Dyker Lights: Are They Overrated?

Tessa Lomoro '26

The most wonderful time of the year has finally arrived! [Cue the Christmas music!]

As many may know, Dyker Heights, a neighborhood in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, truly embodies Christmas’s bright, festive, and hospitable cheer. Glowing lights and decorations cover the exterior of the houses. Tourists, travelers, and even every-day New Yorkers drive or walk around the neighborhood, not only to gaze at each house, but to feel the unignorable Christmas spirit.

However, is it not worth going? Is the Dyker Lights show a good or bad experience?

I can firmly say that [drum-roll please]...it is worth it. And this could have been the answer everyone was expecting, but what’s not to love?

Is it a frustrating experience trying to park your car at this time? Absolutely.

Is it more of a frustrating moment trying to drive down one block because cars are bumper to

bumper? Yes, but the traffic gives you more of an opportunity to be in awe of every house you pass by.

Additionally, shining lights of all colors glimmer with each home as Christmas carols play softly through speakers. Homeowners sell warm cocoa from their front yards, Ice Cream trucks sell hot chocolate, and Pizza trucks sell pies on attracting corners. You can hear the ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ of tourists, and watch their smiles widen as they take in the holiday action! Foundations, such as the DMD (Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy) are funded and promoted by homeowners to viewers. But most importantly, Dyker Lights is a center of celebration, oasis of warmth (despite the cold temperatures), environment of joy, and the epitome of Christmas festivity.

I have lived in Dyker Heights my whole life, and having a neighborhood that takes Christmas to a completely different level is such a beautiful experience. To me, walking around my neighborhood at this time of year never gets old and is one of my favorite parts of Christmas; it’s almost like our own Christmas village.

Dyker Lights stir up so many emotions, but the most important is the happiness you feel while basking in the holiday cheer with family, friends, or by yourself. Dyker Lights truly come through during a challenging period or best moment, and when desiring an uplifting experience to fulfill all Christmas wishes.