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Macy's Shows "Willingness" To Bring Fireworks Back To East River, Says Source
By
John Del Signore
Published Jul 23, 2012
Modified Jul 23, 2012
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The view of this year's fireworks from Gowanus.
By
John Del Signore
Published Jul 23, 2012
Modified Jul 23, 2012
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Local politicians and their fireworks-starved constituents are working hard to bend Macy's to their will and bring the Fourth of July fireworks back to the East River. And according to an anonymous source in today's Daily News, they're having an impact: the tabloid's source says, "Macy’s has expressed willingness to move to the East River. Macy’s has been receptive to sitting down and discussing solutions. We’re optimistic that soon there will be good news." We asked our contact at Macy's to confirm or dis-confirm this optimistic outlook, and here's what they told us:
"The venue for next year's Macy's 4th of July Fireworks has not been determined at this time," says Macy's spokesman Orlando Veras. "As always, Macy's is ready to partner with city agencies and government officials to continue to bring this grand tradition to the City of New York and the nation." Huzzah, fireworks on the Brooklyn Promenade 2013! Oh, wait, the flack's statement is actually maddeningly non-committal!
So yeah, who knows? A spokesperson for Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, who has been leading the charge with State Senator Daniel Squadron, tells us, "Macy’s has agreed to meet with us, and we certainly take that as a positive sign. We’re hopeful they will listen to the thousands of New Yorkers who have signed our online petition calling for fireworks to alternate annually between the East and Hudson Rivers, and we look forward to sitting down with them and figuring out a way to achieve that."
No word yet on when that meeting will take place, but we'll keep you informed as the rumors continue to swirl.
Tagged
bill de blasio
fireworks
july 4th
macy's
rumors on the internets
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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