Today is the United States of America's 240th anniversary, and onlookers can expect Macy's annual Independence Day celebration to pack an extra punch in its nearly half-hour long fireworks display over the East River.
For those who are looking for an amazing view and equally great parking, there are several locations around the city, including alternatives, that should be given close consideration.
Macy's fireworks display will kick off at 8 p.m. ET and can be visible anywhere in the three boroughs along the river, except in locations where there's something scraping the sky in between a vantage and the display.
The fireworks will be launched from barges on the river and will be followed by performances from Meghan Trainor, Pitbull, Kenny Chesney, DNCE and 5 Seconds of Summer.
Always the largest in the nation, Macy's fireworks display "grows even larger, pulling together a grand spectacle with more than 56,000 effects ignited from five firing locations on the water, making this year the biggest Macy's Fireworks show since our once-in-a lifetime millennial display in 2000," said Amy Kule, executive producer of Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks.
For those interested in viewing the event from a remote place, NBC will broadcast the two-hour event starting at 8 p.m. And for those wanting to see the show in person, here are some of the best places to park and watch:
Public Vantages
Broad Street, ground level
Old Slip, upper level
Pearl Street and Frankfront Steet
FDR Drive and Houston
FDR Drive and 23rd Street
FDR Drive and 42nd Street
Special Needs Viewing Areas
Center Boulevard, from 48th Ave. to 49th Ave.
FDR Drive and 34th Street
16th Street and Avenue C
Furman Street and Old Fulton Street
Vietnam Memorial Park
Alternatives
Brooklyn Heights Promenade
Four Freedoms Park, requires reservations
Alice Austen Park
Southpoint Park, requires reservations
The Elevated Acre
Remember Ye This
One of the five barges is located just south of the Brooklyn Bridge. The other four are lined up just south of the Midtown Tunnel.
The places people should consider skipping this year include Roosevelt Island, Battery Park, Battery Park City and Hunter's Point.
Remember to arrive early, really early to avoid traveling to a location that is already full, or closed.
@EmpireStateBldg We're excited to celebrate with you! #MacysFireworks
— Macy's (@Macys) June 29, 2016
56,000 pyrotechnic shells = @Macys biggest fireworks display in years! Catch the show all along the East River. https://t.co/oaTaBQx2bb — NYC Mayor's Office (@NYCMayorsOffice) July 2, 2016
