Elected Officials Urge Return of Fireworks to East River

By on July 3, 2013 2:09 pm in Events, Government, News

To the dismay of many Brooklyn Heights residents, the Macy’s Fourth of July fireworks have taken place on the Hudson River between Manhattan and New Jersey instead of on the East River between Manhattan and Brooklyn, for what will tomorrow be the fifth consecutive year. New York City Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, State Senator Daniel Squadron, and City Councilman Steve Levin have all called for their return to the East River next year. Perhaps with an eye toward West Side of Manhattan voters, mayoral candidate de Blasio advocates alternating them between the Hudson and East rivers, but Squadron, a candidate to succeed de Blasio as public advocate, and Levin both simply call for their return to the East River where more New Yorkers can enjoy them.

Photo, showing all that could be seen of the 2010 fireworks from a Brooklyn Heights rooftop, by moi.

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  • joinkert

    Source?

  • http://selfabsorbedboomer.blogspot.com/ Claude Scales

    Joint press release from Sen. Squadron’s and P.A. de Blasio’s offices.

  • north heights res

    FYI: Unless the photographer or the publication (whichever has the copyright) has give permission for this photo to be used, simply giving credit isn’t enough. It’s a copyright violation to use it without getting permission and/or paying for it.

  • http://selfabsorbedboomer.blogspot.com/ Claude Scales

    I’ve used photos from the Daily News and other news publications before, with attribution, and never had a complaint. But to play it safe I’ve substituted my own (greatly inferior) photo.

  • Jorale-man

    The whole move to the Hudson River is a highly transparent attempt on Macy’s part to win favor with New Jersey residents who – I’m guessing – spend more at its stores than those in Brooklyn and Queens. One only needs to visit the mediocre Macy’s on Fulton Street to realize that Brooklyn isn’t a high priority for the chain. Elected officials should do more to stand up to them though – it’s a question of civic responsibility.

  • north heights res

    If they know you’re doing it and don’t care, that’s another matter. But perhaps they don’t know? And I think your photo is great. :)

  • ursulahahn

    Has anyone considered the possibility that Macy’s decision not to hold its fireworks over the East River any longer has been made in agreement with certain governmental emergency and security agencies?

  • http://selfabsorbedboomer.blogspot.com/ Claude Scales

    Thanks! I guess it does a better job of showing the difficulty of seeing the fireworks from here.

  • petercow

    I am very happy the fireworks aren’t visible from the Heights. The neighborhood gets filled with trash, and the noise is traumatic for pets.

    Good riddance.

  • livingny

    Blows my mind that the fireworks for NY is not shared with NY!!! East river provides site for several boroughs NY, Queens, Brooklyn and some of SI, and Hudson provides site for part of NY and NJ. Wasn’t someone shooting off a show on the Hudson before Macy’s? I think there was not a big show but I vaguely remember seeing fireworks over there but the East River remains dark…

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlsiLOnWCoI Arch Stanton

    Te pets get over it as soon as the show is over over, just like a thunderstorm, hardly “traumatic”.
    The nabe gets hit with the spectators anyway, regardless of visibility.

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlsiLOnWCoI Arch Stanton

    Macy’s show, as I recall, uses four barges all shooting the same shells. Why not set them around the Battery of Manhattan? Say, one in the East River about mid Promenade, one in the Hudson River around Battery Park City and the other two east and west of Governors Island.
    That way there would be a massive amount of view spots.

  • MonroeOrange

    Narc!

  • petercow

    Disagree on both counts. The Promenade had more than the usual garbage this morning, but NOTHING compared to what it’s been when the fireworks were down here.

    And from my apartment, when the fireworks are down here, it’s like my building is exploding.

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlsiLOnWCoI Arch Stanton

    My dog doesn’t like the fireworks but Millions of people do. The show is over in a half hour or so, the trash gets cleaned up, many have a great evening a few don’t. I guess I can see beyond my own self interest. Suck it up and don’t have a cow man.

  • Andrew Porter

    Macy’s is now a *National* chain—they have stores across the country, have gobbled up many well-known store brands—so the show is staged where the rivers are widest, allowing use of the largest fireworks displays, and they’re televised by NBC across the country.

    Part of the chain-ing of America, where local and mom-and-pop stores have given way to stores with names familiar everywhere. Example: Applebee’s now open in Coney Island, and Times Square.

  • livingny

    Macy’s has been a national chain since I was a kid! The East river has been used for many many years and was changed because of the 400 year anniversary of the Hudson River one year but was not returned to the East River the next year. This has nothing to do with which river is the widest.