Husband and I are going to NY for the weekend. What are the options for 4th of July fireworks activities? Any suggestions on where to go?

Thanks!

THere are a couple of threads on this you might search for.

There are concerts in Battery Park and Central Park and a street fair on Water ST.

Fireworks are on the east side so anywhere from uptown to the South St. Seaport are good viewing sites. The South St. Seaport is one of the best as is just south of 23rd St since you can see all barges and there are no buildings in front of you. The FDR is closed in the late afternoon and gets filled with people.

If you have any other questions just ask.

I head down to the street fair so if you see a redhead in brown crop pants and tee shirt, just might be me.

Here's the official site with viewing recommendations:

http://www1.macys.com/campaign/sitel...ks/viewing.jsp

East River Park is also good and has been in the process of renovation for the last few years. It will be less crowded than the Seaport and there is more room for people to spread and see. If you enter at either Delancey or Houston, vantage points are good and the park is the nicest there. It is a 7 minute walk east of the F train on Delancey to get there. You can drink in the park on the 4th with no trouble--bring a bottle of wine or some beer from the bodega. You could also do a picnic --there will be plenty of people doing the same.

You could also watch from the Williamsburg Bridge pedestrian/bike walkway (also accessible by F Train to Delancey, walk east on Delancey and you will run into it, the walkway is red.) It is a bit less crowded than the Brooklyn Bridge and again has a better view.

If you are feeling adventurous and want to go to Long Island City, the Water Taxi Beach Bar: ( nymag.com/listings/bar/harrys_lic_at_water_taxi_beach )
will give you full view, it will be crowded though.

Not sure where you are staying, but if your hotel has a roof bar or roof access, it may be worthwhile for views depending on location/height. At the Metropolitan Hotel's roof bar (35th Street b/t 5th and 6th Aves), you should be able to see the fireworks.

You will want to arrive earlier rather than later especially if you go to the Seaport to get the best spot, prices at the Seaport on drinks and food will be high.


My favorite spot is my roofdeck--private party though.

Thanks everyone. Maybe we will see you travelbuff. I think we will just hang out in the city and cruise around that day. We are staying at the Millenium UN Plaza but don't want to stay in our room for fireworks. Kinda boring. The street festival sounds fun. We are going to the Yankee game on Sunday night. Any suggestions for what to do on Sunday?

Thursday - Harlem walking tour
Maybe a museum (Cloisters or American Indian), Cirque show and dinner somewhere
Friday - hang out in the city
Saturday - CI and Brooklyn
Sunday - 8pm Yankee game

Last trip we did Central Park, Lombardi's, Lower Manhattan area. Also, suggestions for some good music places at night (rock, etc.) would be great too?

You're staying close enough that you could walk down to the park between 35th and 36th Streets on 1st Avenue and watch the fireworks from there. I've never really felt it was worth it to go so many hours early just to watch from the FDR. THere's always a crowd down there, but it's reasonably close to your hotel (10 minutes walk) and gives a pretty good view from street level, though you do miss some things. The fireworks barge will be moored at the end of the big open lot between 35th and 36th streets so you have a nice clear view of the entire show if the weather is good.

That's how I feel too Doug. That's why I figured we'd cruise around during the day so we'd already be down at the Seaport. But it does sound like it gets pretty crowded. And I'd like to eat dinner somewhere casual before hand as well since the fireworks don't start till 9. Which park are you referring to?

The park off 1st and 36th is a smallish park along the east river. there is some grass.

There are plenty of casual places in the 30s on 3rd Ave, 2nd Ave and 3rd Ave--you would not need a reservartion and could just play it by ear. I'd get to wherever you plan to watch by 8pm, meaning go to eat dinner @ 6:30pm. Waterfront Ale House on 30th and 2nd Ave is good pub fare and has a large selection of beers.

I watched the fireworks from the Brooklyn Heights Promenade last year. Will this still be a good spot this year? I thought I read somewhere that the barges will be further north this year?

Mike
My travel blog: www.stricklandia.com

It's St. Vartan Park, between 1st and 2nd aves, bounded by 35th and 36th streets (I actually had to look this up even though I live just a block from there). And it gets pretty crowded (though nothing like the Seaport), especially once the police close off the FDR access, which usually happens fairly early in the afternoon.

The Seaport has a good view, but it's really mobbed, and it would be almost impossible to find a good restaurant there. Murray Hill is definitely better, and there are lots of choices, everything from pretty good deli (Sarge's) to really good deli (2nd Ave Deli) to excellent Greek (Ethos) to just simple neighborhood places like Hudson Place or Cinema.

I actually prefer the view from the Queens side, around Water Taxi Beach (which is accessible by both subway and ferry ... ferry will be closed by evening), but there are relatively few dining options over there. But I think the new Ihawan (Filipino at 50th Ave between Vernono and Jackson) will be open by July 4th, if not already, and it's not terribly far.

Is the fireworks viewing very good from Roosevelt Island?

Might be, might not be. Roosevelt Island is under the Queensboro Bridge, which is about 25 blocks north of the northernmost fireworks barge. Plus the buildings there are pretty high and I don't know if they block the views or not. If you want to see the fireworks from there, you need to go as far south on the island as you can, and then I expect the view would be pretty good.

The best unobstructed views will be from the Queens side of the river in Long Island City.

So much for the 4th in NY! My husband was just diagnosed with pneumonia so I had to postpone our trip. Unfortunately we have tix to Sundays Yankee Red Sox game and I'm frantically trying to sell!

Try Stubhub with your tickets, they buy and sell, and that game will sell out so you should be able to sell the tickets.

PS I'm going to the game tomorrow night!!!!

Thanks travelbuff but they won't let me due to the time limit left.