The Most Spectacular Holiday Light Displays in and Around NYC 2011

Going to visit over-the-top holiday and Christmas light displays in New York City is a popular seasonal activity. It seems like every year the installations get more and more elaborate. There are even tour buses that will take you to some of the neighborhoods that really get decked out for the season.

We've rounded up some of the best holiday displays in (or near) NYC. Yes, some of these attractions are far flung but they're worth the trip. So this year start a new family holiday tradition by checking out these spectacular sights.

All of the houses below light up once the sun goes down. If you want to avoid the crowds and traffic jams, go early in the evening on a weekday. These places are really busy on weekends.

The Bronx

Garabedian Family's Christmas House – Baychester

The Garabedian family's home on Pelham Parkway North is known to many as the Christmas House. Just take one look and you'll see why. Mixed in with a traditional Nativity scene and lots of corpulent angels are life-size mannequins, all glammed up in old-school Hollywood-style gowns. Did I mention that the mannequins move? Well, they do. And did I mention there's also holiday music blaring from multiple speakers? And massive chandeliers—what's a holiday spectacle without elegant lighting, right? There's also a horse-drawn carriage from which a Cinderella-like mannequin is elegantly exiting.

The Garabedian family is in the dress-making biz, so they fashion all of the mannequins' outfits themselves. They've been setting up this huge display since 1974 as a gift for their neighbors who did some sort of unnamed good deed for them back in the day. They wouldn't even reveal the secret to The New York Times! (We've always been curious to know the feelings of the residents of this posh little 'hood—known as Pelham Gardens—regarding this annual display. It attracts a lot of out-of-area guests).

As an added bonus, many other homes in the area are decorated for the season, too (although none as elaborately). And a tip: If you decide to visit the Christmas House, bring a little cash with you. Most visitors end up tossing donations over the fence, which the Garabedians reportedly give to nearby Immaculate Conception Church.

How to get there: If you don't have a car, find a friend with one and bum a ride. Located at Pelham Parkway North and Westervelt Avenue, the Christmas House isn't easily accessible by public transportation.

Queens

Santa's Corner – Bayside
Queens residents love them some holiday lights, but if we have to pick one neighborhood that really goes all out, it's Bayside. And if there's one place that truly shines in the area, it's the intersection of 166th Street and 23rd Avenue. Here you'll find multiple houses completely wrapped in lights, complete with lawn animals and figures. In the realm of Christmas light displays, I call this corner tastefully flamboyant. Like the Bronx's Christmas House, these homes also accept donations which are given to a local children’s charity.

How to get there: The corner of 166th St and 23rd Avenue is also not easy to get to via the MTA. Find a ride if possible. In fact, it's best to hit Bayside and the Christmas House on the same evening. You can travel quickly between the two spots via the Whitestone Bridge.

Brooklyn

Holiday Lights Spectacular – South Slope
The very ambitious and creative homeowners make everything by hand in their backyard—no pre-fab strings of lights at all! This house has a different theme and storyline every season. The details on this year's installation are being kept under wraps until Monday, December 12, the night it debuts. Rumor is there will be interactive elements and that the show will loop every 20 minutes from 5-11pm nightly. Last year, the home was done up '50s style, and in 2009 it was the Grinch House. We can't wait to see what they have in store for 2011! You can visit the organizers' Facebook page to see photos of previous displays and get a peek at this year's construction.

How to get there: The house is located at 310A 22nd Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues. The closest subway station is the 25th Street R stop. If you drive, you'll probably need to park a few blocks away. The display understandably causes a traffic jam.

Dyker Lights – Dyker Heights
Dyker Heights is super-famous for its Christmas light displays. There's a PBS documentary called Dyker Lights, a three-and-a-half-hour Christmas lights bus tour, countless videos on YouTube and once, even Conan O'Brien visited (sadly that hilarious clip is not currently available online).

How to get there: The displays run from 11th to 13th Avenues between 83rd and 86th Streets. Be prepared for serious gridlock. We're not joking! You can take the subway, too. The D to 71st Street is the closest stop but it's still quite a walk away. If you're driving, visit Dyker Heights and South Slope’s Holiday Lights Spectacular on the same night by hopping on the Gowanus Expressway.

Long Island

Our Long Island site just posted its own holiday lights roundup, but we still wanted to highlight one of our LI favorites.

The Lindy Christmas House – Lindenhurst
Since the late '90s,these Long Island homeowners have been seriously decking their halls with over-the-top holiday lights. Visitors can marvel at the more than 32,000 strings of lights that adorn their house and property, including a 21-foot-tall Christmas tree made of lights, giant inflatable decorations and even a glittering New Year's Eve ball that drops down a 20-foot pole as the clock strikes midnight on December 31. As if that weren't enough, the lights blink in time to the music broadcast from their very own one-block radius radio station. Even if you've seen it before it's worth revisiting, as the family adds to the extravaganza every season. Bring some green with you: They accept donations on behalf of a local childhood cancer foundation.

How to get there: The house is located at 405 North Broadway in Lindenhurst, Long Island, about an hour drive from midtown Manhattan.

No Longer Shining

Thanks to our readers, we've confirmed that the Elvis House in Mahwah, NJ has left the building. Farewell Elvis, we miss you.

Also, thanks to reader comments from last year, we know that the house on Hollywood and Phillip Avenues in the Bronx no longer trips the lights fantastic.

Long Island's outrageous Awixa Castle in Bay Shore, Long Island is on the market, so it won't be decorated this year.

Find more seasonal fun, including our department store windows walk, in our Holiday Activity Guide.