Sylvan splendor: This holiday party has fun for a cause

For over three decades, neighbors on Sylvan Place have bathed their residential street in the glow of holiday lights. The rivalry between houses was fierce.

According to Alex Carr, who has lived on Sylvan Place with his wife, Sheryl, for decades, neighbors would pull their cars out of their driveways and make a deliberate crawl down the street to survey one another’s houses and dream up ways to outdo one another.

Eventually, the holiday house decorating competition grew into a community event that has drawn hundreds of visitors.

Since 2014, a traditional block party has emerged for a celebration in the truest sense: Hot dogs and hot chocolate are served, gifts are given out, and Santa is invited to share in the festivities. These days, the village closes off the street, with barricades and auxiliary police at the end of each block, and the Valley Stream Fire Department lets families explore the trucks.

The Takeaway

• Sylvan Place has been transformed into a winter wonderland for over 30 years, with neighbors engaging in a spirited holiday lights competition that turned their residential street into a festive spectacle.
• Amid the festive displays, Sylvan Place residents honor the memories of Chris Schroeder and Michael Smith, raising funds through a donation box.
• The proceeds benefit the Sunrise Association, supporting families with children battling cancer, and the ACHOR Program fund, aiding individuals with special needs in the Town of Hempstead.

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But in the true spirit of Sylvan Place, one fixture has remained the same: a small donation box is left outside Carr’s home to raise funds in honor of neighbors Chris Schroeder, who died of cancer in 2013 at 18, and Michael Smith, who had Down syndrome and died the same year at 44.

The money is split between two charities reflecting the two men. One is Sunrise Association, a non-profit aimed at supporting families with children suffering from cancer in honor of Schroeder. The other, the ACHOR Program fund, supports people with special needs throughout the Town of Hempstead, in honor of Smith.

“When we first started, we’d raise about $1,500,” he said. “We’ve had up to $3,500 for the year and we’ve even had up to $4,000. We give it to charities, whatever we can give them.

By Carr’s count, there have only been four years where the block party was called off: during the Covid-19 pandemic and amid a serious blizzard. This year, the festivities went on as scheduled with last Saturday’s party. The sense of community solidarity at Sylvan Place is marrow-deep, noted Carr, and the Christmas block party is a magnet for showcasing that sense of “old-school” togetherness.

“It may sound cliché to say but everybody who lives at Sylvan Place knows everybody’s name,” said Carr. “We shovel each other’s driveways. The neighborhood kids go from house to house.”

The tight-knit community atmosphere is what entices people to move in here, noted Carr, and what keeps them coming back long after.

“There’s a gentleman, a former neighbor, that comes from Pennsylvania to be with us and in a way relive the memories on this street,” he said.

The houses are slated to be lit the entire month of December and into early January. Carr said hundreds of people walk the block each day, on average, depending on the weather and temperature. The biggest night is normally the Saturday before Christmas drawing anywhere between 500 and 1,000 people each year. This year’s block party also paid tribute to the memory of Bob Coppola, Maryanne Russo, Marie Panania, Marion Gallo, Gene and Carol Northdruft, Bob Machalow, and Evelyn Gessner.

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