Bus tours show off Brooklyn's holiday cheer

Tony Muia was born and raised in Brooklyn and always loved the Christmas lights of Dyker Heights, an Italian-American neighborhood where proud locals cover their homes in twinkling bulbs and fill their front yards with life-size Santas and Nativity scenes.

Now he makes his living taking busloads of tourists from around the world to see these over-the-top holiday displays, playing Frank Sinatra on the bus and ending the night with a stop for cannolis and hot chocolate.

"Rockefeller Center, forget about it! Because I'm taking you deep in the heart of Brooklyn," he told a bus departing from Manhattan's Union Square on a recent night.

On board for the 10-mile trip to Dyker Heights and another Brooklyn neighborhood, Bay Ridge, were 50 visitors from around the world (Australia, Japan, Holland, England, Northern Ireland) and the country (Utah, Texas, California, Louisiana, Missouri, Virginia, Florida, New York and New Jersey).

"Overwhelming! Over the top! All-American!" was all Brigit DeBoer from Zeist, Holland, could say after wandering past three-story mansions draped from roof to sidewalk in shimmering lights.

Other displays featured a 14-foot-tall Santa, twinkling snowflakes, moving carousels, animatronic reindeer, candy canes and characters from "The Nutcracker." Some homeowners create a traditional Nativity scene with the Christ child in the manger as its centerpiece, while others take a more whimsical approach, like the man who puts a half-dozen dancing bears on his front lawn, one for each of his grandchildren.

For many tourists, Christmas in New York means the tree at Rockefeller Center, Macy's holiday windows and Radio City's "Christmas Spectacular." But those who booked Muia's tour said they were excited about going to Brooklyn.

"We have a few houses like this but not so many in one strip. It's incredible," said Julie Morgan of Sydney, Australia. "I've been to Brooklyn before but I would never have found this on my own."

Never mind artisanal concoctions like the Mexican-Japanese tacos found in Brooklyn's hipper spots. Muia, 48, takes his tour to the Bella Luna pizzeria for cannolis, a classic cream-filled Italian pastry.

Muia's company, called A Slice of Brooklyn, started with a pizza tour and added the Christmas lights tour in 2006. These days, he runs three to four buses a night, bringing thousands of tourists from Manhattan each season to see the lights.

IF YOU GO

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS & CANNOLI TOUR: www.asliceofbrooklyn.com/christmas.html. Tours last 3½ hours, departing nightly from Manhattan through Dec. 31. Tickets, $55. Advance booking required; tours often sell out.