The story begins in the mid 1980s, when Spata started decorating her home on 84th Street in honor of her mother, who had loved Christmas deeply. The first display was simple, featuring a few illuminated angel figures placed in the front yard. Each year afterward, the decorations expanded, both in size and ambition. More lights were added, along with handmade figures and festive scenes that soon caught the attention of neighbors and passersby.

Spata’s home at 1152 84th Street eventually became the unofficial centerpiece of the Dyker Heights Christmas Lights. Today the display includes tens of thousands of lights, towering toy soldiers, angels, snowmen and larger than life holiday characters. Installation begins weeks before December and requires careful planning, physical labor and a team of helpers to bring the vision to life in time for the season.

What started as a single home display gradually inspired others throughout the neighborhood. Nearby residents began decorating their own houses, transforming blocks between Eleventh and Thirteenth avenues and from Eighty Third to Eighty Sixth streets into a sprawling holiday attraction. Each house brings its own style, ranging from traditional decorations to elaborate themed scenes with music and motion.

The tradition has had a lasting impact on Dyker Heights. Each holiday season tens of thousands of visitors arrive on foot, by subway or aboard tour buses to experience the lights. The influx has boosted local businesses and turned a quiet residential area into a vibrant destination during December evenings. While the crowds can be overwhelming at times, many residents see the attention as a source of pride.

For those who decorate, the lights often carry personal meaning. Some displays honor family members, while others support charitable causes or simply aim to spread joy. The tradition has become a shared language of generosity and celebration, connecting neighbors and visitors alike.

Nearly four decades after Lucy Spata first placed lights in her yard, the Dyker Heights Christmas Lights remain rooted in the same spirit that inspired them. What began as a private tribute continues to illuminate the neighborhood and putting Dyker Heights on the map.

Economy Candy began during the Great Depression, when Morris Moishe Cohen and his brother ran a shoe repair shop and candy stand on the Lower East Side. Candy sales soon outpaced shoe repairs, and the brothers leaned into what customers wanted most. The store grew from a simple stand into a permanent shop that offered affordable treats at a time when small pleasures mattered deeply. Over the decades, as other candy shops disappeared, Economy Candy stayed put.

Today the store at 108 Rivington Street is operated by third generation owners Mitchell Cohen and his wife Skye. Mitchell left a career in finance to help run the family business, bringing a modern approach to a deeply traditional shop. Under their leadership, Economy Candy has expanded its offerings to more than two thousand varieties, including hard to find vintage American brands and imported sweets from around the world.

Remaining in the Lower East Side has not been easy. Gentrification has transformed the neighborhood, replacing many longtime businesses with luxury housing and national retailers. Rising rents have forced countless independent shops to close or relocate. Economy Candy has managed to stay by owning its building, a crucial advantage that has insulated it from volatile commercial rent increases that have reshaped the area.

The business has also adapted in other ways. In recent years Economy Candy embraced online sales, social media marketing and nationwide shipping. Candy care packages, merchandise and viral social posts have helped turn a neighborhood institution into a brand recognized far beyond New York City. That digital presence proved essential during the pandemic, when the store endured an extended closure but emerged with stronger online sales than before.

In 2023 the city formally recognized the store’s legacy by co-naming the corner of Rivington and Essex Streets as Morris Moishe Cohen Way, honoring the founder and the shop’s place in neighborhood history. Economy Candy has also expanded physically for the first time, opening A Taste of Economy Candy inside Chelsea Market, introducing its nostalgic offerings to a new audience.

Nearly ninety years after it opened, Economy Candy remains more than a store. It is a reminder that survival in New York City often depends on adaptation, family commitment and planning. In a neighborhood defined by reinvention, Economy Candy continues to prove that history still has a place on the Lower East Side.