By Bill Roundy It will be a blast!
The skies of Brooklyn will be
ablaze next week when the Macy’s
Fourth of July Fireworks extravaganza
explodes with patriotic pride over the
East River. Thousands of shells will
launch from the Brooklyn Bridge and
from four barges parked in the river
south of the span, while a “waterfall”
of fireworks will cascade from the
sides of the 136-year-old bridge.
Technically, any place with a clear
view of the sky should be fine to see
the fireworks — but with all the towers
that have gone up in Downtown
recently, a clear view has been harder
to come by. So we have compiled a list
of the best places to watch the action
on Independence Day.
Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks
(www.macys.com/social/fireworks).
July 4 at 9:20 p.m. Free.
Park place
The best views in town are going
to be from inside Brooklyn Bridge
Park — all of the barges will anchor
between Piers One and Five, so the
green space will be in high demand,
said the park’s president.
“Obviously the park is going to
be a prime viewing location,” said
Eric Landau. “There will be amazing
views of the fireworks, and the other
landmarks — the statue of Liberty,
and the Manhattan skyline.”
But he also noted that space in the
park is not unlimited.
“Based on past experience, we had
a lot more people trying to get into
the park than we can handle,” he said.
“We don’t have the capacity for hundreds
of thousands of people.”
The ferry will stop running on
the East River at 2 p.m., and access
to the Park will be limited to four
entry points, where police will check
bags to ensure safety. When the park
reaches capacity, the entry points will
close — which is likely to happen by
late afternoon.
Entry points will be located at:
New Dock Street and Water Street
(at Empire Fulton Ferry Park)
Furman Street and Old Fulton
Street (at Pier One)
Furman Street and Joralemon
Street (at Pier Five)
Atlantic Avenue and Bridge Park
Drive (at Pier Six).
The two smaller parks flanking the
Manhattan Bridge (Main Street Park
and John Street Park) will be closed,
as will portions of Pier Five, which are
covered in artificial turf not designed
for standing crowds.
If you want to watch from the park,
you need to plan ahead, and show up
early.
Bag checks at each entrance will
slow things down, so if you travel in
a group, have one person carry the
things you need, and they can catch
up when the rest of you have staked
out a spot.
Concessions in the park will close
at 2 p.m., so bring the food and drinks
you need to last until the fireworks
start at 9:20 p.m. Coolers are strongly
discouraged, and there is no alcohol
allowed in the park, so try to be
discreet.
Get more details at www.brooklynbridgepark.
org.
Prominent citizens
The Brooklyn Promenade, which
runs above the Park and the Brooklyn-
Queens Expressway, will also have
amazing views, and will have similar
issues with crowding. Police will also
check bags at the entrances to the
Promenade, and you should show up
hours early if you want to get a spot.
Cashing out
There are several restaurants and
hotels along the water’s edge where
you can get a seat for the fireworks
— if you can afford it! Here are few
options for you and Uncle Moneybags
— but for the spots inside the Park,
remember that you need to arrive
before the park hits capacity, which
means before 6 p.m.
Ship shape
The oyster bar Pilot is on board a
ship floating off the edge of Pier Six,
and it will have spectacular views and
sky-high prices! The ship offers an
open bar, unlimited oysters, lobster
rolls, caviar, and more, but tickets
start at $375 for a seat at the bar
($445.78 with tax and tip), and go up
COURIER L 56 IFE, JUNE 28-JULY 4, 2019 24-7
to $10,000 for a 12-person Captain’s
Table.
Because the shop is well inside
Brooklyn Bridge Park, you should be
sure to show up before the Park hits
capacity — and you had better carry a
copy of your ticket, which might help
you get past security.
Pilot at Pier Six (enter at Atlantic
Avenue and Bridge Park Drive in
Brooklyn Heights, www.pilotbrooklyn.
com). 6 p.m. $375–$450.
Pie in the sky
At the base of the Pier Six is
the two-story Fornino Pizza, which
will have its own party with fantastic
views. You can indulge in an inclusive
meal of anti-pasta, salad, pizza,
chicken parm, and meatballs, and visit
the cash bar. The party does not start
until 7 p.m., but you should probably
show up by 5 p.m. to make sure.
Fornino on Pier Six (enter at
Atlantic Avenue and Bridge Park Drive
in Brooklyn Heights, www.fornino.
com). 7–10:30 p.m. $250.
One-up
The One Hotel, at the base of
Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier One, has
three different spots where you can
watch the action.
The rooftop will host Harriet’s
Rooftop Viewing Party which is likely
to have the best views. General
admission tickets are $100; you can
add an open bar and food for $250, but
if you actually want to sit down, it will
cost $1,000 for a table for two people,
though it does include “premium bottle
service” and canapes.
One floor down, in the enclosed
Harriet’s Lounge, a $100 ticket also
includes an open bar, but a table res-
IBy Kevin Duggan t’s time to do the right
thing — and party!
Filmmaker Spike
Lee will celebrate the 30th
anniversary of his seminal
movie “Do the Right
Thing” with a block party
in Bedford-Stuyvesant on
June 30.
The Oscar-winning
director will throw his bash
on the stretch of Stuyvesant
Avenue where he filmed
the iconic 1989 flick,
between Quincy Street and
Lexington Avenue — a
block that was co-named
to honor the movie in 2015.
The party will last from
noon to 7 p.m. and will
be free and open to the
public — much like his last
celebration for the movie’s
25th anniversary , his annual
Michael Jackson jubilee,
and a 2017 party to honor
the late Prince.
The director will host
the street event with some
as-yet-unnamed guest
stars, while DJ Spinna provides
the tunes, according
to Lee’s Instagram.
Former Brooklynite
Lee, who now lives on the
distant isle of Manhattan ,
starred as the film’s protagonist
Mookie, a pizza
deliveryman, alongside
actors Samuel L. Jackson,
Rosie Perez, and John
Turturro, among others.
The movie highlights
racial tensions on the
Brooklyn block, which
boil over when a white
police officer chokes a
young black man to death.
The scene bears prescient
resemblance to the killing
of Staten Island man
Eric Garner at the hands
of police officer Daniel
Pantaleo, who placed him
in a fatal chokehold in
2014.
The film also touches
on gentrification, when
the character Buggin
Out (played by Giancarlo
Esposito) confronts a white
resident of the street who
scuffed his Air Jordans
with his bike.
The movie’s themes
remain relevant today,
the director told the Daily
News recently.
“We had the crystal
ball,” he said. “There was
global warming, gentrification.
The film, you could
say, is ripped from the
headlines presently.”
Those who want to
see the film again on the
big screen should head to
the Brooklyn Academy of
Music, which will screen
it several times a day from
Jun. 28–July 4, using a newly
restored digital version
and a new 35 mm print.
“Do the Right Thing
Block Party” on Stuyvesant
Avenue, between Quincy
Street and Lexington
Avenue in Bedford-
Stuyvesant. June 30, noon–
7 p.m. Free.
“Do the Right Thing”
at BAM Rose Cinemas 30
Lafayette Ave., between St.
Felix Street and Ashland
Place in Fort Greene, (718)
636–4100, www.bam.org,.
Jun. 28–Jul. 4, various
showtimes. 35mm showings
after 6 p.m. $15.
Blast-off: Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks Show will launch from the Brooklyn Bridge and
from barges nearby for the first time since 2014. Julienne Schaer
Right of way
THE BIG BANGS!
Where to watch the July 4th fireworks
Spike Lee’s party for
‘Do The Right Thing’
Continued on page 60
Party host: Filmmaker Spike Lee will host a free block party on
June 30 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of his iconic movie
"Do the Right Thing," on the Bedford-Stuyvesant block where it
was filmed.
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