The Best Neighborhoods to See Christmas Lights

Technology-powered real estate broker Redfin today announced the best neighborhoods to see holiday lights across the nation. The top five neighborhoods in the U.S. include Dyker Heights in Brooklyn, “Miracle on 34^th Street” in Baltimore, Peacock Lane in Portland, Oregon, 37^th Street in Austin, and South 13^th Street in Philadelphia. Redfin also named the top five neighborhoods in 17 metropolitan areas across the nation. The homeowners in these neighborhoods go all-out with lights, decorations, statues, inflatable characters, and music. For those who want to join the festivities permanently, Redfin has also provided median home prices, a list of homes sold in the past year, and current homes for sale in each area.

The list is based on input from Redfin real estate agents, who go on dozens of home tours a month, requiring them to drive through most neighborhoods in their region.

“Redfin agents know their neighborhoods like the back of their hands,” said Scott Nagel, head of real estate operations at Redfin. “Not only are they the best folks to tell us where to find the best holiday lights displays, but they can advise us on what it means to buy or sell there.”

Driving around neighborhoods to look at holiday lights is a time-honored tradition for many families. Over the past decade organizations such as zoos, parks, and speedways have stepped in with elaborate displays that draw crowds by the thousands, but for those looking to see traditional home displays, it can be difficult to know where to go. The list of the top five neighborhoods in each region is a guide for families who want to keep the tradition alive.

This information can also be helpful for those in the market for a new home. Redfin agents advise clients to research how festive the neighborhood can get during the holidays. “Some neighborhood associations restrict the types of holiday decorations you can put up, but in some neighborhoods, like those in South Philadelphia, your neighbors will encourage you to participate,” said Blakely Minton, Redfin real estate agent in Philadelphia. “If you’re shopping around for a new home, you should check out the neighborhood this time of year; even if you don’t decorate, if you live next to a Griswold, you’ll have to deal with a lot of street traffic at all hours of the night.”

Redfin agents also suggest evaluating home decor choices for those trying to sell their home. “If you’re the kind of person that goes all out with holiday displays, you may want to scale it back a bit if you’re trying to sell your home,” said Jeff Bale, Redfin real estate agent in Portland. “While simple, classic holiday decor can make your home seem warm and friendly, inflatable Santas and over-the-top lights can turn off potential buyers. That said, if you live in one of these top five neighborhoods, it’s expected that you’ll join your neighbors in the holiday festivities.”

The Top Five Neighborhoods to See Holiday Lights in the U.S.

1. Brooklyn, New York – Dyker Heights
2. Baltimore, Maryland – Miracle on 34th Street
3. Portland, Oregon – Peacock Lane
4. Austin, Texas – 37th Street
5. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – South 13th Street

The Best Neighborhoods to See Holiday Lights In Each City

About Redfin
Redfin (www.redfin.com) is a technology-powered real estate broker that represents people buying and selling homes. Founded and run by technologists, Redfin, has a team of experienced, full-service real estate agents who are advocates, not sales-people, earning customer-satisfaction bonuses, not commissions. Redfin’s online tools feature all the broker-listed homes for sale, as well as for-sale-by-owner properties that don’t pay brokers a commission. The company serves 19 U.S. markets, and has closed more than $5 billion in home sales. Follow us on blog.redfin.com or @redfin.

SOURCE Redfin