NYC July 4 fireworks move back to the Hudson for first time in a decade — but some on the East River side aren’t sad to see them go
It’s a blast from the past.
The city’s July 4 fireworks are moving back to the Hudson River for the first time in a decade – and the change has sparks flying on both sides of Manhattan.
The Macy’s Fourth of July show was moved to the East River nearly 10 years ago with officials saying more New Yorkers could see them, but as that chapter in the turf war comes to a close not everyone on Team East is sad to see the fireworks go.
“Selfishly, as a resident, it’s kind of nice to not have the fireworks this year,” said 34-year-old Alex H., who’s lived in Long Island City for five years and has had enough of tourists mobbing her front-row neighborhood.
“I have to walk around with a copy of my lease on my phone that day just to get around,” she said, complaining about the hassle of having to prove her residence at traffic-stemming NYPD barricades throughout the day.
Many Roosevelt Islanders, who cherish their remote neighborhood as a sanctuary from the bustle of the city, were also thrilled to hear they wouldn’t be mobbed by visitors intruding on their seclusion this year.
“Maybe it’s good for the island, but the island is fed up with the tourists,” said longtime Islander Fatima Briss.
“It brings a lot of people from all over, you don’t know who’s who, and there’s lots of noise,” the 73-year-old said, explaining she never even bothered watching the from home and instead went to Domino Park in Williamsburg.
It’s unclear exactly what led to the river change for this year’s fireworks show. Macy’s, which organizes and pays for the the show, told The Post “many factors contribute to the choice of location.
“Show design, size and scale of the pyrotechnics used, safety requirements and accessible public viewing locations and more,” the show’s executive producer, Will Coss, said in a statement.
Mayor Eric Adams told The Post the decision was all Macy’s.
“It’s their show, as long as we have it in New York City, I’m happy,” Hizzoner said.
The fireworks show has swapped between the East River and Hudson River several times since it became an annual tradition during the American bicentennial in 1976.
After an East River stretch, the show moved to the Hudson in 2009 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of explorer Henry Hudson’s arrival and exploration of the region in 1609.
Five years later in 2014, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the show would be returning to the East River so that more New Yorkers could have access to the show, according to the New York Times.
Despite some mixed feelings on the East River side, those on Team Hudson are ready to party again this Independence Day.
“Sorry, East Side, it’s a pleasure to watch it on the East Side waterfront but obviously we want it back,” said 60-year-old Scott Kogos, a 20-year New Yorker who put his hands up in the air and shouted “Wow!” when he heard the news.
“I live at 23rd and 10th and we used to be so excited,” Kogos said of the old days when the show was on the Hudson. “We literally had it above our heads on the roof top. It was a shower of the Fourth of July sprinkling above our heads. I’m excited!”
“Oh my gosh, I’ve got a plan, bringing my Frisbee, too. I’ll have all my friends come to watch it with me. I can’t wait. I’m so thrilled. I’ll be smacked in the middle of it,” said Julie Collins, who typically leaves town for the holiday but plans to stick around this year.
Elizabeth Beauchamp, 34, an actress who lives on West 30th Street, thinks parks lining the Hudson, and the river’s wide open expanse, will make for better viewing for all.
“With unobstructed views, I think it’s going to be beautiful and fun. I can’t wait,” she said, adding that that Hudson lets Garden State neighbors across the river join in the fun.
“New Jersey can see it – the more the merrier!”
