Macy’s 4th July Fireworks Spectacular

I’m hard to impress for fireworks, the whole concept fights against my ideas of novelty (isn’t it the same thing every time?), crowd hatred (the general public is annoying, says my inner elitist) and the brevity (3 hours of waiting for 15 minutes of climax… underwhelming climax). This year I make a sojourn to NYC for the fireworks to end a long trip and for once these factors were negated: we stayed at the Fairfield Marriott which was right in front of the fireworks, getting us behind the fence of where the main public got in, for a front-​row view with not too many people, right south of the Brooklyn bridge! So I could not have asked for a better situation, minus the crazy-​ass family screaming and fighting next to us the whole time (I think that was their baseline normal communication). The firework show was really long and one big extended climax with a double spurt at the end, one of the best I have ever seen, I needed a cigarette!

Simply the best, where else would any New Yorker go? Tip: Of course you need to claim your spot early. Although Macy’s says the FDR viewing area opens at 7pm, people will start gathering long before at the entry points. Be prepared to stand or sit on the ground: The New York Police Department won’t allow you into the area with backpacks, lawn chairs or other large items, and they often search your bags. But, you want that, sad to say so that you feel safe. Best views:
Manhattan’s FDR Drive between Houston Street and Midtown East, with entry points at Houston, 23^rd, 34^th and 42^nd Streets.

Our group was redirected to FDR bridge as Brooklyn Bridge was full? NYPD officers seen every 5 feet. LOL
Nevertheless, on our trek to our destination, there were a pre-​checkpoint to leave umbrellas behind and an official checkpoint looking into bags for contraband (ie. includes umbrellas).
We got to the bridge around 8pm but the fireworks didn’t start until a little bit before 9:30pm. Thought we went early for a good spot but there are some aggressive people!
We had a good view of the fireworks — pretty spectacular, with the finale of red, white, and blue!
Would definitely recommend going — just bring a picnic blanket and a few snacks while waiting for the show to start!
8pm would be a good time to arrive or even a little bit earlier.
Tips:
1) don’t bring an umbrella
2) follow orders by NYPD for ease of traffic flow
3) skip the subway immediately after the show and walk down to chinatown for a snack break before heading out on subway home

My review are on the festivities and fireworks alone as i watched them from a party on a roof on the west side. Great view of the festivities and fireworks as there aren’t too many tall buildings on the far west side so you get a clear sky and river view on the Hudson river. As noted the last couple of years its been on the Hudson so i can tell it can get a bit crowded in riverside park or on the west side highway for viewing.
There usually is a helicopter flyover by the NYPD a hour before the fireworks and a fireboat water show in red white and blue on the Hudson. Around 930 pm 4 barges are on the Hudson and the fireworks begin for 30 min. Great creative fireworks shoot off in the sky in various shapes and sizes. Been seeing it the last 4 years and it is different every year with some new firework shape.
Highly recommended as one of the essential NYC things to do.

It’s the Macy’s 4^th of July Fireworks… there is not a better display in the country…

I hadn’t thought what I was planning on doing for the 4^th, when my dad asked me if I wanted to take a trip with him to NY. We would be flying out the morning of the 4^th and arriving mid afternoon. After grabbing dinner, we trekked out to Hoboken, NJ to see the fireworks show from the other side of the river.
We had a rental car and didn’t want to bother with trying to get into Manhattan and from what I read and heard that the view is actually better from the NJ side because you had the beautiful backdrop of the Manhattan skyline. The show started promptly at 9:30 pm and lasted about 25 minutes. It was continuous and there was many mini finales throughout. One of the best fireworks shows I’ve seen.

The actual firework display deserves an A+; however, because of the type of music being played during the presentation I generously gave it a C. The music selection (except for maybe 3 numbers) did not mesh with the beautiful colorful sky. I am very surprised at both Macy’s & NBC for allowing a celebration of our country to be turned into a concert. There were many more appropriate songs that could have been used as the accompaning music for the display. As an American I am very dissappointed I feel that the real purpose of the fireworks was forgotten during the correlation. Hope they take a good look at what the actual occassion was (America’s Birthday) and try to do better next year.

Okay, it’s New York City, so you should figure something like this is going to be a logistical clusterf*#%.
Notice I used the word «should.» Please keep that in mind before diving in and you won’t be surprised. Being a rookie, I made that mistake and probably didn’t get to enjoy the full experience of the «Spectacular.» This is mostly because by the time I got there, (which was no problem via the subway)…well, «there» is a relative term.
I felt like a rat in a maze with some streets closed off and others already filled with people sweating, bumping into each other, waiting and sweating some more. Oh, I was in Hell’s Kitchen? Most accurate description of the night.
Not knowing specifically where the sky would be illuminated, I just picked a spot on some random intersection on 11^th Ave, faced west and hoped for the best. This was actually not the worst decision because I ended up having a partial view of the fireworks between the buildings in front of the masses.
From what I could see, the show was pretty impressive, with synchronized launch points along the Hudson River causing ongoing oohing and ahhing and elevated camera phone holding for nearly 25 minutes. With all the pretty colors and loud noises complete, another Independence Day was in the books. Happy 4^th!

Native NYer that’s only done the live fireworks twice. Mostly b/​c I don’t like crowds, standing for hours, or extreme weather.
The first time was pre-​9/​11 and I went to the Seaport when the fireworks were on the East River. It was very crowded, you have stand around for a while, didn’t get much a view with the FDR right in front of us, but it was a great experience, nonetheless.
This year I went to Stephens Institute in Hoboken to view the fireworks because the school allows students (i.e. my brother) and a few guests to view from campus. It was a great experience. There were only about 300 people at the school on the lawn, just relaxing under the trees with a perfect, front-​row view of the Hudson.
Only in New York!!! Nowhere else can I imagine would have such spectacular fireworks as this great town of mine!

Definitely not to be missed! I hadn’t been since I was a kid and was lucky enough to be invited by someone with VIP tickets to picnic grounds in Hudson River Park. Macy’s really outdid themselves, tons of free food and give a ways, fun characters walking around (Power Rangers), and a lovely area to set up your blanket and chill until the fireworks start at 9:30 PM. The grounds opened at 5PM, with it getting kind of crowded around 8PM. The tv special begins filming around 8 and this is an hour and a half of absolute lameness, but the whole experience is a good time and worth suffering through the broadcast for. Fireworks were off the hook.

Macy’s 4^th of July fireworks spectacular is simply a tale of two cities, of the haves and have nots, the 1% and 99% and whatever ‘us versus them’ metaphor is appropriate.
For those who by great fortune, luck or advanced planning were part of the Hudson River Park private party ticketed area (or a roof top vantage point), my hat goes off to you from the human cesspool of steerage or, where everyone else was sectioned off.
I’ll preface the review by applauding and assigning the highest praise to Macy’s for the actual quality of firework and theatrical quality of the whole event, set to the patriotic (Ahem…) beats of Usher. But seriously, it’s a spectacular sight to observe these peaceful simulations of artillery and cannons firing off that do inspire a sense of wonder in my jaded consciousness.
It’s the throngs of people that inspire other less heavenly thoughts, like «Why are you pushing your way to the front after arriving at 9pm?» and «Why did you not use deodorant today?» or «Why, the awful humanity!»
There was a peaceful order emerging naturally of people sitting on the ground, playing cards, eating pizza and swiping smartphone screens. Alas, such order was abruptly lost by the barking orders of an officer of the law who told every one to stand up. (Sociology students take note: it’s how quickly people snap to attention if the order’s given by a person in a uniform. Except for Domino’s pizza delivery I suppose).
Ejected from Eden, our idyllic concrete pow wow was shattered by the onslaught of even more people. Like an invading tribe from a 1960’s prehistoric movie, the pressure was too much, the line could not be held and we were flushed up against strangers, sweaty flesh against flesh.
But that wasn’t the end of it as apparently some people decided, who brazenly pushed to the front moments before, to exit the festivities and grace the world with their presence elsewhere.
A conga line of selfish spoiled Millenials traipsed past horizontally to try and jump the barricades. Because it’s not enough to inconvenience the good people who took the time to arrive early enough and plan, let’s try and jump over a barricade. A police officer caught their planned escape and pointed them back, making it a third time I was privileged to feel a sweaty denim thigh brush up against me.
Cause of consternation #2: A trio arrives around 9:10 and inches their way forward by announcing that their «friends» are in the front and they must link up with these friends. Alas, between them and their friends were hundreds of tightly squeezed human sardines that would make a crowded subway feel like a stranded beach.
The audacity and arrogance sickens me, which is why this event very much showcases all that is wonderful and horrible about living in NYC.
So, I’d advocate planning ahead but it’s much more successful a strategy to throw fortune (and consideration for your fellow humans) to the wind, show up as late as possible and inconvenience everyone else who tried to do the right thing by showing up early.
None of which detracts from the altogether amazing sights and sounds of the live fireworks.

The fireworks were great but the music was awful. The absolute worst music I have ever heard during a fireworks display. Who was responsible for the terrible soundtracking? I hope they get someone who has some idea of what American music sounds like for next year. I almost totally ruined it for me and my family. We watched it with several other families, and they thought it was bad, too. Please, Macy’s get someone who can find some good music next year!!!

I had a lovely time watching the Macy’s 4^th of July Fireworks Spectacular in the Chelsea neighborhood last night. Granted, the highline was sort of obstructing my view on 24^th St and 10^th Ave, I could still see the fireworks creep up above it in the sky, and I had a great time. I appreciate that the traffic is kept coordinated and not unbearable. I appreciate that they close off streets to allow people to watch the fireworks. The West Side Highway is certainly a good place to watch fireworks. Though I didn’t get to see the fireworks over the Hudson River itself, I still enjoyed the show. It would be nice if they let the crowd get closer to the waterfront, but I understand the issue of crowd control.
It was also nice that we got a good place to stand and watch the fireworks show, even though we left the apartment at 8:30 PM and didn’t «camp out» by any means.
The show itself was spectacular — a dazzling display of lights in the sky and a phenomenal finale.
I am happy I got to see the fireworks show in NYC and I look forward to watching the show from the West Side Highway if I’m in the city again in future summers.

World’s first problems of anyone waiting for fireworks:
1. It’s crowded and people stink.
2. You are sweating like a pig. You stink.
3. Your feet start hurting, and you can’t stay still.
4. Did I mention the sweat?
5. People push you, are taller than you, and are just plain rude.
6. You wish you had paid a ticket to board one of the fancy boats for dinner on the river overlooking the fireworks.
With all this being said… IT IS WORTH THE WAIT AND FRUSTRATION! It takes you right back to childhood :) I don’t know why, but this year I was a little emotional looking at the fireworks (??? Embarrassing, I know!)… or maybe should I say I was in awe of the beauty? And nope, I am not drunk. I have to say that this year’s fireworks were really beautiful.
However, even with the beauty, the eagerness for the fireworks to be over is as strong as the eagerness for them to start. I think that next year I will actually board a boat, or befriend someone who has a rooftop in midtown west or the UWS.
Anyone with a rooftop needs a new friend?

It has been 20 plus years since I have made the journey to The Macy’s 4^th July Fireworks Spectacular. Reasons for not going: crowds, weather, a-​holes and I just don’t want to put up with the BS of the Holiday.
Today at 8:20 PM the wife and I decided to make this expedition into the sea of crowds. Now, you make think I am crazy to make this journey at this time, especially coming from Astoria. Nonsense. As a savoy New Yorker this is the perfect time.
I parked on 29^th street and 7^th Avenue. Walked down to 11^th Avenue and you will find my secret viewing spot. This area from 28^th Street to 33^rd Street (the edge of the Javits Center) has all one or two story buildings if any and it overlooks the train yards. This makes for perfect viewing with plenty of elbow room with no obstructed views. So by 8:45 PM I was seating on the curb waiting for the action to being. AWESOME!!!
Macy’s 4^th July Fireworks Spectacular was a pretty good show with all the bangs and whistles. With the great view I was able to experience the event with no hassles. There was plenty of OMG and WOW as the crowd watch the wonderful display of fireworks. Other cities may do it differently, but New York does it the Best.
Show ended at 5 to 10 and by 10 to 11 I was home enjoying the news on TV. I was in and out in less than an hour :) after the show.
This is a great show to see. Macy’s 4^th July Fireworks Spectacular does a very good job with the logistic of a major Event with a Million plus viewers. Enjoy!!!

You have to like crowded places if you’re planning to see the Macy’s 4^th July Fireworks Spectacular because it is CROWDED. I’ve been living in NYC all my life and I’ve seen the fireworks on the East side and West side. This year it was on the West side and I wish they had the fireworks on the East side where the fireworks can be seen from Brooklyn. I consider myself short and I can see the fireworks clearly even though I was surrounded by tall people. The fireworks are worth seeing and there are a variety of fireworks being shown.

Great fireworks show, but this really could have been done better from a planning point of view. I still don’t understand why they don’t open up the waterfront park to the public. Instead they keep the crowds in the northbound lanes of the WSH, where trees and other objects are more likely to block your view. I had a good view for all of the very high fireworks, but some of the lower ones were hidden from me by trees in the center divide and/​or buildings. It seemed unfair that the waterfront park was deserted other than a few cops and VIPs, and the vast majority of taxpayers were stuffed in the northbound land. At least let people in the southbound lane, which is slightly closer to the water.
Also, there were no bathrooms, so if you arrived early you couldn’t really drink anything unless you wanted kidney stones later.
Throw in a couple rows of portable bathrooms and let the people flow naturally into the waterfront park and this is easily a 5-​star event.
I will say that it was pretty cool to survey the makeup of the crowds. It is the first event or place I’ve been in New York where it looked like a truly representative slice of the ethnic and cultural body of the city.