Fireworks From a New Angle

New York City is known for its bright lights, but on Tuesday night, Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks will make the city sparkle even more. With explosions of red, white, and blue, as well as pastels and citrus colors against the skyline, Macy’s will celebrate its 30th year in the fireworks business.This year’s show, which kicks off at 9:25 p.m., will feature 36,000 shells, making it the largest in the country. The theme is patriotism, writ large across the sky. “People should be celebratory, joyful, but also we want to capture that emotion of how fortunate we are to live in the greatest country in the world,” a vice president and creative director of Macy’s annual event, William Schermerhorn, said.This year’s show is highlighted by technologically sophisticated fireworks that are designed to bring the show closer to viewers. Consider it a “high definition concept,” said Mr. Schermerhorn. He and primary designer Gary Souza decided to place fewer barges in the East River this year so as to allow for the fireworks to “spread across at a much wider and lower pattern than before,” Mr. Souza said.Increasing the distance between each barge allows the fireworks to be set off at more acute angles than in past years. While these more acutely aimed fireworks will still fly hundreds of feet into the air, to the viewer they will have the illusion of exploding only feet above the water.The combination of seemingly low explosions with explosions high in the air will create Mr. Souza’s favorite portion, “a mile long length of cascading golden sparks,” from 1,200 feet to water level, called the “golden mile.”Additionally this year many, of the fireworks, which were purchased from 13 countries including Spain, Portugal, and China, will have multiple effects. One firework, for example, appears to end in a chrysanthemum, then turns into a comet, Mr. Souza explained.All these special effects are meant not just to wow, but to rejuvenate the viewer, Mr. Schermerhorn said. “An entire wall of gold that just glitters is breathtaking. Everyone feels 10 years old,” Mr. Schermerhorn said. “Especially me.”The half-hour long show will consist of three acts, with the blasts perfectly synchronized to match the beats of original songs and originally arranged performances. The music will be broadcasted on 1010 WINS and the entire show can be seen and heard on NBC, channel 4.The fireworks will be shot from five barges around the city, with three placed between East 23rd and East 42nd streets to overlook the East River, one placed at the South Street Seaport, and one placed between Liberty and Ellis Island.The F.D.R. Drive will be closed from the Staten Island Ferry Terminal to 63rd Street, and from Broad Street to the Brooklyn Bridge, in both directions. In Brooklyn, Furman Street will be closed from Atlantic Avenue to Cadman Plaza West. The Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queensboro, and Williamsburg bridges will all remain open to car traffic and are not permitted viewing locations.Revelers have a range of places to watch the pyrotechnics, ranging from free public locales to high-end restaurants and bars. For the East River show, the best viewing spots are: the southbound lanes of the F.D.R. Drive between 14th and 42nd streets; Hunter’s Point, Queens, and Greenpoint, Brooklyn.For the South Street Seaport show, the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, Empire Fulton Ferry State Park, Furman Street from Atlantic Avenue to Cadman Plaza West, and the lower F.D.R. drive are optimal. For the New York Harbor show, Liberty Walk and New Jersey’s Liberty State Park are best.Viewers can enjoy the fireworks over meals and drinks. The South Street Seaport’s Pier 17 restaurants like the Seaport Cafe and Sequoia provide both food and a perfect view. Sequoia offers a prix fixe menu after 6 p.m. for $60 that can be kept for the rest of the night, a feature that general manager Debra Lomurno has found works out well. “There are people who probably never come down here except to see the fireworks,” Ms. Lomurno said.Perhaps the most elegant, and expensive, way to watch the fireworks is at Battery Park’s Ritz Carlton Suite, a $5,000 a night, 2,100 square foot room, overlooking New York Harbor, the Statue of Liberty, and Ellis Island. The hotel’s bar, Rise, changes its standard procedures by offering reserved tables at its bar for $125 on July 4, and first come, first served availability on its terrace.

Fireworks From a New Angle

Fireworks From a New Angle

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