Magnificent Mile Holiday lights...ugly LED now? (Chicago, Quincy: buy, vs.)

[bostonguy1960]

I hear that Chicago had its holiday lighting parade this weekend along the Magnificent Mile.

Years back, I saw a photo and even on tv, Boston's local ABC affiliate had the event, maybe on a tape delay. The lights looked beautiful.

Like everywhere now, do they use those ugly, off-color LED holiday lights, those hard plastic vs. glass bulbs? I hate the move in recent years to replace a city's traditional holiday lights with the unappealing LED version.

Are the Magnificent Mile lights as spectacular as years past?

I'm selfish, but yearn for the past in this regard. My own city of Quincy, Massachusetts, now has begun stringing up the LED lights in an area that still had the glass bulbs. It'll be lighted for the first time this weekend, and I already envision a disappointment.

In Boston, several years ago the city replaced the holiday tree lighting on Boston Common with those LED lights. They're so dreary and depressing. Actually, I think there are more lights and more effort put in nowadays, but the result is bland.

The white bulbs, especially, just don't look right, as they don't have that sparkle of the traditional glass bulbs. I guess the bulbs are called C9 bulbs? You can still buy them in stores, but they may be environmentally friendly yet can still be made to look retro?

I know this sounds very shallow for environmentalists to hear, but anybody else agree?

And I don't find the light blue holiday lights appealing in most or all cases. That color started with the LED trend? Never saw that color growing up.

[pete6032]

Yes, I also hate change.