July 4th in New York City

What an amazing New York Experience. On the suggestion of a housemate, Kathy, I purchased tickets to watch the famous Macy's Fireworks display from the southern tip of Roosevelt Island.


This map shows how great of a spot it was. One red X shows where the seats were, at the very tip of Roosevelt Island. The other X shows roughly where the closest of the three synchronized fireworks displays went off, above the East River.


A view of the Manhattan Midtown skyline as Nathalie and I walked down the waterfront towards the tip of the island. You can see the Chrysler building. Just to the left of it, the tall black building is Trump World Tower, and on the far left of the screen, U.N. Headquarters. The weather was absolutely flawless for the occasion.


Here's a shot as the sun set lower, and the boats started to gather for the view. Much better shot of the U.N. Building, and the Empire State Building peeking up in the background. If you look closely along the waterline, you can make out thousands of people standing against the edge of Manhattan awaiting the spectacle.


After dark; just before the fireworks. Chrysler building and Empire State fully lit.


Aside from finding someone with a boat, I can't think of a better place to watch the fireworks than Roosevelt Island. We had reserved seats, allowing us to bypass the crowds, a live band serenading us before the show began, food and restrooms available, and a chance to walk around the peaceful and fascinating Roosevelt island. To top it all off, Kathy and Emily arrived early and saved Kathy J, Nathalie and I seats close to the front tip of the island.


The fireworks. This photo is from the internet, but gives you a rough idea of what ithe show looked like. The fireworks launched from the East river, the South Street Seaport, and Ellis Island. They were all synchronized together, and coincided with a medley of music as well.

The whole experience was one I won't soon forget.