Notes From The Neighborhood: Macy's Says No The East Side

On Monday, not long after Brooklyn politicians rallied to bring the Fourth of July fireworks back to the East River, Macy's said it would stay on the Hudson this year. "Macy's Fireworks will take place on the Hudson River, with barges positioned between 18th and 48th streets providing two miles of public viewing space," said Macy's spokesperson Orlando Veras. State Sen. Daniel Squadron, whose Downtown Manhattan/Brooklyn district straddles the East River, and Brooklyn Council Member Stephen Levin rallied April 2 in an effort to convince Macy's to move the riverside display back east after a three-year stint on the Hudson. In a press release, several East Side pols disparaged the merits of the Hudson because it shuts out Brooklyn and Queens and drives people to New Jersey, but in response to tweets posted by West Side Spirit and Our Town, Squadron clarified and said he wanted the display to be on both rivers. The fireworks "will not be a permanent fixture in any one location," Veras said in an email. "Exclusively limiting the show to any particular area would greatly hinder the creative freedom that has made it the nation's best and largest Independence Day display." Compiled by Megan Bungeroth and Josh Rogers