Miracle on 34th Street

For those of you who don't live in the Baltimore area, here's the story of the banner picture:

There's a neighborhood in the city called Hampden. It's the home of the Café Hon and is nearby to a couple of colleges, a museum or two, that sort of thing. It started out as a mill town and still has some of that flavor, despite the city growing up around it. There's always been a pretty festive attitude among the neighbors when the holidays roll around.

About 20 years or so ago (as the story goes), some of the neighbors decided to escalate the decorating of their houses. People on this one street (34th street, geddit?) began to fill their yards with every light and bit of kitsch that they could lay their hands on. They spend a couple of weeks setting it up, and by mutual agreement nobody turns it on (except for testing) until the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

So the photo is a picture from around 2002 and, as packed as it is with stuff, still doesn't quite capture the feel of the street. This site may give you a better idea. If you're anywhere within a decent driving distance, make the pilgrimage. But be prepared to park and walk; you'll see a LOT more that way than if you just cruise through. And Have Fun!

Comments

[yellojkt]

I drive by and see the lights every couple of years. For awhile we were having our office "holiday" party at Cross Keys and it was on the way home to swing by.

Haven't been in awhile. I feel sorry for the meter reader that's got that route.

[Claude]

Hee. Yeah, I always had this image of those wheels in the electric meters just turning into some kind of killer buzzsaw that time of year.

I should also mention that what you're looking at in the pic is not one home, but in fact four rowhouses. There's also a small gap (probably an alley) and then you can see a piece of a fifth house to the far left.