So I meant to write this yesterday but I was just too tired so here goes. Last night, after downloading some patriotic songs to my ipod, I headed out for a jog towards lower manhattan to watch the fireworks be shot off from a barge positioned between the statue of liberty and ellis island. Sorry, I was jogging so I didn't take pics, but it was beautiful. I found myself a spot at a park just above battery park (there are tiny patches of grass all over the city that you can park yourself on) and took a seat. I was tired from 2.5 miles of jogging so it felt good. My timing was perfect, I took a seat right at 9 just as the first firework lit up the sky. I sat there for 15 minutes and watched the great show. Then, there was what appeared to be a "grand finale" and no more. So people started to leave and, very disappointed in the show, I got up and jogged about a half mile up to the world financial center (the buildings that are still there from where the world trade center used to be) and was just about to keep jogging through when the fireworks started again! I thought to myself, I shouldn't have doubted old new york, of course they were going to have a longer show! So I took a seat on a concrete wall and watched the rest of the show from a little farther up vantage point.
A few observations from watching fireworks in New York. The first thing that really got my attention was the NYPD helicopter that was circling the island with a huge spotlight. From what I could gather, because there was such a high density of people congregated along the edge (to watch the shows that happened in the water) they were spotting for people in boats in the water just under the groups of people, because they never shined the light on the crowd, just on the water. The second thing that was a little spooky was seeing the fireworks reflect off the buildings of the wfc. At times, it was hard to tell whether it was the firework, or something else making the flash.
Finally, being not 100 yards away from the site of the world trade center during the 4th of July was incredibly moving. There is a grandiose staircase in one of the buildings of the wfc and at the top you can look over the former wtc site and I could see this staircase from my perch on the wall. Throughout the fireworks and for a good bit after, people went up those stairs, looked out the window and took pictures, said prayers, stood silently or paid their respects in their own way. There was no one group of people who went up, it was everyone who happened to know where they were. I went up there after the fireworks and I stood at the top with a Chinese couple who held hands and didn't say a word, a group of 5 african americans who after making a loud raucous all the way in the building talked quietly amongst themselves at the top and a "fanny pack" tourist couple who were in complete awe of what they saw. The absense of those buildings and the impact that has had on our lives as both Americans and human beings was palpable. It made me appreciate even more the opportunity I have to live and work in this incredible city. There's nothing like it.
Hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July. It was an ordinary, uneventful 4th of July, but for reasons beyond the ordinary and uneventful, I know I'll never forget it.
