I’ve never been one for backyard fireworks.

I remember all those Independence Days as a kid where my friends would whip out some sparklers, a lighter, and a twinkle in their eye, only for us to act out that scene from Hot Rod and stare at a flickering dud until we lost interest (Language rules restrict me from linking to it on YouTube, where I searched “Hot Rod fireworks” and clicked the third one down). But it didn’t take many major disappointments for me to realize the iridescent box of colors in which the sparklers were contained was an empty promise. I quickly gave up the practice.

“Oh, you bought $400 of Roman Candles? Good idea.”

Macy's Fireworks 2010 - photo by Barry Yanowitz

I guess I was spoiled as a kid, though. Instead of wasting our money on some overpriced birthday candles, my family decided to invest in the Disney Vacation Club– a timeshare, similarly overpriced, that pretty much locks up your vacation destination for the next four decades. Since I was five months old, I’ve not gone on a family vacation outside of Orlando. I used to be like this, now I feel like Charlie bit me. Not until I rebelled and went to college all the way in Tampa did I explore other parts of Florida.

(Now we have a house in Celebration, FL, about 30 seconds from Disney World, and I’ve fallen back into that funky Floridian pattern. Help.)

The reason I have no interest in those sparklers, though, is because Disney does do one thing right, and that thing is fireworks. Music synchronization, laser shows and spherical TV screens fashioned to look like a globe accompany the wonderfully choreographed fireworks, and I make sure to catch at least one show every time I go. Heck, I was just there two weeks ago, staring up at the sky with twinkles in my eyes (literally) and getting my ears blasted by incessant explosions.

Perhaps the only fireworks show that I’ve seen that rivals Disney’s expertise, though, is Macy’s Ignite the Night Independence Day fireworks. And fortunately for us, they’re in two days.

Assuming you aren’t blind –not really sure what you’re doing here if you are– the only flaw to a great fireworks show is an obstructed view. So, fortunately for you, fair reader, I have compiled a list of optimum viewing areas (anywhere with a clear view of the Hudson) for this year’s 36th annual Ignite the Night in hopes of sparing you from a strictly-audible fireworks show on Wednesday, which is not nearly as fun.

The barges that set off the fireworks float along the Hudson, between 18th and43rd St, and this means that any of the following spots are a good spots:

-        The West Side Highway, of course – anywhere on the water along the highway is probably the best place to be. There will be plenty of fellow viewers, and everyone will be watching together

-        Riverside Park – host of Hudson Warehouse’s wonderful Shakespearean plays, the park has plenty of great seats and views of the skies. Some of the walls get pretty high off the ground, though, so I wouldn’t recommend making them impromptu seating

-       Hoboken- Except for some really cool, shape-specific versions, fireworks are, for the most part, enjoyable from all angles, so Hoboken is just as good a spot as any

-        Pier 84

-        You can purchase access to the U.S.S. Intrepid for an Independence Day party and a perfect spot to see the show

-        A friend’s place. Obviously the best, least hectic, and most comfortable. If you don’t have one in the neighborhood, it might be worth making one, even if only to use them for their view.

Bad spots:

According to the Macy’s website, East River Park, Battery Park, Battery Park City, and all piers except 84 are not viewing spots for the fireworks show, so, of course, avoid those.

I recommend checking out the official website, as Macy’s provides a ton of information regarding the event. They’ve even gone as far as creating a Macy’s Fireworks App, which purports to make your viewing as seamless as possible.

I’m thinking I’ll be at Riverside Park.

–Nick Gallinelli

“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 & Josh Rogers

NYS Senator Daniel Squadron.

By Josh Rogers

No Virginia, there is no way to move the fireworks. On Monday, a short while after Brooklyn politicians rallied to bring the July 4^th 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 2 miles of public viewing space,” Macy’s spokesperson Orlando Veras wrote in an email to reporters.

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.

They were joined in a press release by several Manhattan legislators including U.S Rep. Carolyn Maloney, East Side Assembly member Brian Kavanagh and Council member Margaret Chin who represents Lower Manhattan’s West and East sides. Assembly member Micah Kellner of the Upper East Side voiced his support on Twitter.

In the release, the 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.

When asked if Macy’s would consider that, Veras did not respond, but he did hold out hope for East River fans in future years.

The fireworks “will not be a permanent fixture in any one location,” Veras wrote. “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.”

Tapped In: Notes from the Neighborhood

CAR WASH WORKERS TARGET UES OWNER

Last Friday, a group of car wash workers rallied at LMC Car Wash on East 109th Street to protest what they claim is its mistreatment of workers and to campaign for better working conditions. The car wash is one of about 20 in New York City operated by Lage Management Company; owner John Lage was ordered to pay over $3 million in back wages to workers in 2009 after the U.S. Department of Labor found that he had violated labor laws. Now, workers claim that conditions at Lage’s car washes are still unfair, that workers sometimes don’t make minimum wage and often work unpaid overtime.

Photo Credit: Andrew Schwartz

Sharing Titanic History

On the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, great grandson of Isidor and Ida Straus, Paul Kurzman, speaks with students at P.S. 198 the Isidor and Ida Straus School about the history of his family. The Strauses were founders and owners of the Macy’s department store. (INSET) Kurzman shared with students a locket recovered from Isidor Straus’ body.
DIABETES AND HEARING LOSS

Local audiologist group Audio Help Associates of Manhattan is offering free hearing screenings March 21-27 at their Upper East Side location, 186 E. 76th St. Hearing loss is about twice as common in adults with diabetes as in those who do not have the disease, according to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Doctors conducting the screenings will also be available to explain the connection between diabetes and hearing loss. To make an appointment, call 212-774-1971 and refer to code ADA SCREEN.
LAPPIN WANTS COMMUNITY BOARDS ONLINE

City Council Member Jessica Lappin introduced legislation last week that would require community board meetings to be broadcast live on the web. The bill would also mandate that recordings be archived and made available to the public within five days of meeting
dates. Community Board 6, which covers Turtle Bay, Murray Hill, Kips Bay and Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village, may be launching a pilot program later this year, and Lappin hopes that other boards will soon follow suit. “New Yorkers are always on the go, and with technology, we can bring community board meetings to them,” Lappin said in a statement. “With live webcasting, we can connect New Yorkers and make government more accessible and transparent.”
CENTRAL PARK GETS HISTORIC NOD

Last week, the preservation advocacy group Friends of the Upper East Side Historic Districts presented the Central Park Conservancy with its
Distinctive Achievement Award for the restoration of the park’s East Meadow. The last of
seven major lawns to be restored by the Conservancy, the 6-acre stretch of East Meadow was revamped over the course of a year and reopened to the public in September 2011.

Drainage was improved and paths reconstructed and an automatic irrigation system was installed on the landscape. “With this project, the Central Park Conservancy has once again proven their determination to invest in this exceptional scenic landmark, which the Upper East Side is lucky to call our backyard,” said Matthew Coody, a Friends of the Upper East Side Historic Districts associate. The East Meadow will reopen to the public for passive recreation, following its fall/winter closure, in April.

Photo Credit: Andrew Schwartz

Some Fine Tuning

A high school student recieves some free instruction from Classical guitarist Ben Verdery, chair of the guitar department at the Yale School of Music, during the 92nd Street Y’s High School Guitar Day on March 18. The free day of guitar instruction for New York City teens of all playing levels, included workshops on Beginner Afro-Cuban; Hawaiian Slack Key; Classical Guitar; and Solo Flamenco Guitar Art and Technique. Visit our website at www.ourtownny.com for more photos from Guitar Day.
HELP PLAN BIKESHARE

The Department of Transportation is holding a community planning session to get input from local residents on how to develop the BikeShare program for the Upper East Side. The program, which will be funded by sponsorships and user fees, will place bike rental stations around the city, allowing members to rent bikes 24 hours a day and return them
to docking points at any station. One of the program’s aims is to connect people to other forms of public transit in areas where subways and buses aren’t accessible.

Representatives from Community Board 8, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, Council Members Dan Garodnick and Jessica Lappin and Assembly Members Micah Kellner and Dan Quart will be at the session to hear community ideas and feedback about where to place BikeShare stations and how the program should be implemented. There will be two sessions Monday, March 26, at 6 and 7 p.m. at The Lighthouse, 111 E. 59th St., BV Hall, on the second floor. For information prior to the sessions, contact Josh Orzeck at jorzeck@dot.nyc.gov or call 212-839-6218.
FREE MAMMOGRAMS

Assembly Member Micah Kellner is coordinating with Project Renewal to provide free mammograms for the community Friday, April 20. Screenings will be conducted by appointment from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, 331 E. 70th St. Call Kellner’s office at 212-860-4906 to schedule an appointment in advance; all are eligible for the free service.