Miracle on 34th Street

Elite '08

122

128

John R.

Alexandria, VA

Definitely if you're in the Hampden area you owe it to yourself to make it over to 34th Street.  It's the sort of spectacle you dream about when you're a kid, millions of tiny light bulbs strung every which way.  I wasn't really fealing the christmas spirit until I made a stroll down this street...  :)

And if you hurry, there's a row house up for sale so you can Really partake in the excitement...  :)

Head on over to Rocket to Venus for drinks or dinner afterwards...

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5

45

Caitlin S.

Baltimore, MD

Yay!  There's not many Christmas traditions that make me as happy.  The best way to enjoy this infamous spot is by parking on a nearby side street and walking to check things out on foot.  Then you don't have to worry about some goofball getting ticked off and honking to move you along.  I never understood why someone would turn down this block if they are truly in a hurry.  Besides, if you like to take photos, walking is the way to go.  Every single one of the neighbors on this block goes all out, but some go above and beyond, even letting random strangers into their home to show off the Christmas decorations.  That's a bit weird, but very humanist in a way that I will never relate to.  The Hampdenites are taking full advantage of the popularity of the "Miracle" and are selling cotton candy, light up sunglasses, and the like on the corners.  I'm not so into that, but being referred to in the plural "yous" always makes my day, and during slow times, sometimes my week.  If you're visiting, this is one surefire way to experience a slice of Baltimore heaven that will lift your spirits regardless of your affiliation.  Best of all, this event is free.

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Elite '08

52

226

Clint U.

Washington, DC

I am entering this free annual event because it needs to be entered even though it's not a business.   If they charged an entrance fee for this like Disneyland, it would have been reviewed 100 times.  This spectacle makes the Disneyland Parade of Lights look like a Flashlight Parade.    This neighborhood  would stand out in the middle of the Las Vegas Strip

Nowhere in the USA have I ever seen a neighborhood open up their yards and homes to the world and celebrate Christmas.   Yes of course the theme is Christiananity, however, this is a spectacle that can be enjoyed by kids of all ages and all cultural backgrounds.

This is put on by the residents, local working class people doing this on their own time.  So don't expect a sterile Disneyland display.   This is done by blue collar people with whatever resources they can muster.   There is even a hub cap Christmas tree in one of the  yards.  

Laureen Miles Brunelli summarizes it best in her About article:  

"Merry Christmas, hon! Once again the lights are shining in Hampden, where one little block puts on a show for the whole city. Every house on the 700 block of 34th Street (between Keswick Road and Chestnut Street) goes all out for the holidays, decorating with giant snow globes, lit nativity scenes, animatronic Santas, glowing candy canes and even a Christmas tree made of hubcaps. And, of course, light, lights and more lights - strung across the street from house to house and hooked to every fence post and cornice - radiate into the night.

Lit from dusk until 11 p.m. and all night on Christmas Eve, the neighborhood display attracts visitors from all over the city. While many drive down the block, the traffic makes this a very slow ride. Most people get out and walk, climbing the steep steps to the rowhouses' porches in order to get a closer look at the model trains and snoring Santas. Vendors hawk lighted toys and hot chocolate, giving the whole scene a festival-like air. The displays are up until after New Year's."

Note:  If you do go, go to WEST 34th Street.   Hopefully Yelp makes the correction soon.

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