By Sarah Trauner
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas on 34th Street in Baltimore’s Hampden neighborhood.
For the 73rd year The Miracle on 34th Street lights are up and people from all over are starting to visit.
Each year the 700 block of 34th Street between Chestnut Avenue and Keswick Road displays a light show starting the Saturday after Thanksgiving until New Year’s Day.
“This is our first time,” said Allison Tomlinson, a student at MICA. “We were driving home and she [a friend] was picking me up from school and we accidentally came across the street.”
“The lights are lovely, and I love the different flavors,” Tomlinson added. “I would come back next year if I were around because it is cool that a street like this exists in Baltimore.”
The lights on the street are not only for Christmas. One of the homes had blue lights, blow up dreidels and a menorah to represent Hanukkah.
Patrick Roos has lived on the street for almost three years and always participates in the event during the Christmas season.
“I think the event is important because it brings a sense of community,” Roos said. “Seeing people come by and seeing them happy is the best part, especially families who bring their kids and how excited they get to see the lights.”
It takes Roos about three days to put the lights up around his home. He spends a few hours each day until the lights are completely up.
“It’s awesome to have everyone back this year,” Roos said. Everyone on the street decorated last year, but not many people came because of pandemic, so it’s awesome to see everyone enjoying it again.”
Residents are not the only people excited about visitors coming back to see the lights. Businesses in the neighborhood are also excited.
Minje Suh, a co-founder of Waffie, a waffle house on 36th Street, said her business is busy because of the visitors to the neighborhood
“Usually, mid-December until the week of Christmas we get busy because the visitors either stop in before or after visiting the lights,” Suh said.
The pandemic has changed the hours the waffle shop is open.
“Normally before Covid, we closed at midnight, but this year we are closing at 10 p.m.,” said Suh. “We have been here for four years and less and less people come to see the lights. Our shop is open relatively late, but not as late as before.”
Suh said she got to see the lights on 34th Street once and said they are beautiful.
For the restaurant Paulie Gee’s in Hampden, December brings in the business.
Sara Leitzel, a manager at Paulie Gee’s, said once the lights go up on 34th Street she starts to kick off our busy season.
“Since we are the first restaurant or last from where people walk from the lights, we get busy starting right at 5 p.m.,” Leitzel said. “Friday and Saturday especially because it is the weekend and more visitors come to the area and sometimes families have to wait an hour and a half to be seated.”
Before the pandemic, there would be a line out the door with customers waiting for a wood fire pizza, but this year is still a little strange for the restaurant because fewer people are visiting, she said.
“One time I got to see the lights because the street does a New Year Eve ball drop,” said Leitzel. “Typically, we don’t have time to see the lights because of how packed the restaurant gets and we have to keep up with the foot traffic in the restaurant.”
The lights bring fun, local charm to the area. With the city allowing 34th Street to have visitors this year, it will bring joy and smiles to all the families and children who missed out on the festivities last year.