MYFOXNY.COM - This year, the Macy's New York City Fourth of July Fireworks show is returning to the Hudson River in honor of the 400th anniversary of explorer Henry Hudson's voyage up the river. The last time the show was on the Hudson was 1993.
The show uses more than 30,000 shells, that means more than a thousand shells burst every minute, according to Macy's.
For the best viewing spot, it's best to get there early. Find a place on the West Side of Manhattan and New Jersey.
The show is at 9 p.m. on Saturday, July 4.
By Ines Rosales/New York Traffic Authority.com
The Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular will take place on the Hudson River to commemorate the 400th Anniversary of Henry Hudson's voyage. The show will begin at 9 p.m. and the barges will be placed from 24th St to 50th St. So that means many towns in NJ will be celebrating big time too. And oh the traffic headaches that come along with it.
Many roads north to south in Hudson County will be closed. Weehawken, West New York, Guttenberg and North Bergen Boulevard East will be closed to traffic between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. Also, Port Imperial Boulevard and River Road will be closed to all but emergency vehicles from Baldwin Avenue to the Bergen County border. More on that in a little bit.
Hoboken is expected to be the center point of all the celebrating. Use mass transit if you can. But if you have to drive here's what to expect. You can't park or drive in Hoboken July 3 to 5. Alternate side parking rules will be suspended on Friday, July 3, Saturday, July 4th, and Sunday July 5th.
Friday from 5 pm to midnight on Saturday Sinatra Drive, from First Street to 11th Street will be closed. Roads that are subject to closure as emergency access routes will be Hudson Street, all eastbound streets west of Hudson Street, and Washington Street.
No public parking will be allowed:
- River Street from Hudson Place to Fourth Street
- Vezzetti Way/Observer Hwy. from Washington Street to Willow Avenue
- Newark Street, from Hudson Street to Sinatra Drive
- Fourth Street (south side), from River Street to Clinton Street
- Clinton Street, from Seventh Street to Eighth Street
- Willow Avenue, west side of the street from Fourth Street to 11th Street
- Hudson Place.Stevens Institute will also be open to the public, with Stevens Police patrolling the area.
Weehawken road closures will be decided by the volume of people driving to the area. So far these are the road closures:
- Boulevard East from North Marginal Highway, Weehawken, to Bergen
County line, North Bergen. It is anticipated that Boulevard East may have to close sometime between 12:00 p.m. (Noon) and 4:00 p.m. on July 4th. The closing will depend on the amount of pedestrians and motor vehicle traffic along Boulevard East. Every effort will be made to keep Boulevard East open as long as safety permits.
- Highwood Terrace, Hamilton Avenue, Hudson Place, Duer Place, Bonn
Place, Clifton Terrace, Fulton Street, Cooper Place, 47th Street, 48th Street, 49th Street, and 51st Street. All the above streets leading to Boulevard East will be closed at the same time as Boulevard East. Once Boulevard East is closed, only pedestrians and emergency vehicles will be permitted on these streets.
- It is anticipated that the Waterfront Roads from 19th Street to the West New
York border will close at the same time as Boulevard East.
- Gregory Avenue, Washington Street (20th Street), Highpoint Avenue, Oak
Street, Shippen Street, Dodd Street, Jane Street, Angelique Street, and Hackensack Plank Road at 19th Street and Ridgley Place. The above streets may have to close anytime after 4:00 p.m.
- NY Waterway Ferry will cease operations at 4:30 p.m. on July 4th and
reopen after the fireworks are completed.
- N.J. Transit light rail operations will bypass Weehawken at anytime if crowd conditions on the Waterfront become a safety concern.
While there will be no special parking restrictions for July 4th, the Police
Department will be patrolling all areas of the Township, strictly enforcing existing parking and traffic laws to insure access by fire and emergency vehicles. Any vehicle causing a public safety concern will be summonsed and towed.
Lincoln Harbor Park (next to the Charthouse Pier, where the Weehawken Day
Festival takes place) will be kept open. For safety reasons, access to the Park will be restricted to Weehawken residents only. Proof of residency will be required. There will be no parking on the Waterfront, you must walk to this location or be dropped off
early in the evening; traffic conditions permitting.
By the way, towns like Bayonne, Union City, Jersey City, and Secaucus are also holding their own events on July 2, 4 or 5..
Have a happy and safe 4th of July and Happy 233rd Birthday America!
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