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Macy’s to return to Long Island City for 4th of July fireworks

Macy’s Fireworks over the East River on July 4, 2014 (Diana Robinson/ Mayoral Photography Office)

May 26, 2017 By Christian Murray

The Macy’s 4th Of July Fireworks  are returning to the Long Island City waterfront again this year for the third year running, several sources have confirmed.

The fireworks will be shot from several barges located on the East River and the spectacle will begin at 9:20 pm.

Macy’s brought the fireworks back to the East River in 2015 after they were moved to the Hudson River in 2009. Since their return Macy’s has been using Hunters Point South Park as its base.

In the past two years, the fireworks have brought more than 50,000 spectators to the Long Island City waterfront for viewing, according to police.

Sources say that the set up will be similar to last year where Hunters Point South Park will be closed to the public.  The park will be used by Macy’s as a staging area.

Visitors will have access to Gantry Plaza State Park for viewing.

Several performers are expected to come to Hunters Point South Park on the days leading up to the event for pre-recording.  In the past two years, rapper Flo Rida and pop stars Robin Thicke and Meghan Trainor have performed.

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16 Comments

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Anonymous

I’ve lived here for over 10 years. Same rules apply in most buildings regarding visitors and # of people permitted on the roof for July 4th when the fireworks are on the East River.

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Management on a Power trip

Macy’s fireworks are nice, but read the email from Related Management sent HPS Crossing and HPS Commons in LIC; with reference to the building rules for the day. Only 4 visitors are allowed to visit each tenant that day, visitors must enter by 1 pm. The fireworks are the venue not the apartment building.

I heard the building owners who are “Inconvenienced” by the disruption of the fireworks get a payout from Macy’s. Not sure if this is true? One thing the email seems like someone is taking their position to a new level. I wonder if the other buildings in LIC face the same rules? Please read and leave some comments on what you think?

Dear Residents-

We are excited to announce that the Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks, the nation’s largest Independence Day display, will return to the East River this year for its 41st Anniversary. The show will begin at approximately 9:20 p.m. After a review of the event’s relation to HPS Crossing last year, and in order to ensure that all residents can safely experience all of the festivities on July 4th, we will be implementing the following plan of action and policies:

i. Building Access for residents
All residents must pick up unique color coded wristbands which they must wear on July 4th in order to be vetted by security and permitted to enter the building. The wristbands will be available for pickup at the front desk at 9am on July 4th.
All residents should be mindful of additional NYPD and building security on this day which may cause some delays in navigating through the neighborhood or accessing the building.
Guest Policy
4 guests per apartment – no exceptions. This policy will be strictly enforced by extra security Personnel stationed at all building entrances. As mentioned above, this policy is being implemented for safety (and fire code) reasons. Safety and security of building residents is our #1 concern.
Each apartment will receive (along with their own wrist bands), four unique color coded guest wrist bands.
Guests must arrive prior to 1PM so that they can check-in and you can give them a wristband.
No guests will be allowed to enter the building without a wristband after 1pm – no exceptions!
Guests who do not have a wrist band will not be permitted to enter the building – no exceptions!
From 1PM-5PM, those with wristbands can come and go as they please.
After 5PM, due to NYPD restrictions, the neighborhood will be inaccessible to non-residents, and only residents may exit and enter the building- with some exceptions:
Deliveries: Food Deliveries will be accepted (if they can access the building) but residents will have to come down to the lobby for pick-up.
Smoking: Management will set aside a designated smoking area in front of the building for residents and their guests.
Residents arriving throughout the day: Exceptions will be made for Tenants returning to the building after 5PM, but management cautions that the neighborhood will be locked down by police and most vehicles will not be permitted to enter.
All building amenities will shut down at 6pm (including the Gym and Playroom).
Roof Access Lottery- Access to the River Terrace at Commons will be available to 150 randomly selected lottery winners all of whom must be amenity members at Commons.
Individuals interested in entering the lottery for accessing the River Terrace should complete the attached form and either email it to us at (see below) or return it to the front desk no later than June 23rd, 2017.
The lottery is available to only those residents which are in good standing and amenity package members of Hunters Point South Commons
No guests will be allowed to access the River Terrace
Forms can be dropped off in the management office, at the front desk, or emailed to [email protected]
We will reach out to the lottery all lottery winners by June 23rd,2017
The lottery winners will be able to pick up their unique color wristbands which will act as a pass for accessing the River Terrace.
The terrace will open for all lottery winners at 6pm on July 4th.
It will remain open until 10pm.
Please note, management reserves the right to turn away any guest that is deemed to be a nuisance to the community or its occupants. Additionally, please brief your guests on the above mentioned policies and ensure your guests treat our community and all of your fellow neighbors with respect; failure to do so is not only un-neighborly and unwelcome behavior, but also a direct violation of the apartment Standards Section of your lease.

We look forward to a fun, safe, and secure 4th of July!

Thank you

Hunter’s Point South Living Management

CONTACT INFO
1-55 Borden Ave
Long Island City, NY 11101
(718) 489-8526

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Anonymous

There’s no way that the building owners can lawfully determine how many guests are allowed to visit a resident. What is this, Soviet Russia … oh, wait.

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brooklynmc

These are mostly rental units. My guess is that if you own, you can do what you want.

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first world problems

First world problems… so you will be ok if every apt invites 20 people each for a july 4th party? So you spin it as management overreach? Not the fact that tens of thousands of people will flood the park and buildings and the river for the fireworks…. Interesting worldview… That the building infringes on your right to have 20 people over for a party… I don’t even live in those buildings but you really want a building overrun with thousand of strangers drinking and making noise?

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brooklynmc

These rules are BS. If you are lucky enough to have million dollar views of the largest fireworks display in the country, you should be allowed to have a party of more than 4 people, in your home. I would like to have some family and friends over that would number maybe 6 guests. Now they have to come by 1:00 and I have to cut 2 people. Not cool.

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share with NJ? how dare ye!

Awesome! Can’t wait. They did for years on the west side. Why should they rotate? There are probably hundred thousand more people from LI, Queen,s BK who can enjoy the fireworks than if it’s in the Hudson River. Are you saying you want to share with NJ? oh dear….

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DO

Horrible noises. Last year the nesting robins established after a quiet previous summmer, left their nesting, deserted their nests, leaving eggs. We’d had flickers, swifts. Gone. Every sound of nature was gone. This is a money-maker for a few, destroying our parks, shocking pets and our youngest children.
I stared up at the nests so beautifully made, the eggs dying outside the Wagner school, and realized the reasoning for the parks, State and City, directly conflicted with this crowd and noise event.
The West Side, of Manhattan with the piers there, history of large crowds– a walkway facing the water for over a mile–that’s the area.
Did Coffeed at Queens Landing and other near waterside venues convince our politicians in Queens of this bad idea?

Reply
james edstrom

Parks department claims they make nothing, but several people have alleged Coffeed gets 200 grand. Considering Coffeed pays 81 thousand for the season and makes all this money not only from the 4th but from weddings, parties etc, because they have a sweetheart deal with parks department that gives them most of the waterfront space. Call the parks department and tell them you want to have a party for a 100 under a tent. They will tell you it must be catered by Coffeed and space rented from Coffeed. Something is fishy on the waterfront as the owner of Coffeed used to work for the Parks Department. Smell it yet? None of us here want Macy’s, we get our cars towed for weeks, We are locked up like animals on July 4th, and Macy’s does nothing to cater to our building which is at ground zero. Landlord is limiting guests in our apartment to 4, they have to be here by 1 pm. Imagine entertaining anyone for 8 hours? After last year, we had Macy’s employees throwing up in our lobby, all night using our bathrooms and we are locked up like animals while they entertain their buyers, there employees and get 200 million worth of free publicity. We have a lot of disabled tenants, last year they made them go on their walkers, wheelchairs and everything else to Vernon to get their guests. Then we were locked up in a 10 foot by 10 foot cage in front of our building. You think this is right? Could Macy’s at least provide someone to help these people? I am ready for all the nasty comments these posts always bring. lol

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brooklynmc

It does seem fishy but, they did not work for the Parks Department. They have a ton of money because they are bankers. I wonder every day when they will run out of money so that something better can take its place. This is from an article aoiut the owners…

“The company was founded by Raffaele in September 2012 after he ended his career as a stock trader at a Wall Street firm called Trillium Management. He joined forces with two of his peers on the trading desk—Sam Kim and Abe King– to form the company.

“I liked trading and the adrenaline rush you get when you trade,” Raffaele said. However, “I got to the point where I wanted to do something I’m passionate about and trading wasn’t it long term.”

His late father was in the food and beverage industry in Coney Island and his greater family has owned the Coney Island pizzeria Totonno’s since 1924. Although Raffaele grew up in Howard Beach, he still identifies with his Coney Island roots.

The three Wall Street traders pooled their funds together and opened Coffeed on the ground floor of the Standard Motors Building at 37-18 Northern Blvd., when the area had little activity.”

Reply
Meryl

Why can’t they rotate east and west side each year? Then everyone can enjoy every other year!

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Steven

More New Yorkers benefit when the fireworks are on the East River because they can be seen from Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan. I hope they continue to do so.

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Anonymous

Because the East River allows most boroughs viewing and the Hudson River only allows NJ and Manhattan viewing

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brooklynmc

Because these are fireworks for NYC. NYC does not include NJ. Should NJ have their fireworks on the East River every other year?

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