South Philly Makes List of Best Christmas Lights in the U.S.

If you're looking for Christmas lights in Pennsylvania, Travel + Leisure says get to "Miracle on 13th Street." Plus, other nearby destinations to take in the yuletide twinkle.

Photo by Jeff Fusco for Visit Philadelphia.

Photo by Jeff Fusco for Visit Philadelphia.

Where’s the best place to see holiday lights in all of Pennsylvania? Travel + Leisure agrees that it’s right here in Philly.

The site rounded up commercial and private property displays that were worthy of representing their state in a compilation of best Christmas lights to see in the U.S. One of the most famous displays, South Philly’s “Miracle on South 13th Street,” came out on top for Pennsylvania.

Travel + Leisure said of the South Philly spot, “If you’re looking for an influx of Christmas cheer in Philadelphia, head to the 1600 block of South 13th Street, stat. Nearly every house on the block decorates to the nines with over-the-top lights, garlands, inflatable snowmen, and flying reindeer, earning them the much-deserved nickname … ”

For over a dozen years South 13th Street has welcomed the coming of Christmas with intricate lights draped around its neighborhood homes. Since then, it has had a soft spot in the hearts of many Philadelphians. We can count on “Miracle” to bring us good old-fashioned holiday spirit even in our not-so-white December this year.

Other noteworthy mentions in the greater area were Cranberry, New Jersey resident Keith Shaw, whose festive displays include a 36-foot-tall tree that has more lights than the tree at Rockefeller Center. In Delaware, the DuPont mansions’ Christmas decorations are elegant affairs, featuring flowers, French-inspired displays and ornaments from the 1900s. And if you’re planning on visiting New York some time this month, they advice skipping the Rockefeller. The homeowners in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn, are holding down the fort just fine.

As Christmas draws nearer, check out some other great locations we’ve chosen in Philly along with the honorary “Miracle on South 13th,” including South Philly’s other lights haven on Smedley Street, “The Christmas Street.”

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