In The Mood For NYC Holiday Cheer With Small-Town Vibe? Look No Further Than The Uniqueness Of DUMBO

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — For city dwellers who might be craving a “Main Street” holiday experience, it’s just a subway ride away.

DUMBO in Brooklyn has a distinctive look and feel offers a touch of small-town cheer in the big city.

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They are the sights and sounds usually associated with DUMBO — trains and vehicles barreling along on various forms of infrastructure.

But this time of year, it’s a little different.

The urban landscape doesn’t quite disappear, but this Brooklyn community clearly enjoys a more hometown holiday vibe.

“It’s a happy place during, during the Christmas season,” tree seller Cole Tempesta recently told CBS2’s Mary Calvi.

Tempesta has been selling trees in the area for eight years.

“It’s amazing how many families that I recognize and talk to every year. I watched their kids grow up,” Tempesta said.

“DUMBO is an amazing destination for the holidays, because it’s just one of these wonderful old New York romantic scenery spaces,” said Alexandria Sica, president of the local Business Improvement District.

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Sica said kids even have a direct line to Santa.

“We thought it would be important to help make some wishes come true and support local businesses at the same time,” Sica said.

The 2-year-old “DUMBO Dollars” program helps out families and businesses with financial incentives to shop locally.

Vibhuti Amirfar is a local mom/elf answering her daughter’s letter to Santa, and someone who shops locally at an independently owned bookstore with DUMBO Dollars.

“It feels like you’re supporting people that you know, almost like a larger family,” Amirfar said.

Glam Expressway is another local business fostering a strong neighborhood connection.

“I have a lot of local and minority and female designers. That’s really important to me,” owner Lindsay Stuart said.

It’s a neighborhood mindset that serves Stuart, not just for the holiday season, but all year round.

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“I’ve always thought of DUMBO as a small town in a big city. Everyone is kind of growing up together. Our kids are all growing up together. And there is that great vibe and spirit of love and connection in the neighborhood,” Stuart said.