I love fireworks! I hate crowds! Where can I go?

brooke lynn knight

I want to see the July 4th fireworks in a place without a mob scene. The time-honored way, of course, is to have a rich friend with a penthouse and watch from there. However, I don't have any penthouse-owning friends, so I'm going to watch from terra firma.

Greenpoint and Williamsburg were busts last year -- we drove & drove and finally ended up in a crappy trash-strewn waterfront lot in a crappy neighborhood, and even that was so crowded I missed half the fireworks (and my toddler had even worse visibility).

Is there any secret or not-so-secret spot in Brooklyn or Queens that we can drive to to see the fireworks without having the breath crushed out of us? I mean, I don't mind other people being there, but I don't like it to feel like the Q at rush hour. Feel free to PM me if you know someplace really, really secret, so secret its name cannot be mentioned in public.

PS -- yes, yes, I know the crowd is supposed to be half the fun. For me, for this occasion, it isn't. And my kid is still quite little, and crowds freak him out.

sjknoll

My super let us on our roof last year to watch the fireworks and we were able to see the Macy's display, plus fireworks in Staten Island and Jersey. It was pretty awesome.

Any chance you can sneak up to your roof for a little bit?

veets

The last few years we have gone to Red Hook. There are some decent places to see "most" of the fireworks. Unfortunately, I am guessing that this year that area will be more crowded. Since Ikea opened many people have disvovered the area exists and it is not a big jump of thought to realize the fireworks can be seen from the waterfront there.

if you want more home-grown fireworks you can go to the Coney island fireworks. they happen every friday evening. the secret there is go to the Brighton Beach boardwalk early and get a table at tatiana's on the Boardwalk. Have some russian food and a bottle of vodka and wai till the show starts.

possibly_maybe

Two years ago, I went with some friends to that park between the Brooklyn & Manhattan Bridges in DUMBO.

It got pretty crowded, but we got their early (3pm-ish), and even at full capacity, there was still room for quite a few more people in the grass all around.

I don't like crowds either, but it was VERY well worth it. It's not like the Rockefeller Center tree lighting, where you're forced to stand, shoulder to shoulder, crotch to butt. Decent room to sit and watch the fireworks going off right in front of you. The Manhattan bridge blocks some of the stuff going on further up river, but for the two (right?) barges further down, I could hardly imagine a better spot. It was AMAZING.

whatchuwant

There's a restaurant in Battery Park (I forget the name). The food isn't that good or anything, but they have a casual section outside and if you just order drinks and apps, it's actually a really perfect spot. We went there couple of years ago and got there maybe 2 hours before- no problems/wait time to sit). PM me if you want more details.

tajmb

Can't you get on your roof? I'm always on mine and on the 4th of July everyone around me seems to be on theirs too.

caseopele

Brooke Lynn Knight, I just PM'd you.

noskcaj

Whatchuwant wrote: There's a restaurant in Battery Park (I forget the name). The food isn't that good or anything, but they have a casual section outside and if you just order drinks and apps, it's actually a really perfect spot. We went there couple of years ago and got there maybe 2 hours before- no problems/wait time to sit). PM me if you want more details.

are you talking about Gigino?

whatchuwant

Flexichick wrote: [quote=Whatchuwant]There's a restaurant in Battery Park (I forget the name). The food isn't that good or anything, but they have a casual section outside and if you just order drinks and apps, it's actually a really perfect spot. We went there couple of years ago and got there maybe 2 hours before- no problems/wait time to sit). PM me if you want more details.

are you talking about Gigino?

I have no idea, Flex. :oops: Been so long since I've been down there...actually 2005! When I got my masters, my mom took me and my professor (and his girlfriend) out to dinner to celebrate.
That place was sort of a haunt for me for a while, but only for the views and the outdoor bar.