37th Street (Austin)

37th Street is a street in Austin, Texas, known for its many houses that are decorated with Christmas lights.[1][2][3][4] The tradition attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year, though neighbor participation has decreased the past few years due to the original residents having moved away and more students renting homes in the neighborhood.[1][4][5]

37th Street
Lights along the street in 2006
Frequencyannually
Location(s)West 37th Street between Guadalupe Street and Home Lane
Austin, Texas
Coordinates30.301431°N 97.737565°W / 30.301431; -97.737565
Years activemid-1980s to present[1]
ParticipantsTens of thousands[1]

History

In the mid-1980s, a couple of neighbors began bridging the street with Christmas lights left by other neighbors and found at fraternity and sorority houses near the University of Texas. Soon, other neighbors followed suit. Early participant Bob Godbout recalled, "It didn't start out as Christmas lights. It started out as a wild art form and stayed that way."[1]

In 1993, city workers removed lights strung from city poles due to fire hazard concerns. In response, street residents turned off all lights, resulting in numerous complaints directed at the city from visitors expecting light displays. City workers returned the following day to reinstall the lights.[1]

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See also

References
  1. Beach, Patrick (December 16, 2005). "It's a wonderful light". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved March 14, 2011. Note: This story was first published on December 12, 1999, and has been reprinted annually since then.
  2. Mottola, Daniel (December 30, 2005). "Are Partiers Dimming the 37th Street Lights?". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved March 14, 2011.
  3. Mottola, Daniel (December 22, 2006). "37th Street Lights: Will they burn brighter or burn out?". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved March 14, 2011.
  4. Vega, Jackie (December 18, 2008). "Austin's spirit illuminates the season". KXAN-TV. Retrieved March 14, 2011.
  5. "Meet the owner behind Austin's 'Stranger Things' house". KVUE. Retrieved 2018-12-08.
External images
"37th Street lights" (Austin American-Statesman, 2010)
"37th Street holiday lights" (Austin American-Statesman, 2010)
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