Tuesday, July 3, 2012

No Macy's Fourth Of July Fireworks Viewing From Roosevelt Island Or Other East River Locations Again This Year - Sign Online Petition To Bring Macy's July 4 Fireworks Back To East River Next Year


Unfortunately, there will be no viewing of the Macy's July 4 Independence Day Fireworks celebration from the Roosevelt Island, Brooklyn or Long Island City waterfront again this year as the Macy's Fireworks Celebration will be set off from barges in the Hudson instead of East River for the fourth straight year.

As reported in the Queens Gazette:
... officials at the 114th Precinct are advising residents that the move will prohibit a view of the fireworks from Roosevelt Island. Officials said the best viewing location would be from Manhattan’s west side, as well as New Jersey....
and:
... Queens police officials this week issued a reminder to the public that, again this year, they will not be able to view the annual Macy’s fireworks display from sites along the East River in Long Island City.

NYPD Queens North Borough Commander, Assistant Chief Diana Pizzuti, is reminding residents that the annual Macy’s July 4th fireworks extravaganza will take place again this year over the Hudson River – thus eliminating any view of the fireworks from the Western Queens waterfront....
According to this statement from NYC Public Advocate Bill De Blasio's office:
For 32 years, Macy’s graced New Yorkers with a spectacular 4th of July fireworks show on the East River. But in 2009, the lights went dark for 4.7 million residents from Brooklyn & Queens. What was told would be a one-year hiatus on the Hudson has now become the new norm – leaving more than half the city out of the July 4th celebration and surrendering to New Jersey the event’s many economic benefits for local business.

Now, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, State Senator Dan Squadron, Councilmember Stephen Levin, and Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz have joined forces to demand that Macy’s return the fireworks display to its rightful place on the East River waterfront to ensure it is, once again, a party that all New Yorkers can benefit from and enjoy.
Here's the full press release plus online petition and press conference to bring the Macy's 4th of July fireworks back to the East River.




This is what the Macy's July 4 fireworks looked like from Roosevelt Island the last time they took place on the East River in 2007 and 2008.

Curbed has a map of best places to watch the Macy's as well as other July 4 Fireworks.