Every year, we scour the papers and Internet looking for Houston's definitive guide to spectacular residential Christmas lights displays, and every year, what we find what comes up a little lacking. A handful of neighborhoods are invariably cited, and we've already been to most of them. There's the Prestonwood subdivision near 249 and 1960, Scott Terrace off Scott between Yellowstone and O.S.T., and Shepherd Park Plaza / Candlelight Plaza, near Ella and W. 43rd. River Oaks, Woodland Heights, Hermann Park, Highland Village, Uptown and Galveston's Moody Gardens also get some love in most of the round-ups.

To our (admittedly tacky) taste, River Oaks is a bit dull, colorless and staid, while those last four don't count. Parks, attractions and shopping districts belong to a separate category of Christmas light-viewing. Surely there are more of these rabidly holiday-crazed, Trans-Siberian Orchestra-blaring neighborhoods (or even single incredible houses) out there in the H-Town sprawl. What are your favorites?

- John Nova Lomax