On Sunday, after my excursion to the Garabedian House on Pelham Parkway North in the Bronx, I decided that I would again go all the way to Bayside* to see what has been said to be the finest example of Christmas illumination and ornamentation of any home in Queens and, to some, the finest in all of New York City. The house is located in Bayside/Whitestone at 166th Street and 23rd Avenue, an intersection sometimes referred to as Santa’s Corner.
Although the display is certainly over-the-top, I found the lighting more elegant and tasteful than that of many well-known Christmas extravaganzas found in places such as Dyker Heights or the Garabedian House. The front of the Bayside home is broken up into three sections -Toyland, the nativity, and music land. The side of the house has animated cartoon figures.
The owners are extremely congenial, allowing visitors access to the entire property, including the porch, which sports various displays depicting wintry Christmas activities and figures. Santa himself was, of course, represented. The owners provide music, and as I perused and explored the displays, my meandering was accompanied by the Beach Boys classic, Little Saint Nick. See my complete photo gallery here.
On my return to my office on Monday, I suggested to my office manager, a Queens resident, that she may want to visit the spectacular home. Interestingly, even though she already resides in the borough, she immediately responded, “I’m not going all the way to Bayside.”
There’s something about Bayside, Queens, that elicits the phrase “all the way.” Even a spectacular Christmas display is apparently inadequate to lure some to making the pilgrimage. Not even for Santa’s Corner 🙂
*On November 27, 2009, I wrote All the Way, a story about a confrontation between a store manager and customer, who insisted she be let in before the shop’s opening hours, defending her need for special consideration because she had come ALL THE WAY from Bayside, Queens.
After touring Dyker Heights at Christmas time, it is reasonable to feel that one has seen it all regarding holiday light displays, ornamentation, and animation. On Sunday, however, a friend and native New Yorker asked if I was familiar with “the house” in the Bronx. I was not, and she assured me that it was a must see. If this house was how she represented it, I imagined that an online search with only a vague description would return my query, and it did. That research led to an article describing the various top holiday house decorations in the five boroughs in New York City.
My first stop was the Garabedian house, at 1605 Pelham Parkway North in the Baychester neighborhood of the Bronx. I was not prepared for what could easily be called outrageous. If you view my video, you will hear a stunned man repeating words/phrases such as outrage and over the top. See my complete photo gallery here.
There were characters that made no sense as far as Christmas is concerned – celebrities, Disney, etc. The whole thing was an unexpected assault on the senses. In 2008, the New York Times did a story on the home. Here are some excerpts: For those who worship instead at the altar of celebrity, the site displays glittering lifelike versions of their saints as well: Rita Hayworth, Brigitte Bardot, Nicole Kidman, Audrey Hepburn, Vivian Leigh, Joan Collins and Elizabeth Taylor, all exquisitely dressed in gowns fit for the runway, designer handbags on their arms.
The Garabedian house, on Pelham Parkway North in the Baychester neighborhood of the Bronx, is sort of a cross between Madame Tussaud’s and the Vatican, a chockablock vision of the figments of fantasies, many of them moving, all of them sparkling, either with lights or cubic zirconia or other stones — even the harness on a camel on the roof deck is strung with twinkling Swarovsky crystals.
The display, which goes up on Thanksgiving and stays until Jan. 6, inspires an overwhelming sense of wonder. One wonders, for example, why? The extent of the effort is apparent, the imagined Con Ed bill staggering. What would compel a family to devote so much time, money and energy to this particular form of Christmas camp?
The reporter for the Times was able to glean that there was a secret reason for the year-round effort, which has been part of the Garabedian family since 1974:
“Something special happened to the family on Christmas Eve in 1973,” explained Mr. Garabedian, a 44-year-old man with, it must be said, a cherubic air… The Garabedians started decorating the house the following year, and every year grew more ambitious. … This is our way of showing thanks to the Lord for what he did for us,” said Mr. Garabedian, who was 9 when he, his sisters and their parents witnessed this miracle.
However, when asked about specifics of the miracle, Gary Garabedian was vague and unwilling to divulge the family secret:
Could Mr. Garabedian perhaps be more specific about just what this miracle was? He shook his head: No. “The family wants to keep it special for ourselves,” he said.
Perhaps, then, he could be persuaded to illuminate the category of miracle? Was it a financial miracle? Did someone win the lottery or otherwise come into a windfall at a desperate time? “No,” said Mr. Garabedian.
A health miracle? Did someone throw down his crutches and start waltzing around the tree? Mr. Garabedian shook his head.
Perhaps, then, it was less like a magic trick and more like … a vision? A visitation?
At this last question, a long pause. By then Mr. Garabedian’s sister Linda, a petite woman with flowing red hair, had joined him. “A vision?” she asked, then looked off into space for a moment. “You could say that.”
Mr. Garabedian, apparently the hard-line guardian of the secret, shook his head again. “You could be right, you could be wrong,” he said. All he would allow was that it was a religious miracle. “We’re a very religious family,” he said.
Here is what the Garabedians have to say about the display and its role in their lives in what appears to be the quintessential symbiotic relationship:
For the past 29 years, the Garabedian family—parents Nellie and Eugene and children Linda, Elise and Gary—has provided a family-friendly holiday activity right in their own front yard. Nearly 200 animated figurines dance to upbeat holiday music in a festive celebration of the holidays. Almost every inch of the Garabedian’s house is decorated with Disney characters and chicly-dressed dolls, many in floor-length gowns and most bejeweled and coiffed like Hollywood models.
It was Nellie who originally came up with the idea of giving back to the community by hosting the incredible display, their gift to neighbors for a blessing which none of the Garabedian clan will reveal. Since then, what began rather modestly has gradually expanded, taking on a life of its own.
The Christmas display is truly a family affair. Only one brother, Michael, has married. The remainder of the family lives at home, working for the family fashion design business when they’re not helping Gary with the dolls used in the Christmas spectacular. For decades now, it has been Gary’s job to dress, repair and store each doll each year. Unbeknownst to many, the display is labor-intensive, as the main stage of the ornate production has to be dismantled each night and re-mounted each evening, weather permitting.
“Look, they’re like our children. We’re married to the dolls,” Gary joked. “We feel this makes the Bronx have something special to feel good about.”
It’s Christmas time in New York City. Not to be outdone, it is time for New Yorkers to pull out the big guns. Whether it’s Fifth Avenue, Dyker Heights, Bayside, South Slope, or the Bronx, we got the spirit, Don’t We? 🙂
As this website has evolved, I have added more video. I have created a YouTube channel for New York Daily Photo where all the videos can be seen in one place. Looking into the future, I intend to create more videos and short documentary films of New York City.
Recently, I took another excursion to Dyker Heights, Brooklyn, with a friend. Although the displays are relatively the same from year to year, I enjoy the ritual, as I do the Christmas window displays on Fifth Avenue.
This year, I shot and compiled a short video of my tour of 84th Street between 11th and 12th Avenues – see below. This block is literally the show stopper, with bumper-to-bumper car traffic during the holiday season. Recommended to all who have not toured the area. Enjoy Dyker Heights 2011 !
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the annual event SantaCon, the sight of groups of Santas, large and small, carousing the streets of New York City, is extremely perplexing.
After rereading a story I wrote on December 10, 2007 called Surly Santas, it is apparent that at that time, I, too, was not aware as to the reason why a group of Santas was walking the streets and being naughty. I certainly was perplexed until 2009, when I finally was told about SantaCon and did a story involving New York City’s participation in the event.
Recently, on the way out of Manhattan via the Brooklyn Bridge on the day of SantaCon (December 10), I found that the streets were teeming with Santas. In the parks, on the sidewalks – everywhere you looked, it seemed there was a group of Santas to be found. I took a number of photos from my car.
Unfortunately, this event does start to feel like the same old thing, and although the event is officially a convention, effectively it does end up becoming a bar crawl for many, which generates late-night drunken revelry on the streets of New York City. The evidence of this is plain to see in neighborhoods like the Village, where inebriated Santas spill out of bars, wander the streets, and indulge in various acts of debauchery.
There is not much new to report in New York City, but I have learned that in San Francisco, where public nudity is legal, there was an effort this year to set the world record for the largest gathering of naked Santas, to be documented by Guinness (see video). Even Santa is not immune to worrying about being seen as the same ol’ same ol’. Whether he indulges in drunken revelry, a little lewdity, or nudity, he knows that you gotta Keep It Fresh 🙂
New York City prides itself on offering the best, and when it comes to Christmas, it certainly will not be outdone. The Christmas season is one where New York literally shines. Look at the many iconic images known throughout the world:
A remarkable list, since any single one of these would be bragging rights for any city or town. But in New York, we offer all, making this city an urban mecca for Christmas. Nearly all of these sights are on or near Fifth Avenue, an easy stroll from each other and one of the most pleasant walks one could make during the holiday season. I have done stories on all but one of the aforementioned major Christmas things to see and do.
For those seeking Santa himself, there are many options. There are the well-known venues such as Santaland at Macy’s, but for those looking for the more special and lesser known, of course, New York also offers that too. Santas abound, but many herald the Santa at ABC Carpet and Home as one of the most authentic and snuggable in the land. The Victorian set is beautifully appointed, as one might expect from ABC – it’s like a boutique Santa experience. For prudent parents and impatient children, one of the huge pluses is the much lesser number of people in line, if any at all. It comes highly recommended and is likely the ultimate Santa photo op in New York City, and it’s Easy as ABC 🙂
I’m going to tell you about a restaurant where you will not be disappointed. This is a place that locals love. There are restaurants that are very good and there are restaurants that are very expensive. But as diners know, unfortunately, expensive does not always equal good. Restaurants tend to be overpriced in New York City, and plenty of places offer the convenience of eating out only with high prices and just average food.
North Square restaurant is located in the Washington Square Hotel at 103 Waverly Place in the Village. They run a TIGHT ship. Everything is professionally done. And lest we overlook the most important – the food is outstanding. The restaurant, like the hotel, is owned by the Paul family. The kitchen is headed by executive chef Yoel Cruz. You can find the restaurant’s website here.
When my family announced that they were coming to New York City for Thanksgiving, I began perusing lists online of restaurants offering holiday specials. I was pleased to find that North Square was among those open and offering a prix fixe dinner. Only steps from my home, why go elsewhere? However, Thanksgiving was only two days away and, as I feared, it was fully booked. I returned on Wednesday in person in the off chance that there was a cancellation. Through some small miracle, a table for 4 was available.
The 3-course Thanksgiving extravaganza was $55 per person, including a choice of appetizer, entrée, dessert, and coffee/tea – not bad in the scheme of things for this city, and a real value for the extraordinary selection of nine appetizers, ten entrées, and eleven desserts. Everything went without a hitch, smooth as silk. Our waiter, Nick, provided sterling service. The dining room was elegant and perfectly lit. We were not rushed at all, as is often the case on holidays in restaurants where patrons are often treated as cattle to be moved.
After our meal, and before returning to Connecticut, my family and I took a quick stroll in Washington Square Park, which is footsteps away from the restaurant. It was a very pleasant afternoon where temperatures had reached 60 degrees. The park was more populated than is typical for a Thanksgiving Day. As you can see from the bottom photo, holidays make no difference for some, where it’s Business as Usual…
There’s no secret why anyone is at Port Authority Bus Terminal. As far as transportation, this is the home of the last option. Other than the Chinatown bus, the cheapest option. A nexus for people who have no other option, no other options at the time, or are between better options.
Today is Thanksgiving, a day to give thanks. And if you are fortunate enough not to have to travel by bus, you have something to be thankful for. Most New Yorkers have, at one time, arrived by bus at Port Authority and know that there are much better places to be welcomed to New York City.
In fact, I rarely put it this bluntly, but Port Authority is depressing as hell and, regardless of renovations, always has been. It is also a magnet for hucksters, hustlers, thieves, and the homeless. There are not too many smiles, and unlike a place such as Grand Central, you are never going to hear people say that they love Port Authority. This is the place that is truly inhospitable. There are no cushions here, nothing to soften against a city that can indeed feel harsh at times. If you want to experience the true grit of New York, head for Port Authority.
I am not sure about many things, but I am sure that I was the only person who traveled to Port Authority last night, solely to carouse, peruse, and look for an angel based on the story a friend told me of an extraordinarily heart warming incident. She was traveling yesterday to New Jersey to see family with her elderly mother.
Upon arrival at the terminal, she was approached by a homeless woman who offered to help. But this was not just a ruse or a quick task for money. This was HELP. She escorted them through the entire process, door to door. Carrying their bags, navigating through the crowds and corridors, purchasing tickets, and seeing them off. My friend was so moved that she told the homeless woman that she was an angel and, in the ensuing rush before boarding the bus, was able to extricate and give her $13 from her bag.
So, last night at 10:15 PM, I went to Port Authority to find that angel. If you are reading these words and look forward to a miraculous outcome, i.e., that I found that angel and spoke to her and photographed her, then read no further. Because I did not find her.
There were lines and crowds, as to be expected. No one was in a good mood. All had only one desire – to leave the terminal and get to their destinations for Thanksgiving. I did find one homeless woman eating in a corner. I told her of my mission and asked if she was perhaps that angel or knew of a homeless woman who might fit the description. She did not. I got the feeling that she thought I was insane. Perhaps she is right. Who travels willingly to Port Authority on the night before Thanksgiving, looking for an angel?
It is Memorial Day weekend, and in New York City that means many things – residents leaving and visitors arriving during what is also Fleet Week, where the streets are abrim with sailors in uniform, particularly in Greenwich Village, which for many is party central. That means lots of sailors looking for fun and lots of civilians looking for Men in Uniform. The allure is obvious and evidence is everywhere.
For those looking for a quick tryst, there are both the streets of New York and now, the Internet, with a new world of options, a virtual smorgasbord.
Grindr, a gay cruising iPhone app, ranks prospects based on proximity.
Some sailors and those desiring them whether male, female, straight or gay, use the Close Encounters section of Craigslist for their brief time on shore leave.
Sexual encounters via Craigslist may be better called personal permutations, because if you are going to meet someone this way, you need to know what you want from a menu of 21 categories: w4m m4m m4w w4w t4m m4t mw4mw mw4w mw4m w4mw m4mw w4ww m4mm mm4m ww4w ww4m mm4w m4ww w4mm t4mw mw4t.
This may look rather daunting until you know the simple code: w- woman, m- man, t-tranny. A pair of letters together means a couple, straight or gay. So, we go from the basic m4w (man for woman) to the more exotic like mw4mw (straight couple for straight couple) or ww4m (lesbian couple for man).
Of course there are also logistics to work out – I was always curious about where sexual encounters with sailors might take place because although I witnessed a number of PDAs (see story here), I am sure these couples would be more than happy to oblige to take their meetings private and Get a Room. Since sailors cannot bring these women back to the ship, the classic line of the one-night stand, Your place or mine? becomes something more like Your place or thine? A hotel would be a pricey option. Some city residents have offered their apartments as a patriotic gesture to these men in service.
I am sure being a sailor is a trying lifestyle. The sexual frustration of men (and women*) at sea has resulted in innumerable troubles and solutions. I was fascinated to learn of Dames de Voyage, which date back to the 17th century. These fornicatory antecedents to the modern day party doll, were made of sewn cloth or old clothes and used by French and Spanish sailors while at sea.
But now we have Craigslist or for those who prefer the more traditional approach, the streets of New York City, where sailors have only to stand and let their uniforms work white magic 🙂
*Nearly 20% of active-duty members of the Navy are women.
It was suggested by a friend that I may want to attend, photograph and write about the Eastern Orthodox Pascha Vigil at the Cathedral of the Holy Virgin Protection located at 59 East Second Street in the East Village. He assured me it would be quite the fete and it was. The celebration begins at about 11:30 PM and typically goes on into the wee hours of the morning. I stayed only until 1AM, forgoing the later festivities.
To see a procession of an Orthodox religious group in a neighborhood that historically has been the epicenter of the counterculture for such a long time is one of New York City’s great juxtapositions. However, from a much longer historical perspective, this congregation comes as a lesser surprise. Prior to the 1960s, this area was essentially the northern reaches of the Lower East Side, inhabited by a number of immigrant groups, notably Germans, Poles and Ukrainians. There are still remnants of these cultures in the populace and architecture – see Lone Voice here.
The Eastern Orthodox Easter celebration begins on Holy Saturday, i.e. the night before Pascha (Easter), where the Midnight Office is served just before midnight in darkness. At midnight, the priest censes the Holy Table and all exit the church to the streets for a crucession around one city block. In the ultimate contrast, the group passes the NYC Hell’s Angels clubhouse. I understand the church stands in good stead with the Angels – one of the club members has a girlfriend who belongs to the church.
The procession returned to the front doors of the church where the chief celebrant gave the blessing for the beginning of Matins (early morning prayer). The Paschal Troparian is sung and everyone reenters the church, where all is brightly lit and exultant, with singing and plenty of Paschal greetings, Christ is risen!
The entire celebration was extremely ritualistic and formal, quite a departure from the iconoclasm and unorthodoxy found in this part of the city. The prevalence of organized religion in New York City, particularly the various orthodox sects, always comes as such a surprise. In light of urban cynicism, the large numbers of New Yorkers who are members of religious faiths is remarkable. I wrote of this in We Got Religion and Come Together.
People of all walks of life were in attendance. I put aside any critical thoughts and theological meanderings and let the good feelings of celebration wash over me as I reflected on the power of words, symbols and what it means to the men and women of this faith to say or hear Christ is Risen…
Professor Gurland (see here) once commented that one of man’s problems was looking for stability in a world of change. Perhaps he was right and this is the reason we find such tremendous comfort in those few enduring icons, legacy businesses, products, and annual holidays and celebrations. And why nostalgia is so strong that we build bridges in our minds between past memories and present experiences, with connections as cables.
In spite of all the dynamic changes in our world, New York City is a mecca for durable icons. People come the all corners of the earth to see the same buildings, bridges, and attractions that millions have seen before them.
Over the years in producing this website, I have photographed and written about the fantastic Christmas displays in New York City, known worldwide. Rockefeller Center with its tree and skating rink, Santaland at Macy’s, and the store windows – Macy’s, Bergdorf, Tiffany’s, Barney’s, Saks, and Lord and Taylor. Amidst all the business failures, there really is a miracle on 34th Street, where we find Macy’s year after year and and the same Christmas theme, Believe (see here), with the only change being a digital display.
We travel, we search, we comb the recesses of our minds for the enduring constants. There’s no better place and time than New York City at Christmas to find those very few things that allow us to Believe there is some stability in a world of change 🙂
Although quite non-traditional, my favorite holiday windows are those at Bergdorf Goodman department store, with three exposures along Fifth Avenue and 57th and 58th Streets. They are highly imaginative and superbly crafted. The window displays are illuminated so they can be seen day or night. See my gallery of photos here. This year’s theme is Wish You Were Here. From Bergdorf’s website:
“Appropriately titled Wish You Were Here, this year’s 2010 Holiday Windows invite its audience to join David Hoey and his talented visual team on a journey through fantasy travel, sly visual wit and far-flung places. With an array of wild mash-ups of unexpected arrivals and departures, each window features visual influences as diverse as Roman mythology, 1940s Hollywood musicals, the original Penn Station, and the very first science fiction film.”
This year Bergdorf also has provided a short behind the scenes video on the production – “Follow Me: the Making of Bergdorf Goodman’s 2010 Holiday Windows.” You can see the video and read about the window theme and its creation here and here.
I was surprised yesterday to hear two young coworkers in their 20s listening to and enjoying the holiday tunes of Bing Crosby. I commented on how there was an extraordinary soothing quality to his voice that just made you feel that, no matter what, everything is going to be alright. At my family holiday gatherings, Christmas isn’t Christmas without the White Christmas of Bing Crosby.
Whether you see New York City as a melting pot or a salad bowl, pluralism is the reality and tolerance is what holds it together. New York City is where you will find the world’s largest public menorah, located in one of the most prime locations in the entire city – 59th Street and Fifth Avenue, just a few blocks from Rockefeller Center’s national Christmas tree and St. Patrick’s Cathedral. In today’s photos, the Christmas tree at the Washington Square arch (with views of the Empire State Building in the background) is just a short distance from a menorah, also located in Washington Square Park.
On one hand, pluralism has become much more prevalent in the United States and, in tandem with the doctrine of separation of church and state, it is not unreasonable to revisit the issue of public displays of religious symbols. Bing Crosby or not, we can’t shut our eyes and sweep everything under the umbrella of the “holidays” or the “winter/holiday season” in an effort to obfuscate the very divergent religious practices. Efforts are made to link Christianity and Judaism in an attempt to demonstrate that they are just two sides of the same coin.
On the other hand, as I wrote in Let’s Have a Parade, celebration is part of the human condition, and to become a curmudgeon during the holidays and dismiss the entire season as nothing but crass commercialism (or to aver how many of the symbols and customs that are associated with Christmas were originally syncretized from pre-Christian pagan festivals and traditions) does nothing to enliven and uplift the human spirit and spread proverbial love and joy throughout the land.
Managing religious pluralism is difficult. Even the Supreme Court of the United States was very divided in County of Allegheny v. ACLU, where the court considered the constitutionality of the annually recurring displays of a nativity scene (crèche) and a Hanukkah menorah, both placed outside the City-County Building in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
I don’t want to bury my head in the sand in an effort to oversimplify reality, be disrespectful, and lump everyone together or paint the entire season one color. But for just a moment, please forgive me. I’m just going to relax, let Bing Crosby’s voice wash over me, and feel that everything is going to be alright 🙂
With luggage in hand, I always walk by or through Washington Square Park on Thanksgiving day as I journey to New England to visit my family. On a bleak, gray morning, I find it particularly saddening, as invariably I see people alone in a deserted space, knowing that for many, this will be how they spend their day.
When I was much younger, many of us espoused how a holiday or birthday was “just another day” and really meant nothing. Foolish to me now – on the occasions I did have to spend a holiday away from family, I worked hard to dismiss my sadness – who can really swim against a tide of a major national holiday that is defined by the family meal and is so emotionally charged with signs and reminders at every turn? Not I.
I have featured the classic New York City celebratory events on this website in the past – you can see them here: Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the inflation ritual before the night of the parade (here and here), natural ornamentation found around the city, and displays of abundant foods. Retail promotions are everywhere to be seen, here in the city as elsewhere. Today, Macy’s opened at 4AM for what is now being called Black Thursday. The tree at Rockefeller Center has been installed, ready for the annual lighting ceremony. This is the New York City we see in the media and the one that visitors expect.
But not everyone is enjoying the Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving family dinner.
I left my home this morning at 6:50 AM with camera in hand to see and show a different side.
A food vendor was already set up with his cart readied for the day. There were partially eaten containers of food and discarded clothing scattered about. Typical early morning sights before the park cleanup staff completes their rounds. I met Yusef, who was resting his feet, sitting alone on a park bench. He asked me about the time of the parade.
I gave him my card. He noticed and identified the red-tailed hawk. I told him the story of how I came to get that photo. He was familiar with the famed hawks on Fifth Avenue overlooking Central Park. He asked what I was doing today, and I told him of my family and that I would be visiting in Connecticut.
When I asked about his family, he told me he has only met his father twice and his mother was shot by her boyfriend some years ago. I did not ask what he was doing for Thanksgiving, and I was not going to insult him by telling him not to worry, it was just another day. Because it’s not…
Note: Today, along with the good fortune I have had in my life, I would also like to thank all readers of this blog for your patronage and uplifting comments. Happy Thanksgiving to all.
