Elaborate holiday lights in Brooklyn draw crowds, prompting complaints

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NY) - The Dyker Lights in the Dyker Heights section of Brooklyn are nothing short of extraordinary. They are so amazing that more than 100,000 people come to check them out every year. But the number of visitors is growing so fast that many residents say the influx of people can get overwhelming.

The lights in the neighborhood consistently top lists of "fun things to do in New York City during the holidays." They're known all over the world. Fox 5 met some ladies visiting from Siberia and another from Denmark.

This tradition has been around for decades but in the last five years, the number of visitors and tour buses has greatly increased.

Community Board 10 district manager Josephine Beckmann said she fields complaints from residents.

"With our local city council member, we try to bring some more resources to keep the traffic both pedestrian and vehicular traffic moving for public safety to maintain the quality of life for residents," she said. "It really is a challenge."

The community board sent a mailer to almost a thousand residents along the prime viewing streets asking that they shut off their lights at midnight in an effort to decrease overnight traffic.

The board also asked tourists to be respectful of driveways, not to walk onto private lawns, and not to throw garbage in the streets.