topic Re: When Whole Streets Go Together To Decorate. in Community Chat

When Whole Streets Go Together To Decorate.

CrazyKittyLvr2 — Fri, 13 Nov 2020 19:03:58 GMT

There is a street near where I grew up that becomes Candy Cane Lane (not very original) from Thanksgiving to the 1st week of Jan. It was started in 1957 and the 13 houses are beyond decorated. You could land a plane and not need additional lights.

It is a constant string of cars nightly going up and down the street.

It got me wondering, if someone moves, does the new owner have to decorate. It is not a development, no association to control things. What if the new person does not celebrate Christmas? Does the prior owner leave their lights and lawn ornaments?

I remember my parents dragging us up there when we were kids. DH and I took our kids there once after visiting my folks.

Last year DD and I went to my sister's the weekend before Christmas. My DS said we should wait til dark to leave and go to Candy Cane Lane. DD and I both said, "oh, he** no" at the same exact time.

Is there a street like that near you? Not a public park or organization display. I can't imagine hundreds of cars driving past my house nightly for 6 or 7 weeks.

Re: When Whole Streets Go Together To Decorate.

lkat — Fri, 13 Nov 2020 19:08:03 GMT

Yes there's a cul de sac in the next town from me that's like that. I discovered it a few years ago and have wondered the same thing about what happens if someone new moves in. Luckily it's a small town so there's never been too much traffic when I've driven by. It's gorgeous at night.

Re: When Whole Streets Go Together To Decorate.

Houstonoilers — Fri, 13 Nov 2020 19:08:19 GMT

There is actually a whole subdivision like that near me. Each street has a different theme. I've heard that when people move the leave the decoration - say one street is a snowman street - they would leave the snowmen (generally cardboard cutouts) for the new owner.

Re: When Whole Streets Go Together To Decorate.

Spurt — Fri, 13 Nov 2020 19:11:57 GMT

@CrazyKittyLvr2

There's a tiny incorporated "city" here called WINDCREST (more like a subdivision) where all the residents decorate very elaborately---big contests and all and I dont know how those people get home from work or get a chance to go to the grocery store..... there is a continuous line of cars always waiting to get in to see the houses....they finally limited "the tours" to two weeks!

https://youtu.be/0AtmC-a-a-g?t=5

Re: When Whole Streets Go Together To Decorate.

mimomof4 — Fri, 13 Nov 2020 19:12:26 GMT

In my Home Town there is a street which goes all out for Halloween. Its so busy they shut down the street to cars. The street is all Victorian homes so that makes the Halloween effect that much cooler.

Re: When Whole Streets Go Together To Decorate.

CrazyKittyLvr2 — Fri, 13 Nov 2020 19:14:12 GMT

@lkat This is a very small area. The main street through there gets so backed up and clogged with cars waiting to turn unto this one street it's crazy.

It's pretty, I guess, but once you've seen it, well, you've seen it.

Re: When Whole Streets Go Together To Decorate.

CrazyKittyLvr2 — Fri, 13 Nov 2020 19:19:01 GMT

@Houstonoilers I am more of a less is more person with Christmas decorations.

I wouldn't care how much I loved a house I couldn't live on that street. You are either trapped in your house or can't get back to your house with all the cars.

Re: When Whole Streets Go Together To Decorate.

FiddleDeeDee — Fri, 13 Nov 2020 19:22:39 GMT

There are many areas in Baltimore that do this; it's amazing!

In our community, the gated communities have a theme unique to themselves for Halloween. Look at the gate and you know their theme. Sadly, only those that live behind the gate can see them unless pictures are posted to the private community Facebook page; have to say they are very, very creative and well done.

I don't know about Christmas here but it will be interesting to see what happens.

Re: When Whole Streets Go Together To Decorate.

CrazyKittyLvr2 — Fri, 13 Nov 2020 19:49:33 GMT

There is a big stone house on the road home from my sister's. It is beautiful as is, but at Christmas there are just candles in all windows a big wreath on the door. On the outsides of the windows are greenery with red bows.

It is simple and just beautiful. I could look at that every night as opposed to thousands of seizure inducing blinking, flashing lights,

Don't get me started on those awful blow up figures

Re: When Whole Streets Go Together To Decorate.

J Town Girl — Fri, 13 Nov 2020 20:01:43 GMT

There is a subdivision not far from where we live that does that. From the looks of the homes I believe most of them are professionally decorated. You can tell the difference from them and the homes that the owners decorate. Those homes are much more elaborate and the designs are perfect. There are probably 25 homes in the division and I don't believe every homeowner has that degree of design expertise.

We always drive through a couple evenings before Christmas. There is always a line of cars moving slowly through. As beautiful as it is, I always tell my husband I wouldn't want to have to live like that for over 6 weeks before Christmas. What a disruption to your life.

The lights come on at 7:00 PM and run until 10:00 PM. I don't know how you could even get in and out of your garage during those hours due to all of the traffic moving through.

Just the other evening I mentioned to my husband that I wondered if they were going to have it this year. Most people just drive through in their cars but sometimes you see groups of people walking through the neigborhood.

Re: When Whole Streets Go Together To Decorate.

J Town Girl — Fri, 13 Nov 2020 20:10:44 GMT

@CrazyKittyLvr2 wrote:
There is a big stone house on the road home from my sister's. It is beautiful as is, but at Christmas there are just candles in all windows a big wreath on the door. On the outsides of the windows are greenery with red bows.

It is simple and just beautiful. I could look at that every night as opposed to thousands of seizure inducing blinking, flashing lights,
Don't get me started on those awful blow up figures

Especially when they deflate and Santa or Frosty is lying on the lawn. Every year I see more and more of those blow up figures and I always wonder why anyone would want to have to mess with them.

A few years ago a neighbor put a blow up Santa on his high deck and when it deflated Santa was hanging over the balcony like a sick person over the toilet.

It only appeared once and he told my husband that his wife forbid him from ever putting it up again. Santa didn't go back to the North Pole, he went to the thrift store.

Re: When Whole Streets Go Together To Decorate.

deepwaterdotter — Fri, 13 Nov 2020 20:11:10 GMT

I live on a short road that ends in a cul-de-sac. There are 10 houses total that generally decorate by placing a wreath on the front door and a lighted tree is visible in a front-facing window.

Re: When Whole Streets Go Together To Decorate.

FiddleDeeDee — Fri, 13 Nov 2020 20:48:50 GMT

@J Town Girl wrote:
@CrazyKittyLvr2 wrote:
There is a big stone house on the road home from my sister's. It is beautiful as is, but at Christmas there are just candles in all windows a big wreath on the door. On the outsides of the windows are greenery with red bows.

It is simple and just beautiful. I could look at that every night as opposed to thousands of seizure inducing blinking, flashing lights,
Don't get me started on those awful blow up figures

Especially when they deflate and Santa or Frosty is lying on the lawn. Every year I see more and more of those blow up figures and I always wonder why anyone would want to have to mess with them.

A few years ago a neighbor put a blow up Santa on his high deck and when it deflated Santa was hanging over the balcony like a sick person over the toilet.

It only appeared once and he told my husband that his wife forbid him from ever putting it up again. Santa didn't go back to the North Pole, he went to the thrift store.

@J Town Girl @CrazyKittyLvr2 Your posts had me laughing because it reminded me of a buddy back in MD; her goal at CHristmas is to have the most obnoxious lawn in the neighborhood by covering it in those blow-up Christmas figures. Why? Because kids love them and Christmas is about kids. They search out ones that are as active as possible and create a Winter Wonderland that kids can walk through or people can just look at from their cars. The lots are more than an acre where they live and found one with a small back yard and a huge front yard (which she wanted for those figures). There are snowglobes, Elves riding a ferris-wheel, Santa and Mrs. Claus dancing....the list goes on. Some came from HSN I believe. Add in strings of lights and it is kinda magical (especially when it snows). NO music though; she doesn't want noise complaints. Again, your posts made me think of her lawn; wonder what the neighbors think of it, lol?

Re: When Whole Streets Go Together To Decorate.

Mz iMac — Fri, 13 Nov 2020 21:03:16 GMT

Quite a few in my neck of the woods. All complete w/music! I never actually road through or walked through. I just watch on the news when the news reporters go there to check them out. Those folks electric bills are enormous!!!!! Which brings me to my favorite video......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWBjl-jPcVM

Re: When Whole Streets Go Together To Decorate.

BlueFinch — Fri, 13 Nov 2020 21:22:40 GMT

@Spurt Unless there's another Windcrest somewhere that goes over the top with decorations, I've been there. It was magical. The traffic did make it a slow crawl. I haven't been in several years, but it seems they're still keeping up the tradition.

Re: When Whole Streets Go Together To Decorate.

Carmie — Fri, 13 Nov 2020 21:38:35 GMT

My youngest son has a neighbor who decorates starting in a July. His house and yard look like a light bomb went off. He plays loud music and the lights are synced to it.

The problem is his house is in a cul de sac. Hundreds of cars come every night for weeks to stop for a while to enjoy his yard and many people park elsewhere in the neighborhood and walk to see the lights.

My son can't get into or out of his driveway. People block the driveway and won't move and some have even parked in his driveway and he couldn't get his car out of his I garage.

I asked him last Sunday if the neighbor's light display was up and running and he said. "Not yet"

I would I hate to have a neighbor like that. if they wanna decorate that way and draw a crowd, they should live in a rural area with no neighbors for miles.

Re: When Whole Streets Go Together To Decorate.

Sooner — Fri, 13 Nov 2020 21:46:42 GMT

I think people who do this are obnoxious and it's better left to churches, parks and cities and business than where people live.

I will add I do not sneer at blowup things and think many of them are funny, sweet and cute.

Especially the two giant turkeys sitting in a yard in a town south of us where a friend lives!

Re: When Whole Streets Go Together To Decorate.

Spurt — Fri, 13 Nov 2020 22:06:30 GMT

@BlueFinch wrote:
@Spurt Unless there's another Windcrest somewhere that goes over the top with decorations, I've been there. It was magical. The traffic did make it a slow crawl. I haven't been in several years, but it seems they're still keeping up the tradition.

@BlueFinch

It does sound like its the same Windcrest we are talking about. Every year they have a different "theme"..... but it got so crowded cars would overheat while waiting to get in.....they've kept the tradition but limit the weeks the public can view..... We've even waited until the day after Christmas to see it, but then some homeowners chose not to turn on the lights....but its still "magical"............

Re: When Whole Streets Go Together To Decorate.

chrystaltree — Fri, 13 Nov 2020 23:52:05 GMT

There were a couple of streets in the town we raised our kids in that coordinated Christmas decorations, cul de sacs and people from all over would drive around one and then the other. The decoratons were gorgeous and perfectly coordinated. I don't know how I would handle it if I bought a house on a street like that and was "told" how to decorate my home. I suppose if the previous owners left the decorations, I'd do it but if I had to spend money, I would have a huge decision to make.

Re: When Whole Streets Go Together To Decorate.

ScrapHappy — Fri, 13 Nov 2020 23:59:54 GMT

When I lived in California there was. . I didn't live on that street but I was told by people that it was a "requirement" for living there. How that was reinforced....I do not know.