July 5, 2006
Celebrating the Fourth
Yesterday's July 4th celebrations went off without a hitch. The rain managed to stay away during the display and New Yorkers got to enjoy the biggest fireworks show in the world. Smiley face and rolling dice fireworks were in display, but in our book, the coolest fireworks were the ones that looked like jellyfish swimming around. This year's display was themed "It's About U.S." and the New York Pops played state-and-city themed songs, as well as songs that mentioned the 300 million U.S. citizens and the usual songs you hear during July 4th (Stars and Stripes Forever, etc.). And if you watched the NBC Fireworks show, you would have had musical performances from Bo Bice, Nick Lachey, Lionel Richie, and Liza Minnelli to make up for not really being there. Yeah, waiting out with thousands of other New Yorkers might well be the better option.
Newsday looks at the Staten Island Independence Day parade, where Mayor Bloomberg also marched, while the NY Times looks at the smaller fireworks displays around the region. And Mayor Bloomberg marched in a parade yesterday and headed over to a little girl who held a sign "Mike for President" for pictures. Hmm.
There are so many awesome fireworks pictures on Flickr, but there were our favorites. Top photograph by seth holladay, middle photograph by Pabo76,. and bottom photograph by kenyee, all on Flickr
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awsome shots!! .. more fireworx tonight at the trash bar in williamsburg.. SOUSALVES lights 'em up at 9 pm !!!
Why didn't Gothamist tell me that the East River is full of poor people? I went near South Street Seaport to get a glimpse and under the bridges were all goddamn chinese illegals, poor dominicans, poor puerto ricans and poor blacks who live in the projects. The chinese illegals were in massive group clusters and the blacks were trying to pickpocket the weak ones. It was just too much. The fireworks started late. They said 9 pm but it didn't start til 9:23. so for half an hour I had to protect myself from not getting spit on by the illegals and not getting robbed by the others. I felt I was being circled by sharks. During the fireworks you saw all thes elittle black kids trying to pickpocket people, it was crazy. after 10 minutes a huge cloud of smoke started wafting towards us and I got the fuck out of there. Next time Gothamist should warn people that the east river is a hotbed for poor people and criminals.
Was I the only one terrified at the sight of Liza Minnelli on my TV screen last night?
Does anyone know why people weren't being allowed on the Brooklyn Heights promenade? We were told that only people who "knew someone already there" could go down, and everyone else had to watch through the trees.
South Street Seaport was surprisingly not terribly crowded. Sure you were amidst seemingly thousands of people, but even arriving at 8pm, we were able to get a really good viewing spot.
Folks around us were super nice. And it was fitting being in a crowded, diverse cross-section of America "ooo"ing and "ahhh"ing together.