New Yorkers are all for holiday cheer in their buildings (for the most part)

It’s all about the warmth When I first moved to Harlem, my first building was decorated with a Christmas tree and some wreaths, but my current building doesn’t have any decorations in the lobby. I like all the holiday décor because it makes the environment more festive and warm.—Brittany, Harlem (pictured below)

Only if all the (holiday) bases are covered I think if the decorating is done tactfully and multiculturally, it makes me feel more connected to my neighbors during a short period of the holiday season.—Jim, Astoria

Some cheer is nice Our building has a very pretty tree (with white lights—my favorite) and a lovely menorah. But that’s all, which is also nice: Festive but not over-much, which is probably the rub, as everyone has their preferences about what constitutes "enough" or "too much" in the way of decoration. My vote is YES to decorate, and YES to a little restraint in the execution.—Kira, Upper West Side

 

Skip it, please I'd much rather that my building forgo any holiday decorations rather than try to figure out how much space to allocate for everyone’s observance. I can't stomach the irritating in-fighting that goes on if a menorah is smaller than a creche and vice versa. Also, not everyone loves the holidays. Not everyone celebrates the way I do. I'm fine keeping my observance my own rather than a group activity between tenuously connected strangers. And yes I realize the irony considering that my most recent book is Ancient Prayer: Channeling Your Faith 365 Days of the Year.—Rachel, Brooklyn

 

Cheer is cheery Lobbies are usually so dreary and don’t change through the years. I like the change of seasons so maybe that’ s why I like the change in lobby décor and I think it makes people cheerier—maybe because the doormen and building staff are anticipating their bonuses or maybe they're excited that it’s Christmas.—Kay, Upper East Side

 

Verdict: Cheer it is!