Christmas in Dyker Heights: Tours of New York City by Robert Westfield and Cayce Crown

This is the house of Lucy Spata whose family has been decorating their home for over forty years, but whose house in the eighties had become so over-the-top and was attracting so much traffic, that the police were often called. The neighbors, though, have long since joined in and displays that can cost over $30,000 can be seen throughout the neighborhood. (And on YouTube. See the posting below for three videos.) Is it worth the $5000/month electric bills? It's reported that 100,000 people make the pilgrimage each holiday season and that several of the houses collect donations to support various charities like St. Anthony's (the Spata home) and the American Cancer Society (the Polizzotto Toyland across the street).

More photos of our trip after the jump.

As CEO's throughout the city collected hefty bonuses but cancelled their company's holiday parties, Tony Napoli and Gary Newman, owners of Briggs, a leading destination management company for whom many of the best New York guides work, refused to call off their annual celebration. We're usually treated in July to an excursion filled with surprises in the Bronx or Queens or Staten Island. This year, for Christmas, we headed to Brooklyn for the lights in Dyker Heights. (A number of these faces might be familiar, because they've appeared in the Little Bytes video tours.)

We met on 44th where we were given hats and where we blocked the sidewalk like so many of our tourists do. Then we boarded an Academy coach for a champagne cruise to Brooklyn. (I strategically positioned myself on the bus between two friends who were on the wagon so that I was able to have three glasses...nine if you count refills.)

Our first stop was beneath the Brooklyn Bridge at the Fulton Ferry pier for a group Santa-capped photograph taken by Kevin McCormick (group photo extraordinaire who also took my author photo for Suspension, which features the very same Brooklyn Bridge).

Back on the bus, we were joined by Tony Muia, known for his "Slice of Brooklyn" tours, and who gives Dyker Lights tours leaving from Union Square Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights.

Elizabeth Meadows Rouse and the polar bear...Elizabeth was last seen giving the history of the Obscene Elephant at the United Nations.

The Lucy Spato home.

Marta Sanders kissing a plastic Santa. (Marta was completely sober.) Marta has appeared in a number of bytes, most notably Times Square, Part One: Broadway with Marta.

The Polizzotto Toyland House.

Toyland.

Afterwards, the Italian tradition was continued in Bay Ridge where we ate, drank and danced at Mambo Italiano. I'm not going to post photos of the dancing...for all sorts of reasons.