The 5 best U.S. neighborhoods for holiday lights
Every year,
Americans hang millions upon millions of holiday lights, draping their homes,
trees and just about anything else than can hold a bulb in festive decorations.
But some
neighborhoods around the U.S. really electrify the holiday cheer, as real estate
brokerage Redfin shows in its annual list of the country's best holiday light displays. Residents here go all out, decking their homes with displays that would make
Clark Griswold proud.
These five neighborhood light displays definitely steal the spotlight.
Portland, Ore.
Christmas traditions run deep on Peacock Lane in Portland, Ore. Since the 1920s, each house has been decorating for Christmas. Now they include not only lights but also nativity scenes, rotating Christmas trees and replicas of Santa and Frosty the Snowman. The crowds get thick during the two weeks the display is in full force, so there are horse-drawn carriages available to cart people into the neighborhood.
Arlington, Texas
The Interlochen neighborhood of Arlington, Texas, is known for its holiday display—so well-known that visitors may wait in traffic jams for hours to see all the lights (Luckily, residents have their own passing lane.) More than 200 homes participate in the display, which has been going strong for more than 35 years. The group is so organized they even offer a map for those looking for a guided tour.
Somerville, Mass.
The residents of Winter Hill in Somerville, Mass., put on such a major holiday lights display that the arts council opted to sponsor a trolley tour of the neighborhood’s homes, while a bike committee holds an annual ride to admire the show. Some homes even collaborate, stringing Santa and his reindeers through the air and between buildings.
San Diego
More than 200
homes in the Rancho Penasquitos community of San Diego put up decorations,
earning them the moniker “Christmas Card Lane.” As one of the most famous holiday lights displays, the area is inundated with visitors, walking, riding in
cars or renting limos and even double-decker buses to tour the neighborhood.
Decorations start going up after Thanksgiving and stay through New Year’s, though
some are so elaborate they stay up unlit -- all year long.
Glendale, Ariz.
The city lights up as part of its Glendale Glitters event, which involves both businesses in the downtown and neighbors in a 16-block area of the city. The display has 1.5 million lights and is the largest free holiday light display in Arizona. One home uses 300,000 lights, 60 trees and 100 animated figures for its display.