Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
July 4th Fireworks Dazzle in the New York City Sky
By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 5, 2007
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 5, 2007
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
It was rainy during the Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular, but that didn't stop the breathtaking event that rumbled and lit up the sky. The rain may have even scared off some spectators, though there were still plenty who wanted great views of the 40,000-shell extravaganza. From the Daily News:
One actual kid, Flory Joseph, 8, of the upper West Side, gave her mom an I-told-you-so look and said, "She didn't even want to come because it was pouring." Mother Meg Joseph, 51, shrugged and conceded, "It was worth it. It is the greatest show on Earth."
And in spite of the city's warning about illegal fireworks, the police did arrest many who were using them. In fact, five police oficers were injured while trying to break up some illegal fireworks going off on a street in Staten Island; WABC 7 reports that when the police approached a 25-year-old man setting off fireworks, 50-60 neighbors "quickly descended on them." About 28 people were arrested.
Mayor Bloomberg marched in Staten Island's Travis Fourth of July parade, where he said, "It's a great day for the United States, a day to remind ourselves about our freedoms."
There are some incredible photographs taken by readers on Flickr. Here are a few sets we've seen so far - TomVu's set from Brooklyn, fresh bread's set and i'mjustsayin's set over the East river- and keep checking the "gothamist" and "fireworks" tags because people have been uploading them.
Top photograph by TomVu on Flickr; middle photograph by fresh bread on Flickr and bottom photograph by i'mjustsayin on Flickr
Tagged
bloomberg
brooklyn
daily news
flickr
July Fireworks Spectacular
macy's
mayor
mayor bloomberg
news
News: NYC
parade
people
photos
police
rain
staten island
the city
The Police
travis
united states
wabc
west side
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Mamdani opts not to define antisemitism in report to combat Jewish hate crimes
The decision avoids a hotly debated issue over whether certain kinds of criticisms of Israel constitute antisemitism.
By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Sep 29, 2026 at 11:36 a.m. ET
Police are still investigating bike crash that killed dad of 2 in Central Park
The family is raising money for the wife and two daughters he leaves behind.
By
Brittany Kriegstein
News
Police are still investigating bike crash that killed dad of 2 in Central Park
The family is raising money for the wife and two daughters he leaves behind.
By
Brittany Kriegstein
NYC has a plan to stop homeless people from cycling between hospitals and the streets
By
Karen Yi
Early Addition: Billy Joel is auctioning off 70 of his motorcycles
By
James Ramsay
Man dragged to death by subway in Brooklyn after getting caught on closing doors
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .