Archive for the ‘Holidays and Celebrations’ Category

Where is the Place to Be for the Best Christmas Lights Now?

Sunday, December 15th, 2019
Best Christmas lights
The best place to be for the best Christmas lights in Brooklyn is Dyker Heights!

Manhattan is known for its enormously large Christmas tree, nostalgic ice skating rink, and giant decorations at the Rockefeller Center. And Saks Fifth Avenue is a big hit every year with the light show displayed on its façade. But Brooklyn lays claim to the massive, professionally-decorated Christmas light displays of Dyker Heights since the 1980s. So, if you’re into quaint and cozy Christmas experiences with fewer tourists, visit Dyker Heights, Brooklyn. It is THE place to be for the best Christmas lights!

Ways to Tour Dyker Heights, Brooklyn for the Best Christmas Lights

Some of the best sights for Christmas lights are in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn. And this year you can feast your eyes on Christmas light displays costing upwards of $20,000.

If you choose to navigate this Winter Wonderland on your own, visit freetoursbyfoot.com first. They tell you where the best lights are and how to arrive in the neighborhood. And they created a Google Map to help you navigate Dyker Heights, too. The map comes complete with a list of notable homes to gaze upon. So don’t forget to take your smartphone with you! It will help you tour Dyker Heights and enjoy your DIY tour to the fullest.

Freetoursbyfoot.com also offers guided walking tours and two well-reviewed bus tours. Your tour guides show you all the important light displays and share the history behind each one.

The guided walking tours cost $19/person and require reservations. Book your reservations and get all the details for guided walking tours here.

Bus tours always sell out early. So if this sounds like the way you want to tour Brooklyn’s best Christmas light displays, book your tour here asap! Heads up. The rates are $55.00 to $65.00 for adults. Children under 12 are $45.00 – $55.00.

When to Tour Dyker Heights, Brooklyn

The best displays are on the weekends between 5 and 9pm. Dyker Heights lights start the weekend after Thanksgiving, but most of their displays are up and running by mid-December.

Helpful Tips to Make Your Dyker Heights Christmas Lights Tour Great!

  • Dyker Heights is a real neighborhood with real homeowners. Screaming, littering, ringing doorbells, and asking to use the bathroom are not permitted.
  • Many of the homeowners in Dyker Heights collect money for local charities. So bring $1 and $5 bills to contribute. Oh, and be on the lookout for hot cocoa stands to spend those dollar bills on as well.
  • Look for Santa at the Spata house and the 29-foot motorized wooden soldiers at the Polizzotto house. These two families were among the first to begin the Dyker Heights Christmas lights and decorations tradition in the 1980s. Yeah, they’re kinda special.
  • Be prepared to walk a lot. Wear your comfy shoes. Even if you are taking a guided bus tour, there are 15 to 20-minute walks you just can’t avoid without an Uber.
  • Since you’ll be out in the chilly air for a while, we recommend you dress warmly! Plan on buying hot drinks or bringing something hot to drink in a thermos, too.
  • You might want to take us up on another recommendation. Since the best time to tour the best Christmas lights in Brooklyn is from 5 to 9pm, why not stop at a local restaurant on 3rd, 4th, or 5th Street for a bite to eat?

There’s Something Extra-special About Christmas in New York

Enjoying the best Christmas lights in Brooklyn is a must-see, but it isn’t the only Christmas activity to experience this year. Freetoursbyfoot.com published this post as a guide to things to do in NYC during Christmas. They’ve listed markets, Christmas trees, tours, and shows for you to check out.

Yes, Dyker Heights in Brooklyn is truly a “must-see” for the best Christmas lights during the holidays. But quite simply there’s just something extra-special about spending Christmas in New York City.

Come visit the Big Apple during the holidays and enjoy one of the best Christmas lights displays in America.

Merry Christmas from Charles D’Alessandroyour Brooklyn Real Estate Agent with Fillmore Real Estate!

For all your real estate needs, contact Charles at (718) 253-9600 ext. 206 or email him at [email protected]


Charles D’Alessandro
Your Brooklyn Real Estate Agent
718-253-9600 ext. 206

How to Display the Best Ever Christmas Lights on Your Home

Friday, November 30th, 2018

Christmas lights

Hanging Christmas lights is a difficult task. But here are nine tips from lighting professionals that will make the job a little easier.

Simple or extravagant, Christmas lights express welcome Christmas cheer. But hanging Christmas lights tends to bring out, well, let’s just say, not Christmas cheer. If you are an annual do-it-yourselfer, you know how difficult hanging lights can be. You know how much time and patience decorating with lights require. And depending on the height of the peak of that roof, the weather, and even your age, it might be wise to hire a professional.

9 Great Tips for Decorating with Christmas Lights

As with any job around the home, the right tools, products, and proper installation yield the best ever results. Here are some great tips from lighting professionals found on houzz.com that will take some of the difficulty out of this festive endeavor.

  1. Add Lights to Shrubs

If you have a yard with a shrub or two, wrap white lights around them. Just a few lights added to your yard shares a lot of Christmas spirit.

Tip: Net lights work well on shrubs. Bulbs are evenly distributed over a lattice of cords. They come in a square or rectangular shape and in a variety of sizes. You can purchase energy-efficient LED or incandescent net lights. LED net lights give off a true-white or bluish-white color. Incandescent bulbs give off a warm or yellowish color. Make sure you purchase net lights large enough to completely wrap around your shrubs.

  1. Deck the Halls on Your Front Porch Only

Festive garlands, strings of lights, and a Christmas figurine look festive without being overwhelming.

Tip: Concentrate your Christmas decorations in one area only, such as your entryway or a garden bed if you have one. Concentrating on one single spot easily gives off the Wow Factor without presenting an overwhelming theme park feeling.

  1. Illuminate Your Tree(s)

Again, if you have a deciduous tree, wrap the trunk and individual branches with white lights. Add lights to a single tree or a cluster of trees for a best-ever display of Christmas lights.

Tip: Swap regular holiday lights for LED mini lights for energy efficiency and cost savings. LED lights allow you to use many more lights per circuit than incandescent lights do.

  1. Light Your Walkway with Luminarias

Luminarias give off a warm and enchanting glow. And they’re simple to do for the impact they provide. Welcome guests this year with an enchanting walkway lined with glowing luminarias.

Tip: You can purchase luminarias or make your own. Add a handful of sand to the bottom of paper bags. Place a tea light or battery-powered candle inside each one. Light the tea lights or turn on the candles just before your guests arrive.

  1. Hang Snowflakes

Glittering snowflakes are a fun twist to traditional string lights. Hang them below the eaves or along the branches of your tree in the front yard.

  1. Wrap Potted Branches with Christmas Lights

No trees or shrubs in the yard of your Brooklyn home? No problem! “Plant” some branches or twigs in your containers and add Christmas lights to them instead.

Tip: Where can you get branches to “plant” in your containers? Ask a friend with trees in their backyard or a florist. Then fill your containers with sand or gravel. Set the branches upright and wrap them with lights.

  1. Create Some Magic with Twinkling Stars

Twinkling white lights, not flashing Christmas lights, add the sparkle and magic of a starlit sky. Wrap branches that overhang a walkway or hang twinkling lights on a pergola to create a starlit canopy.

  1. Christmas lightsHang a Lighted Wreath

Hang a lighted Christmas wreath or swag under your porch light. A wreath with (or without lights) adds a touch of holiday class wherever you hang it.

  1. Outline the Eaves of Your Home

Perimeter lighting along the eaves and roofline of your Brooklyn home is always classic holiday style.

One Final Tip …

And if purchasing Christmas lights year after year is old, consider purchasing commercial-grade LED lights from specialty retailers this year. Because even the most expensive sets of LED lights offered at box stores are low-quality. You’ll pay more up front for quality lights, but you’ll save time, frustration, and money in the long run.

Tip: Last but not least, attach your Christmas lights to your trim with commercial-grade clips. Because doesn’t everyone want those perfectly straight lines, where every bulb is evenly spaced?

A very Merry Christmas to you, one and all!

Charles D’Alessandro, your Brooklyn Real Estate Agent with Fillmore Real Estate. Call (718) 253-9600 ext.206 or email [email protected] to buy or sell your next home in Brooklyn today.



Brooklyn Real Estate Agent

 Charles D’Alessandro

Your Brooklyn Real Estate Agent

718-253-9600 ext. 206

[email protected]

 

The Best Things to Do in New York on Thanksgiving Day

Thursday, November 15th, 2018

The special day for feasting and giving thanks arrives on the fourth Thursday of November every year. And that fourth Thursday will be here next week! Here in New York, we know how to celebrate. So if you’re hosting Thanksgiving in New York, show your guests how it’s done. Or make some of the best memories with your own. Just look at all of New York’s best things to do on Thanksgiving Day!

 

7 Things to Do in New York on Thanksgiving Day

 

1. Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloon Inflation

On Thanksgiving Day Eve, Macy’s plumps up giant balloons for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. And it’s almost as crowded as the parade is! When and where? Macy’s balloon inflation takes place on Wednesday, November 21, 2018, in the streets around the American Museum of Natural History. Inflation begins at 1pm and ends at 8pm. Enter the fray at 73rd Street and Columbus Avenue, then head east to Central Park West, north to 77th Street and make a 3/4 circle of the museum, ending at 81st Street and Central Park West.

Tip: Bring snacks and water since the loop takes at least 45 minutes to complete. Or eat near the balloon inflation at one of the many family-friendly restaurants a few blocks north. Avoid restaurants on Columbus Avenue across from the museum. And call ahead to make sure the one you choose will be open.

 

2. Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

Wow! This year marks the 92nd anniversary of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. And it’s something everyone should have on their bucket list of things to do – at least once. Macy’s always brings a mix of old familiar characters. But this year many new balloons, floats, and balloonicles will be added.

The annual parade takes place in Manhattan. Its route starts at 77th and Central Park West. Then it heads down CPW to Columbus Circle, before making a left heading along Central Park South to 6th Avenue. It continues south until 34th Street, where it makes a right and heads to Macy’s at Herald Square.

 

 

3. Bryant Park Winter Village

Bryant Park is one of New York City’s best parks, and it’s located at 41 W 40th St between Sixth and Fifth Avenues. It’s officially Christmas here in New York since Bryant Park Winter Village opened on Saturday, October 27 at noon. The holiday shops close on January 2, 2019. The Rink and The Lodge will run through March 2019. This 17,000-square-foot outdoor rink is free, but you’ll have to spend $20 to rent skates or bring your own. It’s an absolute winter wonderland you won’t want to miss!

 

4. Radio City Christmas Spectacular

For the past 80 plus years, this famous Christmas holiday event features Santa, wooden soldiers, and the world-famous synchronized precision dancing of the high-kicking Rockettes. This spectacular Christmas event is held at Radio City Music Hall at Rockefeller Center. To get there take the B, D, F or M to 47th-50th/Rockefeller Center, or the 1 to 50th St./Broadway. It runs from November 9, 2018, through January 1, 2019. Get your 2018 tickets on the Rockettes site, at the Radio City Music Hall box office, at the Madison Square Garden, or the Beacon Theatre Box Office. Or you can call Ticketmaster at 866-858-0007. And go see one of New York City’s most iconic holiday shows!

 

5. Double-Decker Downtown Holiday Tour

‘Tis the season to go all out. If you’re really in the holiday spirit, take in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular and a double-decker downtown bus tour. This Christmas holiday combo started on November 14, 2018, but runs through Saturday, December 1, 2018. Tickets are $159.99. And you can book this tour online.

 

6. New York City Ballet

George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® is performed at W 63rd St at Columbus Avenue in New York. It includes the full New York City Ballet company, two casts of School of American Ballet students, an onstage blizzard, and a Christmas tree that grows from 12 to 40 feet. This enchanting event runs from November 23 to November 30, 2018. The price to attend is $55 to $295 a person. Call 212-496-0600 or visit https://www.nycballet.com to purchase your tickets.

 

7. Turkey Trot – Lakeside at Prospect Park

If you enjoy running through verdant foliage or want to burn off a few calories before your Thanksgiving Day dinner, enter the Turkey Trot of Prospect Park. The 5K Turkey Trot starts at 9am on Thanksgiving Day. The cost to participate is $35 or $40. Call 718-965-8951 or visit http://prospectpark.org to enter.

 

Enjoy Thanksgiving Day and the full New York City experience this year. If you’re a resident, you can enjoy all the fun things to do in New York without the hassle of traffic or travel delays! Take advantage of that and gear up for Christmas in New York with giant balloons, floats, cheerleaders, clowns, marching bands, Broadway performances, and celebrity appearances. (And that’s just the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade!)

 

Happy Thanksgiving Day, Brooklyn, from Charles D’Alessandro, your Brooklyn Real Estate Agent with Fillmore Real Estate. Call (718) 253-9600 ext.206 or email [email protected]. Ask Charles about selling your home or purchasing your dream home in Brooklyn today.



Brooklyn Real Estate Agent

 Charles D’Alessandro

Your Brooklyn Real Estate Agent

718-253-9600 ext. 206

[email protected]

How to Enjoy a Safe Halloween in the Neighborhood

Friday, October 26th, 2018

Safe HalloweenHalloween may or may not be your thing, and for some very valid reasons. But it is a favorite “holiday” for many because:

And if you do plan to enjoy it, plan to make it a safe Halloween.

How You Can Make it a Safe Halloween

With so many out and about enjoying Halloween in the neighborhood, there are some things you can and should do to make it safe and lots of fun, too.

See and be seen in the dark

  • Choose costumes that are bright and reflective
  • Add reflective tape to costumes and trick-or-treat bags
  • Carry a flashlight with fresh batteries installed
  • Instead of wearing a mask, opt to wear non-toxic makeup and a hat
  • Make your route on well-lit streets only and always use the sidewalk
  • If it happens your trick-or-treating route has no sidewalk, walk at the far edge of the side of the road facing traffic

 If you wear it, wear it safely

  • Shoes should fit well and costume length should be short enough to prevent tripping
  • Masks, hats, wigs, and accessories should fit properly so they won’t slide over your eyes
  • Costume and costume accessory labels should indicate they are flame resistant
  • Swords, canes, or sticks should not be sharp or too long. You don’t want your trick-or-treater getting hurt if they happen to stumble or trip.
  • Avoid pain, inflammation, serious eye disorders, infections, and possibly permanent vision loss. (Now that’s scary!) Only wear decorative contact lenses that have been prescribed for you. They are dangerous and illegal if worn without a prescription.

Know your numbers and plan your routes

  • Everybody needs to know how to call 9-1-1 (or their local emergency number) in case of an emergency or if someone gets lost
  • Carry a fully-charged cell phone with you
  • Plan and review a safe route with your trick-or-treaters
  • If your trick-or-treaters are older and going out without an adult, know their route and set a specific time when they should be home
  • Never go trick-or-treating by yourself. Stay in a group and always communicate where you are going.

While you’re out and about

  • Parents or responsible adults should always accompany young trick-or-treaters
  • Never get into a car or walk into a home to get Halloween candy
  • Visit only homes that have their porch light turned on
  • Never cut across yards or use alleys
  • Cross streets in groups and in crosswalks only, not from between parked cars or out of driveways, not ever
  • Always assume motorists cannot see you. Never cross in front of a car until you are sure they see you and have come to a full and complete stop
  • If you see any suspicious or unlawful activity, notify your law enforcement authorities immediately

What to do at home to make it a safe Halloween

  • Instead of carving pumpkins, let young children draw a face on pumpkins with markers. Mom and Dad, you can carve the pumpkin faces for them
  • Flashlights, tiny Christmas lights, or glow sticks can be used in place of a candle inside your pumpkins. But if you choose to use a candle though, a votive candle is safest.
  • Never leave a candlelit pumpkin unattended or near curtains or flammable objects
  • Remove tripping hazards (garden hoses, toys, bikes, lawn decorations) from your porch or the pathway to your front door
  • Replace burned out bulbs in your outdoor lights
  • Remove wet leaves or snow that could cause trick-or-treaters to slip and injure themselves
  • Kennel your pets to keep them and trick-or-treaters safe

Sweet “safely” on Halloween

  • Send your trick-or-treaters on their way to pick up treats (aka sugar) with a good meal in their bellies. This will prevent them from filling their empty tummies with Halloween treats. (Talk about a sugar high/rush! Oh dear!)
  • And if you don’t want to contribute to the onslaught of sugar, consider purchasing coloring books, pens, pencils, or games
  • When trick-or-treaters arrive home, closely examine their loot. Throw away spoiled, unwrapped, or anything that looks suspicious to you.
  • Ration the candy loot over the days and weeks following Halloween

There is a lot of fun to be had around Halloween, especially for our kids. But don’t be a pumpkin head. Strategize and prepare as needed to make this Halloween a safe Halloween for your kids, your pets, and everyone who combs the neighborhood for treats.

Click here for other Halloween events happening in our Brooklyn neighborhood. Although some of these 25 events started as early as the 22nd of October, many are still happening on the 31st.

Have a safe Halloween!

Charles D’Alessandro, your Brooklyn Real Estate Agent with Fillmore Real Estate knows Brooklyn. Call (718) 253-9600 ext.206 or email [email protected] and ask him where the best homes in the best Brooklyn neighborhoods are today.



Brooklyn Real Estate Agent

 Charles D’Alessandro

Your Brooklyn Real Estate Agent

718-253-9600 ext. 206

[email protected]

Epic Fireworks to be Seen in Brooklyn, New York

Wednesday, June 27th, 2018

Epic fireworks

Macy’s epic fireworks display on the East River July 4, 2018. It doesn’t get any better than this anywhere else in the USA!

More than 200 years ago, the very first 4th of July fireworks lit up the Philadelphia night sky. Our nation celebrated its first year of independence from England on July 4, 1777. Year after year, communities all over the United States continue this celebration of independence with epic fireworks shows. And it never grows old.

Macy’s fireworks show is an extraordinary American tradition that has wowed 3,000,000 people each year for the past 40 years. It’s the nation’s largest fireworks display and packed with star performances! There are no fireworks shows that surpass it! It’s massive, in a class all its own!

This year’s 25-minute-extravaganza will shoot 3,000 shells and effects per minute in 25 different hues. And Macy’s has added 20 new shells and effects this year!

Not a native New Yorker? We invite you to come to watch the 40th Annual Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks live. Come and celebrate Independence Day in New York fashion. If you’re not able to celebrate the 4th of July in person, tune into NBC’s 2-hour national broadcast at 8pm.

Past fireworks shows have included performances by popular artists such as Kelly Clarkson, Flo Rida, Meghan Trainor, Dierks Bentley and Brad Paisley. This year Kelly Clarkson returns to sing a soulful tribute to the Irving Berlin classic, “God Bless America.” And she’ll be backed by the West Point Band and Glee Club. Other performers hitting the stage include Ricky Martin and Blake Shelton.

The Best Places to View Macy’s Epic Fireworks in New York this Year

This year Macy’s is launching their epic fireworks show from seven barges along the East River between East 23rd and East 40th Streets. Fireworks may be viewed from any area in Brooklyn with an unobstructed view of the sky above the East River.

The fireworks will begin illuminating the New York skyline at about 9:20pm.

Watch the fireworks live from the following vantage points:

  • 42nd Street and FDR Drive
  • 34th Street and FDR Drive
  • 23rd Street and FDR Drive
  • 18th Street and Avenue C
  • Houston Street and FDR Drive

A Family-Friendly Patriotic Celebration in Saratoga Springs

If a family-friendly patriotic celebration is more your style, check out the annual All-American Celebration in downtown Saratoga Springs. It’s a one-of-a-kind event which includes a live reading of the Declaration of Independence.

This annual celebration begins on Tuesday, July 3rd with a children’s program with Benjamin Franklin, a Historic City Tour, and a fireside chat with General Burgoyne. After the Firecracker4 Road Race on Wednesday, July 4th, there will be an All-American Parade and Patriotic Pooches down Broadway, All-American BBQ and Dessert Fest, All-American Classic Car Show, and more.

Get to the best rooftops and open views of the skies to enjoy the spectacular views of red, white, and blue this 4th of July! NYC celebrates this patriotic holiday with a bang like no other place in the USA. There are plenty of options for great views of displays in other parts of the city and throughout the tri-state.

Let freedom ring with epic fireworks shows in New York! Have a safe and happy 4th of July, Brooklyn!

Charles D’Alessandro is a Brooklyn Real Estate Agent with over 30 years of experience in real estate.  Contact Charles D’Alessandroyour Brooklyn Real Estate Agent with Fillmore Real Estate at (718) 253-9600 ext.206 or email [email protected] today.


 Charles D’Alessandro

Your Brooklyn Real Estate Agent

718-253-9600 ext. 206

[email protected]