Securing a great vantage point is all-important if you want to enjoy New York City’s Fourth of July fireworks display.
The Manhattan skyline makes it so. While its grandeur makes a more dramatic backdrop to the Independence Day fireworks, its skyscrapers obscure many sightlines.
There are some great free-to-access viewing points at street level – namely Hoboken, N.J. and the West Side Highway below 59th St.
Naturally, though, the best spectator spots are up high. Perhaps the best of them all is the city’s second-tallest building – the Empire State Building.
Every year the building closes the doors to its 86th floor observatory for a private party. Only individuals with special Fourth of July tickets can gain access between 6.30 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Tickets are now sold out for this year, but they’re typically available to the general public, and sold on a first-come, first-served basis on the official Empire State Building website. Each ticket costs $149, which is expensive, but that price does include drinks and nibbles.
Written by insider city guide series Hg2 | A Hedonist’s guide to…
(Main image: Kai Brinker)
