section covering other area attractions.

  • Bring some $1 and $5 with you. Many of the families who put on these displays for your enjoyment also collect money for local charities.
  • The best lights are located about a mile walk (15-20 minutes) from the subways, so be prepared! Or take a taxi or Uber.
  • December in NYC can be very chilly and you will be outside for a while. Dress warmly! Read our post on December weather in the Big Apple.
  • Consider making a stop for hot chocolate or warm drinks. Several reviewers suggest that hot drinks can help keep you warm while seeing the holiday displays in this neighborhood. Near 12th Avenue, there are often people selling hot cocoa and Christmas sweets.
  • Several visitors recommend stopping at some of the restaurants along 86th Street for a quick bite to eat before or after your walk around the neighborhood. (See recommendations below).
  • Remember, this is a neighborhood. Do not litter or scream and do not ring people's doorbells and ask to go to the bathroom. 
  • The Dyker Lights are always wonderful, but for a really fantastic (and easier!) experience, there is an organized bus tour that takes visitors out to Dyker Heights and shows them around. This is a good option for anyone who is worried about finding their way around. Plus, it is always great to get a little extra information on a tour! Of course, our pay-what-you-like tour is the best way to go.

DYKER HEIGHTS CHRISTMAS LIGHTS TOUR

We are happy once again to offer our very own walking tour of the Christmas lights in Dyker Heights Brooklyn.

We also list two well-reviewed bus tour operators below.

Or you can take our self guided audio version if you want to tour Dyker Heights on your own.

Here is how it works:

  1. Purchase an audio tour below.
  2. Get a confirmation email with .mp3, .pdf, and embeddable Google Map
  3. Enjoy the tour(s).

For our walking tour, meet your tour guide in Brooklyn, where we will take the subway as a group to the main "show".

There, your tour guide will show you all the important light displays and tell you the history behind each of them.  

It's a great experience and a great way to make some new friends.  

Searching Availability...


GUIDED WALKING TOUR OF THE LIGHTS 

Reservations: Required. 

Duration: Tour is 2 hours (4 hours total if coming from Midtown Manhattan). In total, you can expect to walk approximately 3 miles (4.8 km).

Times Square to Dyker Heights Christmas Lights
PLEASE NOTE THE COMMUTE FROM MIDTOWN MANHATTAN!

When: Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 7:15 pm

Cost: $25/person (48 hours notice needed for refund)

Where: Meet your guide outside the Taco Bell on 4th Ave and 87th Street in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. (map).

Free Tours by FootExcellentFree Tours by Foot4.9 Based on 2357 reviews fromSee all reviews review us onMiguel de la OMiguel de la O ★★★★★ Took a tour of Grand Central Station with John and of lower Manhattan with Renee. Learned all about Grand Central, the surrounding area, and the history of NYC. Highly recommend these tours!Celeste F.Celeste F. ★★★★★ John has been a delightful tour guide of New York City.My husband and myself got an amazing time being taught about NYC history, architecture, urbane design, and curious facts. Mister Gallagher was both, a fantastic and engaging storyteller as well as a city savvy.Thanks for all the tips, and for showing around the city you’ve resided for some many years.Big pleasure!Celeste and GustavoTerra R.Terra R. ★★★★★ We have such an amazing tour guide-Garrett-which gave historical insight to the city of New York. I love his enthusiasm and energy. My family and I booked this tour with hopes of learning about particular sites such as the 911 Memorial, China Town and Little Italy, but learned so much more. Being an Army veteran, I was emotional when we went to the 911 memorial because I served in the Operation Iraqi Freedom. He embraced that and gave me a chance to share my story with the group. Garrett kept the tour interesting and loved the red umbrella idea which kept us all from getting lost. We had a great time.Joanna and Glen A.Joanna and Glen A. ★★★★★ We booked a full day NYC walking tour for March break, and were SO thrilled to have had Garrett show us around the city. He was amazing - we loved his personality and depth of insight about NY. He made the tour better than we could ever have imagined! Thank you!Ryan W.Ryan W. ★★★★★ Renee was a fanatic guide, highly recommend taking the Greenwich Village tour!Anne R.Anne R. ★★★★★ Great tour with John in Brooklyn, thank you!shirley E.shirley E. ★★★★★ We came to NYC for my birthday and took the 6hr tour of NY with Garrett. We have taken walking tours all over Europe and I can say that Garrett was among the top tour guides we have had. He was full of wonderful information and stories and gave the tour a wonderful flavor of NYC. He made my birthday extra special. I am so glad that we took the tour with him,Julie C.Julie C. ★★★★★ We did the full day NYC tour with Garrett and he was amazing. The tour is loaded with information and Garrett did a great job of sharing information and adding personal insights. The pace was great and accommodating for the entire group. I highly recommend this tour, especially if you can get an amazing guide like Garrett!Emil A.Emil A. ★★★★★ great soho. little italy and china town tour with John.really funny and nice, and addon bonus we went for 2 good places to eat, one in little italy and the second in china townFiona W.Fiona W. ★★★★★ We had a lovely, almost private tour with only 4 people in the group. John was full of info, with some tasty side notes thrown into the mix too. Highly recommend doing this tour, it's a fun and informative 2 hours of your day.Anthony J.Anthony J. ★★★★★ John was an excellent guide. Very friendly and knowledgeable!Emelia C.Emelia C. ★★★★★ John was absolutely amazing on our Chinatown/ Little Italy/ Soho tour!! There were so many new things that I learned, John makes you appreciate New York City way more than I thought I ever could! My friends and I will 100% be returning and will do a John tour again.Teagan K.Teagan K. ★★★★★ I did a tour with John Gallagher a year and a half ago, and I knew I had to do another one when my friends came with this time! We did the Wall st, 9/11, Soho, Chinatown and Little Italy tour and it was amazing! He is so informative, kind and hilarious. We learned and laughed a lot got to experience the churches and he recommended the best restaurants! I will do a tour with him each time in New York because he makes such an amazing experience!Evan L.Evan L. ★★★★★ Took three tours with FTBF during my time in NYC: East Village food w/Jon, Little Italy/Chinatown food w/Kathleen, and NY in one day with Garrett. All were amazing experiences!Jon's East Village food tour really gives you the local flavor of the area, the portions are small but just enough for a taste of various things. You can also pay a little more for extra samples of things if you'd like. Also, food bought on the tour is a bit cheaper than just walking in off the street, so it's well worth it. Jon has a great way of sharing the history of the area which is engaging.Kathleen's food tour through Chinatown and Little Italy was filled with yummy food and lots of history. This was probably the most detailed tour, as Kathleen provides unique perspective on the area and the history behind each stop. The food was really good and she makes sure everyone is taken care of! What I appreciated about her is how she related the historical pieces to the city as a whole and described where the city is currently which was really interesting to learn about.Garrett's full day NYC tour is not to be missed. The tour has a bit of a feeling of Gene Wilder's Willy Wonka as Garrett brings such high energy, humor, and fun to the day. His great personality enhances the very fascinating history he covers at each stop. Most stops are brief but there is plenty of time to take in the scenery. Especially poignant is his first hand stories about 9/11 and the many stories of heroism and tragedy that day. He'll make you laugh, cry, and truly enjoy the big apple as you tour from Wall St. to Greenwich Village and the Meatpacking District. A wonderful tour.One final note, the guides are all really good about not being pushy about what to donate for each tour, but with the high quality of each one these experiences are priceless! Be sure to take care of your guides at the end!Jodie H.Jodie H. ★★★★★ A group of 4 of us did the china town and little italy food tour, it was fantastic. The guide was very knowledgeable and passionate. The food was cheap and delicious, you bought what you wanted from the places you were taken too. The recommendations were perfect, we tried dumplings and pizza, plus much more. Me and my husband and I go back this year, and we are booked on to the east village food tour and Greenwich village food tour.Laurel W.Laurel W. ★★★★★ Absolutely wonderful tour of Grand Central Station!John was extremely knowledgeable and a lot of fun. Thanks!Maja E.Maja E. ★★★★★ I’ve done three tours with this company since moving to New York: Lower East Side food tour with Kathleen, Brooklyn Bridge/Brooklyn Heights/Dumbo with Onel and Soho/Little Italy/Chinatown with John. All have been great experiences with knowledgeable and kind guides who truly love the city! My son (11) joined the food tour and my daughter (12) the two other ones and they loved it as well! Highly recommend!David Y.David Y. ★★★★★ Jon was extremely knowledgeable and friendly. Highly recommended.Tracey B.Tracey B. ★★★★★ What a wonderful idea. Never used before. But definitely recommend. Great way to gain knowledge of the district you are visiting. At a cost to suit your budget…. As you pay what you feel is appropriateFrank W.Frank W. ★★★★★ John was a great tour guide. We recommend this tour as it was interesting, informative and amusing. We were never bored. We especially loved the delicious dumplings at the end.Sukanya S.Sukanya S. ★★★★★ It was so much fun with John today at the walking tour through SoHo, Liitle Italy and China town. He was wonderful and patient even when I joined the tour group a bit late. He shared incredible stories of Little Italy with us from the past and also showed us several famous restaurants and joints in China town. Would love to take a tour of Brooklyn with him in the near future. Thank you John!Avner S.Avner S. ★★★★★ Fidelma B.Fidelma B. ★★★★★ Thanks to Lady Altovise for a fantastic tour of Harlem's history, music, art and the backdrop to slavery and race history in modern USA. We had a great morning and are richer for it. Also excellent Jamaican Jerk Chicken truck recommendation. Thanks.Samira G.Samira G. ★★★★★ Recomiendo mucho este tour, que fue el de Soho, Little Italy y Chinatown. Fue una gran experiencia porque nuestro guía nos explicó mucho sobre cada uno de los lugares con un montón de detalles, enseñándonos edificios con mucha historia y datos curiosos. Además fue muy amable y habló con cada uno de las personas del tour interesado sobre donde veníamos y haciendolo mucho mas agradable.Muchas gracias a nuestro guía John Joseph Gallagher por los tips y por este grandioso tour.Eric B.Eric B. ★★★★★ We love free tours by foot! We had John for the Grand Central tour, and Kathleen for the Lower East side food tour. Both of them were excellent guides and great people. Warm, funny, interesting storytellers filled with rich info about NYC.Krishna B.Krishna B. ★★★★★ Great tour. John Gallagher was so informative and full of little tidbits on the neighborhoods and his experiences through the years. Highly recommended.Olyvia H.Olyvia H. ★★★★★ We had the absolutely lovely John Gallagher as our guide today, warm, friendly & most importantly full of information & knowledge. He even had us sing happy birthday to my daughter who just turned 18. ❤️ Thank you & thank you for today. Had a really nice timeAlexandra Y.Alexandra Y. ★★★★★ East Village Food Tour with Jon was an incredible experience, 100% would recommend to any other tourists on the fence. Delicious, authentic food from places we never would've found on our own, and incredible storytelling about the neighborhood's history!Marisol S.Marisol S. ★★★★★ A fun and eye-opening tour of Soho, Little Italy and Chinatown. Our guide, John Gallagher, was very informative, full of stories, and truly a great guide. We had a chance to stop and grab a bite to eat in both Little Italy and Chinatown. Great timing as well with the Chinese New Year and having a chance to experience the festivities. Will definitely recommend and look forward to checking out more tours in the near future!Kelen M.Kelen M. ★★★★★ I love the service provided by Free Tours by Foot worldwide and New York is no different. I often take these tours when friends and family are visiting and do not disappoint. The latest one was the GRAND CENTRAL TOUR introduced by John Joseph Gallagher. It was a 2-hour tour around 5 blocks that goes in-depth into the local history of this majestic building and it surroundings. Highly recommend!Benoit D.Benoit D. ★★★★★ Really nice tour, friendly guide, good tips, tricks and stories about NYC.Lucila M.Lucila M. ★★★★★ John our guide was excellent!!! We had a very good time!Greetings from Argentina!Leesa B.Leesa B. ★★★★★ My husband and I went on the Soho, Little Italy and Chinatown this morning! Jon was a FANTASTIC tour guide! Will definitely be recommending this tour as well as Jon to friends.In the afternoon we took the Greenwich food tour Rusty was also led by Jon. Again! FANTASTIC TOUR!! Thank you Jon for an amazing day!Robert W.Robert W. ★★★★★ Did 3 tours with John and Onel. All very different- each had their own style but the common theme was that we’re very informative and fun. Be warned…despite moving the groups along, they all overran slightly in time….so event better value for money 🙂Joanna C.Joanna C. ★★★★★ Great tour of the financial district, Soho, Chinatown and Little Italy! John Gallagher was a brilliant NYC guide and as we were a small group, he went out of his way to add in some extra sights as we had a bit more time. Thanks John!Visnja V.Visnja V. ★★★★★ Great tour, very informative and interesting. Higly suggest!Charlotte A.Charlotte A. ★★★★★ Wonderful, well informed historical tour in Soho with a really friendly guide, John. Would highly recommendJakub G.Jakub G. ★★★★★ I have been touring with this company across many cities but especially here in NYC. All the guides are so insightful, local, extremely kind and funny people that make you see the city in a completely different way.Scott R.Scott R. ★★★★★ Had a great tour this week of Greenwich village! Thanks Renee, she was so knowledgeable and made it lighthearted and interesting, would definitely recommend!Lesley & EmmaRobert W.Robert W. ★★★★★ Have done many fantastic tours of NYC with this crew. They are always incredibly well run and enjoyable. Most recently did the East Village Food Tour with Jon and he was knowledgeable and entertaining host.Levi M.Levi M. ★★★★★ One off the best we had ( grand central)Valentina L.Valentina L. ★★★★★ Ramon N.Ramon N. ★★★★☆ Amazing tour of Harlem with Altovise! She rocks! She provided a well balanced range of information from food to culture, history and music, jumping from the past to the present with a very professional sense of the tour structure. Standing ovation. five stars for her :)Unfortunately we can’t say the same about the Soho-Little Italy tour run by another guide. Not sure she even introduced herself before kicking off. This tour didn’t seem to have a real logic: guide showed us random buildings and telling random stories but we did not really understand much about the district culture nor the history or the people. She was a nice person and her knowledge was wide but she should work more on engaging with guests, making stories more intriguing and designing an itinerary that follows a logic.Thomas D.Thomas D. ★★★★★ GREAT experience. John Gallagher is knowledgeable, very considerate, and very funny.Nancy D.Nancy D. ★★★★★ John was informative and delightful.nelly T.nelly T. ★★★★★ I recommend the Grand central tour with John Gallagher. It was very interesting and Joan was excellentSuzanne H.Suzanne H. ★★★★★ Highly recommend walking tour with John. He was very informative and knowledgeable about the area. Our teens even enjoyed it.Ellora G.Ellora G. ★★★★★ It was an amazing experience doing a food walk during a snowstorm. Jon gave a detailed narrative about the historical background of East Village along with guiding us taste diverse food samplings. Fun and informative.Tarek S.Tarek S. ★★★★★ One of the best walking tours we ever had. John Gallagher is a wonderful and extremely knowledgeable guide!Martina B.Martina B. ★★★★★ Jon was fantastic in our tour through SoHo, little Italy and Chinatown!js_loader

DYKER HEIGHTS BUS TOURS

We are also partnering with our friends at A Slice of Brooklyn Tours and Tour America to offer a guided bus tour of the Dyker Heights Christmas lights displays.

These excursions are part bus and part walking, but the tours are guided throughout. 

Some even make bonus stops at the Brooklyn Bridge and/or the Brooklyn Heights Promenade and DUMBO.

Be sure to also read our comparison and review posts on NYC bus tours.


A Slice of Brooklyn Bus Tours

With an overall rating of 5 out of 5 stars on TripAdvisor, it's safe to say 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 a lot of 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, 2023. 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.

BOOK THIS TOUR.


TOUR AMERICA

In addition to the services listed above, this company also provides a Dyker Heights Christmas Lights bus tour.

Clocking in at roughly 3 ½ hours, this outing should give you plenty of time to see the beautiful holiday lights in this Brooklyn neighborhood.

As you drive past notable sites, a tour guide will provide narration and point out some of the more magnificent displays.

Once you reach the area, you'll be given 45 minutes to walk around and see the lights up close.

At the end of your trip, you'll have the option to stop at Rockefeller Center and join the ice skaters in front of the iconic Christmas tree.

They also offer this tour en Espanol.

  • Ticket Prices: $60 for Adults | $50 for Children
  • Duration: 3 ½ hours
  • Availability: Dec 1st - Jan 1st @ 5 pm and 6 pm
  • 45-minute stop in Dyker Heights for a closer look at the lights
  • Stop by Rockefeller Center and join the ice skaters
  • Click here for more information.

Overall ratings for this bus tour are very positive (read reviews here).

Most customers agree that Tour America runs an excellent service, indicating that they actually provided a lot of useful information about the city while driving toward their destination.

Guests were pleased that they had the opportunity to hop off for 45 minutes and walk around Dyker Heights to see the lights up close. 


DYKER HEIGHTS CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

Like Tour America's bus tour above, the Dyker Heights Christmas Lights (DHCL) tour provides round-trip transportation to see the lights.

You depart from Midtown Manhattan and enjoy Christmas tunes, free Wi-Fi, and TV on the bus ride to Brooklyn.

Upon arrival in Dyker Heights, you have exclusive access to the Dyker Lights Lounge to warm up or use the restrooms before heading out for your guided walking tour of the holiday displays.

Before boarding your bus back to Manhattan, you will again stop at the lounge for a complimentary cup of hot chocolate and a treat.

The drop-off location is at Bryant Park in Midtown so if you want to enjoy more of the holiday season you can go to the Christmas market which is open until 10 pm.

Reservations: Required. Book here

Duration: Tour is 4 hours including bus travel time from Midtown Manhattan. Expect to walk approximately 3 miles.

When: 5 p.m. (17:00) every day from November 28, 2023 - to Jan. 6, 2024 (closed December 24, 25, and 31)

Cost: $95/person 


OTHER DYKER HEIGHTS CHRISTMAS LIGHTS TOURS

Groupon often offers promotions on some Dyker Heights Christmas Lights tours. Be sure to look at the Groupon site for savings on tours.


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.

We've made the below map for you to use on a self-guided tour of the lights.

Dyker Heights Christmas Lights Walking Tour Map

Dyker Heights Christmas Lights Map
Click on the map to expand.

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 (well, her half of a duplex) with all sorts of holiday objects, from reindeer to toy soldiers to Santas.


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 automatronic toy 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 Senior 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. 


Saita House

1135 84th St (map)

One of the most interesting houses on this street is the Saita House, an architectural gem that is listed on the National List of Historic Places.

The house is one of the few original houses still remaining when the neighborhood was designed to be a wealthy suburban enclave.


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.

A few houses down are giant Nutcrackers.

Let us also not forget about the twin houses, one decked out in red and another in green with lighting completely enveloping the homes and even running 20 feet into the air into the trees.

Oh, and depending on the day and time, there is a DJ spinning Christmas music right at the corner of 84th Street and 12th Avenue. It's a fun time even for the tour guides.


WHERE TO EAT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

Should you get hungry after your tour of the neighborhood or want to grab a snack beforehand, there are plenty of places to get food in the area.

There are many fast food chains like Chipotle and Starbucks along 86th Street between the subway and the beginning of the Christmas Lights houses.

If you like Italian food you are in luck! It's the cuisine that Dyker Heights is best known for! Here are some of the best places to go.

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

Krispy Pizza at 7112 13th Avenue (map)

Yummy pizzeria to sit down or take out. Also serves salads, calzones, and Italian appetizers.

Open M–Th: 11 am–11 pm,  F–Sa: 11 am–12 am, Sun: 12 pm–11 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 Monday-Sat 8 am -7 pm 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

While a primarily residential area, there are a few sights to see in the area if you like history.

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.


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About The Author

Stephen Pickhardt

Stephen is the CEO of Free Tours by Foot and has overseen the transformation of a local walking tour company into a global tour community and traveler’s advice platform. He has personally led thousands of group tours in the US and Europe, and is an expert in trip planning and sightseeing, with a focus on budget travelers. Stephen has been published and featured in dozens of publications including The Wall Street Journal, BBC, Yahoo, Washington.org, and more.
Updated: March 8th, 2024
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