Homes for the holidays

Post Staff Report

featured

Dec 18, 2013

1 of 4

Who has the jolliest home in town? We asked Post readers to submit their most over-the-top holiday homes in the city. Take a look at the best and brightest of the bunch, and read the heartwarming story behind each of them. By CHRISTINA AMOROSO Accardo home, 1337 82nd St., Dyker Heights John Accardo, 55, started decorating his Brooklyn home after his father died 10 years ago. “I kept a few of the things he had made and added new lights,” he says. One such item is a 4-foot star on the face of the house, which his father made 30 years ago and has since been restrung with white rope lights and twinkling red, green and white lights. Other features include a waving 6-foot Santa with a sleigh and two blue reindeer. “[I decorate] to make my mom happy, because they both loved the Christmas season. It makes her feel good to keep up the tradition,” Accardo says. The decorations go up the day after Thanksgiving and are taken down Jan. 7 — the day after his father’s birthday — each year. Tamara Beckwith

2 of 4

Schempp home, 1823 82nd St., Bensonhurst In Bensonhurst, the Schempp family started decorating its home seven years ago. Around Halloween each year, the family starts planning, and begins work two weeks before Thanksgiving. “We don’t like to do the same thing every year,” says 23-year-old stay-at-home mom Kristen Schempp. “So we think about what themes we can do — my mother and my husband come up with the ideas.” This year, they opted for a multicolored theme featuring eight snowflakes, a wreath and two red Christmas trees on the front of the house, as well as multicolored lights lining the home’s perimeter. New this year is a white LED tree in the driveway, which stands beneath an arch of multicolored lights. It’s flanked by two soldiers and elves — and this is where, on weekends, Schempp’s father dresses up as Santa Claus. Neighborhood kids and their families pay a visit to see Santa and look at the dazzling display, and the Schempps collect money for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. This year, they expect to raise at least $1,000, far surpassing previous years. Other merry highlights include a jolly snowman and snowwoman in the garden area. Schempp lays a cotton cloth on the ground to complete the picturesque snowy theme. Decorating is especially meaningful this year, Schempp says, because she is a new mom. “My mother always wanted to do this. She always loved the idea that she had her own house and people would enjoy [the decorations],” she says, “and this year we really did it up because this is their first grandchild.” Christian Johnston

3 of 4

Gallo home, 229 Beach 133rd St., Belle Harbor, Queens Anthony Gallo and his sons begin decorating the weekend after Halloween, turning on the lights around Thanksgiving. “We plan it out as we go along,” says Gallo, 52, who has been decorating his home for the past 10 years. In addition to two tall soldiers on the front walkway, there are two soldiers — new this year — on opposite ends of the second roof. Also new is an elf workshop scene in the front yard, and a snowman surrounded by glowing gifts. “Everybody comes by to look at it,” he says. Christian Johnston

4 of 4

Blaskovic home, 157-12 22nd Ave., Whitestone, Queens This year, Homer Simpson — a gift from John Blaskovic’s brother-in-law — makes his first cameo on the front lawn. Meanwhile, Santa merrily awaits you at the front door — “It’s the same Santa Claus we’ve had for 10 years,” notes Blaskovic, 41 — while two illuminated soldiers flank the steps with four red-and-white light-up candy canes. Green lights resembling mistletoe line the face of the house on the second floor — and a multicolored Santa and a sleigh, which Blaskovic put up with help from the lawn sprinkling company he works for, can be seen in the window. White, twinkling snowflakes dot the home adding a wintry glow. Blaskovic likes to use the LED lights he orders through his company, which also decorates homes for the holidays. Overall the house takes three to four days to decorate. “My wife does Halloween, Presidents Day, all the big holidays. But Christmas is mine.” Christian Johnston

Comments

Powered by RoundtableBuilt on infrastructure designed for real-time media. Learn more at RTB.io.© Roundtable 2026. By using this site you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy