A Long Island man and a few helpers has given Long Islanders a generous gift, a customized Google Map that seeks to track all the homes in Nassau and Suffolk decorated with Christmas lights, along with pictures of the houses all decked out for the holidays.
The project is the brainchild of Jon Dignam who manages an extensive Google Sheets document with all of the houses on the map as well as a Facebook page dedicated to Christmas lights on Long Island.
“Basically it's a community project,” Dignnam told LongIsland.com in a Facebook message. “I get most of my houses from people sending me pictures and videos.”
Dignam also drives around and checks out some addresses that pop up but don't have a picture. It;s not an endeavor he has taken on alone.
“This year I have some extra help as it can get a little crazy,” he said giving a shout-out to his assistants, Arnie Zambrano and Geriann Glaviano.
The Google Map is impressive. Every house is indicated by a green Christmas bulb. WHen you click on the location a picture and address shows up. Zoom in to find clusters of homes, plot your course, and enjoy the light shows.
On his Facebook page, Dignam will feature especially impressive and newly discovered homes. He recently posted about a house in Bethpage that has its own title, the “The Grinch- Christmas House Projection Show 2020.” The production is very impressive. See a video of the home below.
Video: YouTube
The map is vital for planning to trek out to enjoy the lights this holiday season. It’s also achieving viral status.
“Over 1,055,000 views,” said Dignam. “Crazy.”