The Most Extravagant Display on an Extravagant Street
Dave Newman
One of Newman's decorated houses. …
Newman's display
Steve's tree on Eucalyptus Street. …
The Mayor's house on Eucalyptus …
Dave Newman has an FAQ board in front of his beautiful holiday light display on Eucalyptus Street in San Carlos, California. His reputation is epic, both in the city and on this street of enthusiastic decorators. The sign states that it takes 17 guys 10 hours to install the 748,238 lights, and the electric bill is only $38 because he has solar panels. The decorations are, of course, stored at the North Pole. The lights span two properties, twinkling and flickering among the trees, across the garages, throughout both yards, and all the way up to the top of the buildings, with an angel flying on the roof. Rumor has it that some years, Newman imports snow on Christmas Eve.
For the most part, the neighbors don't mind the traffic. It has been part of the tradition on Eucalyptus since December of 1986, when another home, 1926 Eucalyptus, was identified as one of the best of the season by a local journalist. Rod Linear got his nickname "the Mayor" for starting it all. His wife Pat told me that the first display was red apples and white lights, and their home looked like a Mississippi riverboat. Janet McGovern of the Redwood City Tribune thought it looked like "a spectacular birthday cake." Visitors started touring the street, and a tradition was born.
Steve, another enthusiastic decorator on the street, has a tree that appears to be about 30 feet tall in his front yard. It is only a part of his magnificent display, which is complete with Santa and friends and a brilliant riot of lights. The tree was originally purchased in a pot as a holiday fundraiser. As the tree has grown, so has the reputation of Eucalyptus Street and the enthusiasm of residents. Most of the people on the street have fun with this tradition, although "not everyone is that into it," according to Steve. I counted two of the 23 houses bare. One was under construction, the other was at the very end of the block.
Walking Eucalyptus Street during the holidays is a magical journey. The twinkling lights, the decorations, the music, the sound of people enjoying the show in English and other languages -- it's festive enough to cheer up the most committed Scrooge. I overheard a little boy tell his dad, "This is blowing my mind!" with typical 6-year-old enthusiasm.
There is a small price to pay for all this magic. The residents concede that it can be a bit tricky to manage. The traffic is especially troublesome. The city of San Carlos blocks off the street, limiting it to slow one-way traffic. If residents leave for the evening, they might have to park their cars a couple of blocks away and retrieve them in the morning.
I finally managed to catch up with Newman, who was rather modest about his project and not interested in talking much. I asked him about the rumor of snow on Christmas Eve, and I got a grin. It looks like at least one street in San Carlos will have a white Christmas!
