Jul 5, 2009 8:48 am US/Eastern
Fireworks Over Hudson Meet With NY, NJ Approval
Millions Celebrate America's Birthday At Macy's Spectacular On Hudson River
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
Fireworks lit the night sky above New York with a kaleidoscope of colors shooting 1,000 feet into the air on an Independence Day that began with the Statue of Liberty's crown opening to the public for the first time since Sept. 11, 2001.
It was the nation's biggest fireworks display, with more than 22 tons of pyrotechnics exploding Saturday over a mile-and-a-half of the Hudson River, a new vantage point for New York's festivities. Millions of spectators watched from both sides of the river.
The West Side and the New Jersey side were packed with people, many of whom arrived early to stake out a perfect spot for the glittering, booming blast.
"I want to make sure I have a place to sit," reveler Brianna Persaud said.
"This is amazing, my first time on the West Side, second time in New York, and we just moved here," fireworks fan Jacqueline Vidopio says. "I'm excited to get a spot and see it."
"It's our time definitely our time, and I hear its spectacular," West Side resident Amelia Sweeney says.
Six barges were loaded with 40,000 shells, ready for the Hudson River edition of the show Macy's is calling their most spectacular, tallest, and longest fireworks show ever.
New to the show this year were waterproof fireworks that shot across the river's surface before dropping down and creating a dazzling liquid light.
Traffic along Manhattan's West Side Highway is shut down until 1 a.m., and a section of New Jersey's busy River Road has also been closed.
This year's shift from the East River to the Hudson River delivers a big business boom for restaurants with great views of the action, like Fleming's Steak House in Edgewater.
"Usually everyone comes here to watch them when they're on the other side and they can't see them, and people trying to see and cant – but this year, they will see them," owner Buddy Chick says.
With a Pyrotechnic Party this big, patrols were beefed up in both states. All along the river, New York and New Jersey cops checked rooftops and balconies to make sure they were not overloaded with spectators.
"If you have a balcony, there are always capacity issues and always weight limits," Hoboken Mayor Peter Cammarano says. "You're not allowed to be on a rooftop, and certainly if there is going to be drinking, we don't want people up on rooftops engaging in behavior that could be dangerous."
The last time West Siders faced these fireworks was 2000, so they were all fired up for this rocketing return.
The fireworks started on the Hudson in 1958, but became an East River tradition in 1976, so many on the West Side say it was their turn.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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